Playa Sámara
These four stilted tree houses and two poolside bungalows for grown-ups are so appealing that you might not want to leave. Fully equipped kitchens in most units have pots and pans hanging from driftwood racks, huge windows welcome light and breezes, and hammocks hang underneath. The pricier units face the beach.
You can't get much closer than this to the ocean without getting on a surfboard.
29.61 MILES
Playa Santa Teresa is a long, stunning beach that's famous for its fast and powerful beach break. The waves are pretty consistent and can be surfed at…
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Ostional
14.46 MILES
This 85 sq km coastal refuge extends from Punta India in the north to Playa Guiones in the south, and includes the beaches of Nosara and Ostional. It was…
Parque Nacional Barra Honda Caverns
21.77 MILES
This 23 sq km national park protects a system of 42 caverns. The only cave with regular public access is the 41m-deep La Terciopelo, which features…
8.47 MILES
A local NGO that is dedicated to the conservation of Costa Rica's two species of macaw: the great green macaw and the scarlet macaw. The group…
11.18 MILES
North of Guiones, Playa Pelada is a family gathering place for sunset, swimming and surfing, though the waves can get a bit rough. On the northern end,…
International Animal Rescue Costa Rica
10.2 MILES
Make an appointment to visit this animal rescue center. Brenda Bombard is an incurable animal lover who has devoted two decades to caring for injured and…
9.5 MILES
Nosara's most developed beach is also a stunner, with a wide, generous arc of marbled sand (and a few pebbles and shells mixed in), excellent beach breaks…
28.66 MILES
Somewhere north of town, Playa Santa Teresa ends and Playa Hermosa starts. This gorgeous beach deserves its hermosa (beautiful) moniker and then some. It…
3.42 MILES
A dreamy, hidden, white-sand beach about 30 minutes north of Sámara, where no development is visible. Just inland, though, sits a sprawling hacienda…
2. Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Camaronal
5.92 MILES
A good beach and point break, this charcoal-gray stretch north of Punta Islita is strewn with driftwood and sheltered by two headlands. This beach also…
8.02 MILES
From the south, the first beach you'll hit is Playa Garza, still a sleepy Tico fishing village with an arc of pale brown sand, and headlands on either…
8.47 MILES
A local NGO that is dedicated to the conservation of Costa Rica's two species of macaw: the great green macaw and the scarlet macaw. The group…
8.96 MILES
Sponsored by the Hotel Punta Islita, this imaginative, open-air museum includes mosaics, carvings and paintings that adorn everything from houses to tree…
9.5 MILES
Nosara's most developed beach is also a stunner, with a wide, generous arc of marbled sand (and a few pebbles and shells mixed in), excellent beach breaks…
7. International Animal Rescue Costa Rica
10.2 MILES
Make an appointment to visit this animal rescue center. Brenda Bombard is an incurable animal lover who has devoted two decades to caring for injured and…
10.38 MILES
About 4km south of Punta Islita, Playa Corozalito is an entirely undeveloped beach backed by mangrove swamps and offering plenty of opportunities to spot…