BEACHES
We like to go to the beach in the morning or late afternoon. If you go during the middle of the day, pay attention to our notes about where to find shade at each beach. It is very hot in the strong sun.
We can pack you a picnic with any of the prepared foods on our Menu & we have to-go pitchers of cocktails! Google Maps can get you to all of these. Take a look on the map for all the other coves up and down the coast - it's worth exploring beyond these 3 favorites!
Sámara Town Beach
5 minute drive on paved roads
We are so lucky to have such a great beach in town! There's a number of restaurants with chairs and umbrellas you can use for free if you order food or drinks. Plus for $10-20 you can rent beach chairs and umbrellas from some of the surf schools or beach entrepreneurs. The main entrance to this beach is via a boardwalk right in the center in town. Driving from Casa Niri, after you get into town, the road will T right at the boardwalk. Street parking is usually pretty easy except for in the busiest of times. Park just before the T, or go left at the T and park along there. The boardwalk is just beyond the big human-sized letters that say SAMARA.
Or, we often use Gusto Restaurant as our spot if we didn't pack food and drinks. Our favorite spot on the beach is a quieter section about 150 meters to the left (if you're looking at the water) of Gusto. There's no more restaurants there and the beach is backed by sand dunes. A great spot for meditation. Our favorite time at Samara Beach is from 4:30-5:30. We will bring a pitcher of cocktails and walk along the beach. (You are always welcome to make your own cocktails if you'd prefer, but we do have them on the menu for your convenience) If it's a low tide sunset that's the best!
In dry season, the beach is really safe for kids, with waves that are fun to play in, but not too dangerous. Therefore it's also a great place to learn to surf. It's an excellent swimming beach & the water is always warm. In rainy season the waves can get bigger so just feel it out for yourself.
Playa Carrillo
15 minute drive on paved roads
This beach is often said to be one of the most beautiful in Costa Rica. I love to take long morning walks here, especially if it lines up with low tide when the sand is easy to walk on. Sometimes people rent shade cabanas but if they are not, there's lots of palm trees to hide under. My favorite part of Carrillo is all the way at the Southern end of the bay for swimming and playing in tide pools at low tide. If you take a walk in the morning, I love to go all the way to the North where the cliffs meet the sea. There’s just very little shade at that far northern end so that’s recommended for an early morning walk. There's no services on this beach, so bring food and drink. Carrillo is great for those less mobile as the beach is right next to the road. Waves are bigger than Samara, but still swimmable.
Playa Barrigoña
25 minutes drive on dirt roads
Playa Barrigoña is breathtaking. I recommend it during the dry season or with a really great car during rainy season. Other than Playa Rincon in the Dominican Republic, I think this is my favorite beach in the world. It's as close to a white sand beach as you can get in Costa Rica and just gorgeous. I'd avoid it on the weekends, as it does attract a lot of people with loud music, but during the week it's usually very calm.
During the rainy season the road to the beach can get pretty bad, and the river that leads down to the beach can swell so that it overwhelms the beach and it looses its beautiful fluffy sand. However, during the rainy season it can still be a very magical place. It feels wild and undiscovered. If you go to the left (as you’re facing the sea) there’s a beautiful waterfall that isn’t flowing in dry season. The drive itself is worth it as it’s a spectacular drive along curvy jungle roads.
Follow google maps all the way to the beach and you’ll see a small parking area. When you park, if you are ok with a 5-7 minute walk along the beach, head all the way down to the right, almost to the end of the beach. You'll see some beach almond trees that provide shade just in front of a beautiful palm forest. At the very end of the beach is a cool rocky section with tide pools at middle and low tide.
It does have much bigger waves than Samara and it's more of a jump in and get out sort of beach. There can be a bit of an undertow. We just let our kids splash around and they don’t swim at this beach. Definitely bring food and drinks as there are no services at Barrigoña.
