Tamarindo

Tamarindo is the most developed beach town on the northern Pacific coast, built around a long sandy bay with a break that is forgiving enough to have made it the country's main place to learn to surf. The town behind it is a strip of surf schools, restaurants and hotels with a large foreign resident population, and it has grown very fast. At the northern end the Matapalo estuary separates it from Playa Grande and the leatherback park, and boat trips up it find crocodiles, howler monkeys and abundant birds within a few hundred metres of the bars. Sunset on the beach is the daily fixture.

What you actually see

• The surf break - forgiving beach and river-mouth waves for beginners.
• The estuary - crocodiles and howlers a few hundred metres from town.
• Sunset - the daily gathering on the sand.
• Playa Langosta - the quieter beach immediately south.

When to go

December to April is the dry season, hot and busy. May to November is greener, much quieter and considerably cheaper, with afternoon rain and better surf on some swells. Christmas and Easter book out entirely.

Honest expectations

Development has run ahead of infrastructure and water quality at the beach has been a documented problem, particularly in the wet season when runoff enters the bay; check current advisories. The town is heavily commercialised and touting on the beach is constant. Riptides at the river mouth are strong. Prices are among the highest in the country.

Nearby

Playa Grande and Las Baulas are across the estuary; Playa Conchal is half an hour north.