Destination Tamarindo, Costa Rica

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Been There, Done That

Costa Rica is a candy store of adventure, surf, hike, swim, paddle, zip line, ride horses or ATVs along beaches, jungles, volcanos, and waterfalls.

Hello Costa Rica, sorry it took so long. I am sad to say that the idea of visiting Costa Rica first appeared on the "we should go" list about three decades ago. Only to be put on the back burner in favour of all things life, work, home, and family. Happily in life, what goes around comes around, and when schedules align, the idea of a Costarican adventure was not to be denied.

Ok, so we are going, but where?

Why Tamarindo

Hey Siri, what are the best surfing spots for beginners in Costa Rica? With surfing as our primary interest, the above search phrase set us on the path to Tamarindo. Located in the Guanacaste tourism region, in the Northern Pacific region of Costa Rica, the quaint fishing village turned surf paradise promises waves for all skill levels and an assortment of vacationing necessities like accommodations, food and activities that fit our monetary allowance.

Getting Here

While we could fly direct to Liberia, our best option was an American Air connecting flight with a two-hour layover in Miami. On-time and very enjoyable a big thumbs up on the American Air experience.

It's about an hour and a half drive from the airport to Tamarindo. The original plan was to rent a car but ultimately opted for the cheaper shuttle option. The shuttle buses are the best deal, but their schedule is set and did not work with our arrival time, so we had a private shuttle arranged for us by our hotel.

For the return, we arranged a drive with one of the taxi operators parked along the streets. Our flight home was direct with West Jet. The flight was delayed a couple of hours which made for a long day.

Staying Here

*Hanging out by the pool at Best Western Tamarindo.*

*View from the pool deck at the Best Western Tamarind.*

Tamarindo is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Rica, and the number of accommodation options reflects that. From budget hostels to plush all-inclusive and everything in between. We decided on the Best Western Tamarindo for several reasons. Location, location, location, beach access is only a couple minutes walk across the road, walking distance to everything in town, the price was on point, and we even saved a bit more by being a Best Western reward member.

Super happy with our choice; comfortable room, love the pool and the views from the pool deck, the friendly staff and the fantastic breakfast that is included with the stay. You even have free access to surfboards, kayaks, paddle boards and discounted surf lessons courtesy of the on-site surf school.

A Day in the Life

*Pura Vida on the beach, Tamarindo, Costa Rica.*

In Costa Rica, the widely used term "Pura Vida" (pronounced poo-rah vee-dah) translates to "simple life" or "pure life," and we are happy to oblige. We spent our mornings rotating between six-am surf sessions and sun and coffee on the pool deck. Local exploring occupied the mid-day and a few more waves in the afternoon. We strolled the beach searching for food and drink in the evening, then cap the day at the hotel bar.

Surf’s Up

*Ready to get at it with Salty Sole Surf School.*

*Heading out in search of bigger challenge.*

Surfing fun, Tamarindo, Costa Rica — *Doesn’t have to look good to be fun… Photo by* *Andres Corrales*

There’s no denying it, surfing rules in Tamarindo! You will find a mind-boggling number of surf shops, surf camps, board rentals and those willing to teach you how. Surfboards outnumber towels on the beach; you will find people in the waves honing their skills every minute of the day. Another benefit of our stay at the Best Western was the on-site location of the Salty Sols Surf School. Not only did we get free access to surfboards and other water spot gear and a discount on lessons, but the good times were unforgettable.

Food

There are plenty of options here. Stroll the streets or beach and discover numerous opportunities to pull up a chair for a meal or drink.

We started our day with breakfast at the hotel. The Best Western hotel chain is known for its complimentary breakfast but here, that experience is at another level, so good. Go local style with eggs and rice and beans, or choose other options like pancakes or French toast, always with fresh fruit, juice and coffee; fantastic.

The best meal deal is Costa Rican food at local eateries known as Sodas. There are a couple near the hotel; they were our lunch go-to.

Our out-on-the-town favourite, the seafood pasta at Agua | Salada, is incredible. The “Big Ass Nachos” at Eat at Joe's, yep, excellent and big; two of us could not finish them, and we loved dinner and sunset on the beach at El Chiringuito. Then there is fun on a budget at the Jardín Tamarindo Food Truck Park or ordering pizza to enjoy by the pool at the hotel.

Activities

*Sunset cruising aboard the Timarouba catamaran.*

So much to do, so little time. What's it going to be? Horseback ride along the beach, jungle tour, chasing waterfalls, ATVing, zip lining, hot springs, the budget's the limit.

We opted to keep it simple and local, with a few surfing lessons and an Estuary Boat Ride on the Tamarindo River into the extensive mangrove and estuary in search of monkeys, birds, crocodiles and wildlife.

Most memorable was the sunset sail along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica aboard the Timarouba catamaran. A fun afternoon adventure to a secluded cove for a swim, fun crew, good food, drinks and, of course, a spectacular sunset; so much fun we did it twice. You can book all tours online, but we always manage a better price in person.

Nightlife

With six-am surf sessions and days of fun in the sun, I will admit that by the end of the day, it was hard to ignore the easy access of our hotel bar versus heading out on the town. Tamarindo is known as a party town, and Sharky's and Pacifico Bar are good choices if you are after some late-night fun. As it turns out, the pool deck and bar at the Best Western becomes the biggest party in town on Friday nights, aka Crazy Monkey's Bar. As hotel guests, you get free admittance, including an all-you-can-drink between 9 and 11 pm and during our stay, despite a night of rain and a smaller crowd, the evening was a good time.

Our first-time visit to Costa Rica and Tamarindo was decades in the making, but it was worth the wait. See you again soon, Tamarindo.