Sámara

Sámara sits in a wide bay with a reef across its mouth, which breaks the Pacific swell and leaves the water inside calm and shallow, a rare combination on this coast and the reason the town has a reputation as one of the few genuinely safe swimming beaches in Costa Rica. The surf that does get through is gentle, which suits beginners. The town has grown but stayed modest, with a grid of sand streets, a mix of Costa Rican and foreign residents, and a scale that means you walk everywhere. Playa Carrillo, a few kilometres south, is a palm-lined crescent that is even quieter.

What you actually see

• The reef-protected bay - calm, shallow and genuinely safe to swim.
• Playa Carrillo - a palm-backed crescent a few kilometres south.
• The gentle surf - beginner waves inside the bay.
• Isla Chora - the small island in the bay, paddled to by kayak.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and busiest. May to November is green, quiet and much cheaper, with rain mostly in the afternoon. The bay is swimmable year-round, which is unusual on this coast.

Honest expectations

The road in from the Pan-American highway is long and partly rough. There is not a great deal to do beyond the beach, which is either the appeal or the problem. Sámara has grown steadily and the low season is genuinely quiet, with many businesses closing. Sandflies on the beach at dawn and dusk are a nuisance.

Nearby

Playa Carrillo is ten minutes south; Nosara is an hour and a half north on rough roads.