Expert Fishermen

Central American beaches have a justifiable reputation for being terrific and many folks describe the beaches in Costa Rica as being simply fantastic. In a world with lots of great beaches, Costa Rica has some of the very best. On two oceans. With clean waters. Tropical waters. White sand. Brown sand. Black sand. Coral beaches.

Few visitors to Costa Rica realize its rich history or how it got its name. A few years after he discovered what is now the U.S., Christopher Columbus returned to the New World. He became so enthralled with the Caribbean beaches he found here that he named his discovery Costa Rica! The name means the rich coast and has stuck for over 500 years. Not to be outdone, the mighty English explored the region as well. Indeed, a few years before he defeated the Spanish Armada and saved England, English sea captain Sir Francis Drake explored Costa Rica’s southern Pacific and landed 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.

Fortunately, Columbus and Drake left a lot of places to discover for yourself. With nearly 800 miles of coastline, you’ll find some special place for you. There are popular beaches with beautiful girls and mile-after-mile of virtually deserted beaches for peace and quiet. The Caribbean has a reggae, Bob Marley, feel to it while the Pacific has attraction after attraction close at hand, not to mention places where the magnificent tropical forests nearly come to the beach.

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 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 beach (of hundreds) is called Playa Grande, located just 30 minutes away from another great beach, Montezuma. Some claim that, in addition to nude sunbathers, the beach is haunted by the ghosts of its ancient burial ground. I cannot speak to that but I can tell you that this is one place that is a favorite of surfers from around the world.

Trying to name or describe all the fantastic beaches you can visit on a trip to Costa Rica would be impossible. If you are looking for beaches in the days and an active nightlife, there are ever-popular Jaco and upscale Tamarindo.

Regardless of which beach you choose, whether Tamarindo, Flamingo, Conchal, Tambor, or some beach without a name, if you enjoy beach life, a wonderful experience is awaiting you. Some of the beaches are easy to reach by car or bus. Others require more unconventional means, like flying into nearby areas or boating or even hiking. But the trouble of getting to them makes the stay all that much more worthwhile.