Guanacaste Province · Costa Rica
Where to stay in Tamarindo
Tamarindo is a city in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, home to about 7,000 people. This guide covers 1 hotel in Tamarindo.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 1
- Nearest airport
- NOB39 km · Nosara Airport
- Currency
- CRCCosta Rican colón
- Time zone
- America/Costa Rica
- Language
- Spanish
About
About Tamarindo
Tamarindo is a district of the Santa Cruz canton, in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula. The town of Tamarindo is the largest developed beach town in Guanacaste.
Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Tamarindo
See
Numerous lagoons in the area are filled with wonderful wildlife. Incredible sunsets and sunrises on beautiful beaches add to the overall experience. Rainforests are a short ride away, as are volcanoes and other aspects of nature unique to this region of Costa Rica.
- Fire Spinning
Do
Tamarindo has become a magnet for surfers and blue water sport fishermen, with a sport fishing fleet of talented and conservation oriented captains who are the pioneers of the Pacific coast. Their record catches of marlin, sailfish, giant tuna and other species have become legendary. Whether you want deep bluewater fishing, or reef or shoreline fishing, the fleet can accommodate you. Surf casting and handlining in front of your villa for snook and jack are also popular. Any way you do it you can be sure to have your fresh catch cooked up for you at one of the friendly beachfront restaurants.
- Bikini Surf Shop
- Wayra Instituto de Español
- Tamarindo Spanish and Surf School
- Languatica
- EF Escuela Internacional de Español
- La Oveja Negra Surf Camp & Hostel
- Dreamsea Surf Camp
- Tamarindo Surf Vacations
- CRA Costa Rica Student Tours
- Chill Expeditions Student Educational Tours
- Hacienda Pinilla
- Morning Beach Yoga
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Tamarindo
1 place to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay |
|---|
| Occidental Tamarindo - All Inclusive hotel |
Schematic: the city centre in orange, each place to stay as a dot, distance rings in kilometres.
When to go
The best time to visit Tamarindo
Tamarindo has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; October is the wettest, with about 371 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Tamarindo: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Nosara Airport (NOB), about 39 km from the city centre in a straight line; Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR, 44 km) and La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON, 135 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
It is recommended to fly into Liberia International Airport (LIR) and take a taxi from there which lasts approximately 1¼ hour. Or you can arrange a private transfer or shared shuttle. There are several companies like Xplore Costa Rica that do this service. Most airlines fly to Liberia from Houston, Miami, Atlanta or Los Angeles. Tamarindo also has an airport which is approximately a 45-minute flight from San José. There are several domestic airlines that offer daily flights to and from Tamarindo (Skyway Airlines, Aerobell Airlines, Sansa Airlines).
Getting around
The town is nice and small, a sort of miniature tropical paradise. You can find taxis, rent cars, bicycles, and a few scooters. There are two legal taxis in Tamarindo, available for local or airport transfers or for hire to anywhere within the country. You will find many "pirate" taxis that you can negotiate your ride, but they are probably not insured in case of accident. Street addresses throughout Costa Rica are difficult for foreigners to navigate, but even more so in Tamarindo, where Google Maps sometimes shows street names that are no longer used. When in doubt, ask.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
NOB · Nosara Airport
LIR · Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport
FON · La Fortuna Arenal Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Tamarindo
Eat
Tamarindo offers an amazing selection of international and typical Costa Rican restaurants. Tamarindo has a French and German bakery, as well as restaurants catering to health-conscious and vegetarian. There is an abundant supply of fresh local seafood, fruits and vegetables. Most restaurants face the beach, so while waiting for food, one can play in the sand or admire the beautiful sunset. However, most restaurant food is not cheap by Central American standards. Expect to pay US$10 for a starter, $15-20 for a main dish, $3-4 for a juice or smoothie, $6-7 for a sandwich. Tamarindo also has grocery stores, fresh produce and fruit juice stands, and internet cafes.
Drink
Any tropical drink is recommended. Fresh papaya, mango, pineapple, and bananas are Tamarindo's specialty. When in Tamarindo, definitely try a Tamarind and Ginger agua fresca if you find it.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Tamarindo: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Tamarindo?
Tamarindo has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; October is the wettest, with about 371 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Tamarindo?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Nosara Airport (NOB), about 39 km from the city centre in a straight line; Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR, 44 km) and La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON, 135 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Tamarindo?
Costa Rican colón (CRC).
Nearby
Destinations near Tamarindo
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.