Playa Ventanas, Costa Rica
Playa Ventanas is home to a famous ‘Blow Hole’ that attracts domestic tourists as much as international visitors. The blow hole is a semi-submerged cave in the shape of a tunnel, which, at high tide, forms an impressive spectacle from the sheer force of the waves surging through the tunnel. At low tide, children and adults enjoy the thrill of venturing into the cave and swimming in it. The beach is a 2-minute drive from the coastal highway and guarded parking is offered for a small fee in the compound of a local family who lives on the beach; from there it is another 2-minute walk to the beach.
Located just outside the Ballena Marine National Park, Playa Ventanas is less than 10 minutes drive from the village of Ojochal. It is a popular picnic and swimming beach that gets crowded on Sundays and Public Holidays with Tico families flocking here from the southern inland regions, especially during the dry season. However, there are plenty of shaded and grassy areas for everyone off the beach in the coconut palm grove that lines the beach.