295km (183 miles) NW of San José; 73km (45 miles) SW of Liberia
Tamarindo is the biggest boomtown in Guanacaste -- and personally, I think the boom has gone a bit too far, a bit too fast. The main road into Tamarindo has turned into a seemingly helter-skelter jumble of strip malls, surf shops, hotels and random restaurants. Ongoing development is spreading up the hills inland from the beach and south beyond Punta Langosta. None of it seems regulated or particularly planned out. In fact, Tamarindo was thrust into the local headlines in late 2007, when it was discovered that much of this development was undertaken without adequate sewage or water treatment. Tests all around the beach revealed very high levels of fecal waste in the ocean, particularly during the rainy season.
Still, the wide range of accommodations, abundant restaurants, and active nightlife, along with very dependable surf have established Tamarindo as one of the most popular beaches on this coast. The beach itself is a long, wide swath of white sand that curves gently from one rocky headland to another. Fishing boats bob at their moorings and brown pelicans fish just beyond the breakers. A sandy islet off the southern end of the beach makes a great destination if you're a strong swimmer; if you're not, it makes a great foreground for sunsets. Tamarindo is also popular with surfers, who ply the break right here or use the town as a jumping-off place for playas Grande, Langosta, Avellanas, and Negra.
Just to the north of Tamarindo lies Playa Grande, one of the principal nesting sites for the giant leatherback turtle, the largest turtle in the world. This beach is often too rough for swimming, but the well-formed and consistent beach break is very popular with surfers. I almost hate to mention places to stay in Playa Grande because the steady influx of tourists and development has apparently doomed it as a turtle-nesting site.
Behind all the beaches in this area are low, dry hills that can be a dreary brown in the dry season but that instantly turn green with the first brief showers of the rainy season.
