COSTA RICA BEACHES ARTICLE
You’ll probably come across a number of Costa Rica beaches articles if you’re thinking about vacationing here.
Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, world-famous for its beaches, tropical mountains, and volcanoes. Beaches in Costa Rica are unbeatable in their beauty.
There are white, brown, black sand and coral Costa Rica beaches with magnificent surf along two oceans.
There is a playa for every Costa Rica vacation.
Christopher Columbus was the first sea captain to explore the Caribbean beaches. He was so enthralled he named his discovery Costa Rica, meaning the rich coast.
Though the Spanish ultimately conquered and colonized Central and South America, the English explored the region as well. Indeed, English sea captain Sir Francis Drake (he is the same fellow who defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588) explored the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica and docked at what is now called Drake Bay, entrance to magnificent Corcovado National Park, described by National Geographic as the most biologically intense place on earth.
Do not be fooled. Columbus and Drake did not discover everything here. There are still a lot of things for you to discover on your Costa Rica vacation.
Costa Rica has nearly 800 miles of shoreline. The Caribbean coast has far less development and a unique Caribbean flavor. This is Bob Marley country. The Pacific Coast is much more developed and popular for both tourists and expats—and from December to May has almost no rain, to boot.
With year-round warm weather, a great tourism infrastructure, and friendly folks who like Americans, Canadians, and Europeans (and everybody else) tourists flock to Costa Rica. They take advantage of warm, clean waters, two fantastic coastlines, and almost limitless attractions close-at-hand. Fishing, surfing, rafting, hiking, ecotourism, swimming, adult nightlife, volcanoes, and tropical mountains are just a few of the attractions. You could spend years trying to discover the beauty of all the beaches in Costa Rica but, even then that may not be enough time. So, my recommendation for first-timers on a Costa Rica vacation is the Nicoya Peninsula on the north Pacific coast. It is filled with stunning beaches and you will probably have a hard time deciding which is your favorite.
One of the more famous beaches on the Nicoya Peninsula is Playa Grande. It is said to be haunted by the spirits of an ancient people because it is situated on the site of their burial ground. It is a great beach for surfing, and there is camping in the area, though you may find some clothing optional folks.
It is impossible to name or describe all the wonderful beaches in Costa Rica. This little country is dedicated to sustainable development and takes pride in what it calls it’s Blue Flag beaches. In a country filled with great beaches, these are the cleanest, most pristine of them all. Check out my Blue Flag Costa Rica beaches article here
For those who like to be alone on the beach, Playa Grande, Mal Pais, Bahia Ballena, and Hermosa (not to mention hundreds more) beckon like a siren. For those who like the beach and an active adult nightlife, Jaco and Tamarindo are very popular.
But it does not matter whether you stay at Tamarindo, Mal Pais, Hermosa, Flamingo, Conchal, Bahia Ballena, Tambor, or wherever you happen to land because there is something special everywhere you go. Some places are easily reached by car or the ubiquitous (and inexpensive) buses but others are, well, still pretty remote. However you get there you will find a bit of paradise in that land named by Christopher Columbus, Costa Rica, the rich coast.