Playa Carrillo, Costa Rica
Playa Carrillo is located 3 km south of its sister beach, Playa Sámara, on the Nicoya Peninsula of Guanacaste. In addition to being a Blue Flag beach with crystal clear waters, it is also an ideal beach for kids, swimmers and snorkelers, thanks to the coral reef that protects it.
Imagine a white sand beach lined with coconut palm trees with shimmering waters and very few footprints, that’s what Carrillo is in essence, a laid back, picturesque tropical paradise. Some refer to this 2-mile long coastline as the best beach in Guanacaste. Occasionally there will be windsurfers, sightseers on horseback, kayakers, strolling couples and fishing boats returning at sunset. From December to April the pace here would pick up a little with deepsea fishing activities, and on weekends Tico families bring some noise and distractions to this otherwise quiet beach.
Playa Carrillo is not a beach where you will find many restaurants or hotels, instead you will discover unusual plant and animal species, ancient Indian sites, underwater caves and coastal and mountain nature trails. Here is a thriving fishing and farming community where cowboys, fruit growers and organic farmers call home.
Playa Carrillo boasts its own airstrip which caters to two domestic airlines that serve the region with flights from San Jose and Nicoya landing daily. The drive to Carrillo from Liberia International Airport will take 2 to 2.5 hours, that’s about half the time compared to driving from the international airport in San Jose.