Active Pursuits

Tamarindo is a long, white-sand beach. Still, you have to be careful when and where you swim. The calmest water and best swimming are always down at the far southern end of the beach, toward Punta Langosta. Much of the sea in just off the busiest part of the town is best for surfing. When there's any swell, you'll find scores of surfers in the water here. Be careful: there are rocks just offshore in several places, some of which are exposed only at low tide. An encounter with one of these rocks could be nasty, especially if you're bodysurfing. I also advise that you avoid swimming near the estuary mouth, where the currents can carry you out away from the beach.

Biking -- Bikes are available for rent at several locations in Tamarindo. Check around; you'll probably find your best bikes at the Blue Trax Bike Shop (tel. 653-1705; www.bluetraxcr.com), who rent everything from single gear beach cruisers for $10 (£5) per day, to high end Trek and Specialized mountain bikes for between $20 and $50 per day (£10-£25). These folks also offer guided mountain bike tours and excursions.

Four-Wheeling -- Hightide Adventures (tel. 653-0108; www.tamarindoadventures.net) has a fleet of four-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicles. They're available for the day ($99/£50) and half-day ($60/£30). A variety of guided ATV tours range in duration from 1 to 8 hours and in price from $40 to $140 (£20-£70) per person. This company also rents dirt bikes, snorkel equipment, surf and boogie boards, and jet skis and offers a full menu of other guided tours around the region.

Golf -- Hacienda Pinilla (tel. 680-7000; www.haciendapinilla.com) is a beautiful 18-hole links-style course located south of Tamarindo. Hotel and residential development here is still in its infancy. The course is currently accepting golfers staying at hotels around the area, with advance reservation. Greens fees run around $150 for 18 holes, including a cart. Many folks staying in Tamarindo also play at the Paradisus Playa Conchal, an excellent resort course.

Horseback Riding -- Although some will be disappointed, I think it's a very good thing that horses are no longer allowed on the beach. However, you'll find plenty of opportunities to ride in the hills and forests around Tamarindo. You can go riding with Casagua Horses (tel. 653-8041), Hightide Adventures (tel. 653-0108; www.tamarindoadventures.net), Iguana Surf (tel. 653-0148; www.iguanasurf.net), or Papagayo Excursions (tel./fax 653-0254; www.papagayoexcursions.com). Rates for horse rental, with a guide, are around $15 to $30 (£7.50-£15) per hour.

Sailboat Charters -- There are several boats offering cruises offshore from Tamarindo; the 50-foot schooner Lemuria (tel. 831-8875; www.tamarindosailing.com), and the 40-foot catamaran Blue Dolphin (tel. 653-0867; www.sailbluedolphin.com) are both good choices. Options range from sunset cruises to weeklong trips out to Isla del Coco. A half-day snorkel or shorter sunset cruise should cost $50 to $70 (£25-£35) per person, and a full day should run between $75 and $110 (£38-£55) per person. This usually includes an open bar and snacks on the half-day and sunset cruises, and all of that plus lunch on the full-day trip.

Scuba Diving -- If you want to do any scuba diving or snorkeling while you're here, check in with Agua Rica Diving Center (tel. 653-0094; www.aguarica.net). These folks are the best and longest running operators in Tamarindo, and have a full-service dive shop. They offer day trips, multiday dive cruises, and the standard resort and full-certification courses.

Sportfishing -- A host of captains offer anglers a chance to go after the "big ones" that abound in the waters offshore here. From the Tamarindo estuary, it takes only 20 minutes to reach the edge of the continental shelf, where the waters are filled with mostly marlin and sailfish. Although fishing is good all year, the peak season for billfish is between mid-April and August. You can contact Tamarindo Sportfishing (tel. 653-0090; www.tamarindosportfishing.com) or Capullo Sportfishing (tel. 653-0048; www.capullo.com).

Tennis -- You can rent court time and equipment at the Tamarindo Tennis Club (tel. 653-0898), which features two lighted outdoor courts located on the back road on the way to the Hotel El Jardín del Edén. It is open from 6am to 10pm, and court time runs $15 (£7.50) per hour. You can also play out at Hacienda Pinilla for $5 (£2.50) per hour during the day, and $10 (£5) per hour at night.

Tours Galore -- Hightide Adventures, Papagayo Excursions, and Iguana Surf all offer a host of tour and activity options. Papagayo Excursions probably offers the widest selection of full- and multiday trips, including outboard or kayak tours through the nearby estuary and mangroves, excursions to Santa Cruz and Guaitíl, raft floats on the Corobicí River, and tours to Palo Verde and Rincón de la Vieja national parks. Rates run between $30 and $140 (£15-£70), depending on the length of the tour and group size.

There's no longer a canopy tour available right in Tamarindo. Both the Santa Rosa Canopy Tour (tel. 653-0926) and Cartagena Canopy Tour (tel. 675-0801) are nearby. Both charge $35 per person. Of these two, I recommend the Cartagena tour, which has a much more lush forest setting, but I think you're best bet is to take a day trip to Hacienda Guachipelin (p. 156) and do the "Canyon Tour" there.

Watching Nesting Sea Turtles -- On nearby Playa Grande, leatherback sea turtles nest between early October and mid-February. The turtles come ashore to lay their eggs only at night. During the nesting season, you'll be inundated with opportunities to sign up for nightly tours, which usually cost $35 to $50 (£18-£25) per person. No flash photography or flashlights are allowed because any sort of light can confuse the turtles and prevent them from laying their eggs; guides must use red-tinted flashlights.

Note: Turtle nesting is a natural, unpredictable, and increasingly rare event. Moreover, things have gotten worse in recent years. The number of nesting turtles was down severely in 2007. All indications are that excessive building and lighting close to the beach are the culprits. Even during heavy nesting years you sometimes have to wait your turn for hours, hike quite a ways, and even accept the possibility that no nesting mothers will be spotted that evening.

If your hotel can't set it up for you, you'll see signs all over town offering tours. Make sure you go with someone licensed and reputable. Do-it-yourselfers can drive over to Playa Grande and book a tour directly with the National Parks Service (tel. 653-0470; $13/£6.50). The Parks Service operates out of a small shack just before the beach, across from the hotel Las Tortugas. It opens each evening at around 6pm to begin taking reservations. They sometimes answer their phone during the day, and it's best to make a reservation in advance because only a limited number of people are allowed on the beach at one time. Spots fill up fast, and if you don't have a reservation, you may have to wait until really late, or you may not be able to go out onto the beach.

Watersports -- If you want to try snorkeling, surfing, or sea kayaking while in Tamarindo, Iguana Surf and Hightide Adventures both rent snorkeling equipment, boogie boards, sea kayaks, and surfboards. They have half-day and hourly rates for many of these items.

If you want to learn to catch a wave while in Tamarindo, check in with the Tamarindo Surf School (tel. 653-0923; www.tamarindosurfschool.com) or Witch's Rock Surf Camp (tel. 653-1262; www.witchsrocksurfcamp.com).

Yo Quiero Hablar Español

If you want to try an intensive immersion program or just brush up on your rusty high school Spanish, check in with the folks at Wayra Instituto de Español (tel./fax 653-0359; www.spanish-wayra.co.cr). This place is located up a side street from Iguana Surf.