Tamarindo

Tamarindo is a town and district of the Santa Cruz canton, located on the Nicoya Peninsula on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Province of Guanacaste.

The town of Tamarindo is the largest developed beach town in Guanacaste. The main attractions in the area are surfing and eco-tourism.

BEACHES

Playa Tamarindo is a long, rocky beach with excellent waves near the mouth of the estuary. Currents can be strong, especially on a falling tide. Tamarindo has two main breaks for advanced surfers: Pico Pequeño a rocky point to the right of the Hotel Tamarindo Diriá and the excellent river mouth break across from Cabinas Tsunami called El Estero.

The biggest waves can reach a height of up to 12 feet, although this is a rare occurrence and is only seen during June, July and August.

There are several shops in Tamarindo that sell and rent surf boards. They also sell related equipment and clothing.

TRANSPORTATION

Tamarindo is the most accessible location along the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica with an airstrip. There is a scheduled daily bus service to and from San José, and a paved highway from San José with an average driving time of 3.5 to 6 hours depending on traffic.

Liberia International Airport is the closest international airport to Tamarindo, about an hour away.

NEARBY

The nearby town of Villareal has a both a public Elementary school and a public High-school, two full size soccer fields, multiple restaurants, two large stores, multiple hardware stores, a police station, a church, several car repair shops and a fuel station.

Just east of the centre of Tamarindo, there is a 3-way intersection. To the left is the road that leads to the Banco Nacional de Costa Rica, and also a secondary exit from Tamarindo. To the right is the road that leads to Langosta.

FARMERS MARKETS

There is a fair-sized farmers market between the beginning of the road to Langosta every Saturday morning, which has a variety of items for sale, not just food. You will usually find at least a few dozen vendors there. There is also a smaller farmers market in Villareal, at the corner of the soccer field, every Friday morning, but it only has fruits and vegetables.

Retail shops and restaurants love the American dollar. However, as a rule of thumb, don't use anything over a $20 bill. Forget using a $100. You will get change in colons.