Playa
del Coco lies 35 kilometres (22 miles) west of Liberia,
Guanacaste’s main city, and is the easiest beach on the Nicoya
Peninsula to access by road from San José.
and just 24 km or 20 minutes drive
from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia .
This pleasant fishing town is a popular destination for
Ticos, and offers a variety of nightlife and restaurants.
Sailboats and fishing boats can be seen scattered throughout the
bay, offering a great opportunity to watch local fisherman at
work.
Playas del Coco is one of the best known beaches in the country.
Plays del Coco is the best known for it's sports fishing
, surfing, scuba diving and snorkelling.
Playas del
Coco is the largest village in Guanacaste province of Costa Rica.
Originally known as the main Costa Rica hub for surfers with
places like Ollie’s Point and Witches Rock
within easy reach, this busy beach is
a prime scuba diving spot, with many
tour and diving companies set up here.
Social life is very active and
dining and nightlife are superb.
Playas del Coco has a fairly well developed infrastructure, good
roads and lots of shops, restaurants, bars, discos, casinos,
hotels, resorts and markets
. If you happen to visit the area
during Christmas or Easter week expect to find a lot of people
here partying ‘beach style’, when the main road is practically
impassable from 10 pm until 3 am.
The sand of Playas del Coco beach itself is a greyish-brown
and the tide here often remains quite low. Surrounded by steep
hills, this horseshoe shaped bay area is the ideal place to have
fun. However, if you are looking for a quiet spot to relax, try
staying away from the centre of town, which could be quite busy
with tourists and local people.
Pelonas Islands, Catalina Islands and Bat Islands, which are
excellent sites to spot turtles, sharks and octopuses in the
natural environment are within easy reach from Playas del Coco.
The main attraction of this beach is a combination of tourist
facilities and great weather. Many tourists also use Playas del
Coco as a base camp because of its affordable accommodation, when
travelling around the country.
Playa Ocotal
According to Lonely Planet, Playa Ocotal has “the
cleanest and quietest beach in the area, offering good
swimming and snorkelling.” Known for its breathtaking
view of the Gulf of Papagayo, with lush Santa Rosa
National Park across the way, Playa Ocotal is a dreamy
getaway for those seeking peace and relaxation. Elegant
vacation homes scatter the mountainside through Ocotal
on the way to Bahía Pez Vela – then disappear from sight
the moment you enter our secluded community.
Guanacaste and the Nicoya
Peninsula
Once part of Nicaragua, the Guanacaste province chose to
secede from Nicaragua to join Costa Rica in 1824. Famous
for its unforgettable beaches, perfect climate and
friendly residents, Guanacaste is Costa Rica’s most
popular visitor destination.
Nicknamed the “Gold Coast”, Guanacaste enjoys a drier
climate than the rest of the country; the region
experiences little precipitation even during the rainy
season – just one of the reasons why so many feel it is
“the place to be” in Costa Rica.
With an international airport in Liberia, Guanacaste’s
main city, and direct flights now available from Atlanta
to Liberia on Delta Airlines, visitors destined for
Guanacaste can bypass San José altogether – and head
straight for the beach.
The Nicoya Peninsula’s spectacular beaches and long
Pacific coastline are the region’s star attractions. The
country’s best dive sites are here, as well as ample
opportunity for record-breaking sportfishing, surfing,
snorkelling, swimming or just plain sun-worshipping. The
area also offers excellent windsurfing and sailing.
A region rich in folklore, music, colour and delicious
casados (typical dishes), Guanacaste offers up the
bounty of the sea to its tables, including lobster,
ceviche and whole pescaditos (fish).
The area’s national parks harbour some of the oldest
formations in the country, such as the caverns of Barra
Honda National Park, with their many stalactites and
stalagmites, as well as important expanses of dry
tropical forest. In addition, many of the region’s
protected areas possess worldwide importance for
protection of wildlife, including the several species of
sea turtle that nest on the peninsula’s beaches.
National Parks in the Area
Guanacaste is home to several national parks protecting a spectacular
host of flora, fauna and marine life.
Barra Honda
Approximately 90 kilometres (55 miles) from the
property. Stroll through a network of caverns created
sixty million years ago by limestone reefs thrust upward
by tectonic forces.
Guanacaste
Approximately 75 kilometers (45 miles) from the
property, across from Santa Rosa National Park.
Rainforest, tropical wet forest, cloud forest and
tropical dry forest shelter hundreds of bird and animal
species and thousands of insect and plant species.
Marino Las Baulas Approximately 75 kilometers (45 miles) from the
property. On the northern side of the village of
Tamarindo, this national park protects Playa Grande, one
of the world’s most important nesting sites for the
leatherback turtle (baula in Spanish). Leatherbacks are
the largest reptiles in the world, with some measuring
an astounding five meters (over 16 feet) head to tail.
Palo Verde
Approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the
property. A migratory and resident waterfowl refuge, the
lakes and floodplains here are inhabited by more than
50,000 waterfowl and forest birds. Swimmers, take note:
crocodiles up to five meters (over 16 feet) long have
been seen in the Tempisque River, which runs through the
park.
Rincón de la Vieja
Approximately 60 kilometers (35 miles) from the
property. This park’s claim to fame is the active
volcano it’s named after; it also boasts the country’s
largest populations of guarias moradas (purple orchids),
Costa Rica’s national flower.
Santa Rosa Approximately 75 kilometers (45 miles) from the
property, across from Guanacaste National Park. This
park harbours important habitat for protection and
restoration of Costa Rica’s Pacific dry forests, as well
as several sea turtle nesting sites.
For more information on these and other National Parks
in Costa Rica, check out the following websites:
Playa
del Coco lies 35 kilometres (22 miles) west of Liberia,
Guanacaste’s main city, and is the easiest beach on the Nicoya
Peninsula to access by road from San José.
and just 24 km or 20 minutes drive
from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia .
he sand of Playas del Coco beach itself is a greyish-brown
and the tide here often remains quite low. Surrounded by steep
hills, this horseshoe shaped bay area is the ideal place to have
fun. However, if you are looking for a quiet spot to relax, try
staying away from the centre of town, which could be quite busy
with tourists and local people.
