Pacific Coast & Nicoya Peninsula

This area has the least rainfall in the whole country, so you can expect mostly sunny and dry mornings even in the green season, making it a great base during summer holidays and for family holidays. You can even take a short flight directly from San Jose to several small towns along its coast, making the perfect scenic start to your stay along the coast. If you choose to drive yourself around Costa Rica – a great and easy country to try a self-drive itinerary - then take the ferry across and explore this pretty corner of the country by yourself.

Perfect for beach relaxation, hiking, horse-riding and particularly surfing around Santa Teresa beach, the Nicoya Peninsula offers peaceful sleepy little laid-back local towns, such as Montezuma or Malpais, and private little villas and retreats, well away from the crowds.

This is a simple and laidback coast with wild beaches that are rarely busy, along note that swimming areas do depend on tides. So whilst it is brilliant for those who like thrilling surf, it is less well suited to those with young families. Yoga enthusiasts will also love this corner of Costa Rica, with many small beach retreats offering classes, beautiful spas and other wellness treatments.

Further north in Guanacaste province, you will discover elegant and sophisticated resorts, remote and chic coastal retreats with gorgeous spectacular views of the ocean as well as some beautiful private villas with access to a whole host of beautiful regions and active sports that are ideal for families.

Beaches do get busier in the dry season and holiday months but we can advise on the quieter stretches of coast and where to go to find your own piece of tranquil tropical paradise. Horse-rides along the beach are spectacular or you could try some sport-fishing, surf lessons, sea kayaking and beautiful snorkelling.

Venture inland only a short distance to local artisan villages or to nearby rainforest and national parks such as Palo Verde or Rincon de la Vieja as well as having access to some great restaurants and facilities in towns such as Tamarindo, which is perfect if you don’t want it too quiet!

Hot and dry during the summer, from December to April, and hot and humid during the rest of the year, the region is blessed with a contrasting landscape of plains and dusty dry coast in summer and green lush vegetation during the rainy season. If you are going to base yourself on the stunning northern beaches of Guanacaste province for some beach relaxation, why not take a short detour north for a day or two to the beautiful colonial city of Granada in Nicaragua.

Give us a call to chat through which part of this stunning coastline is going to be your prefect spot to laze in a hammock next to the ocean.