Traveling to Tamarindo, Costa Rica

As you arrive in Tamarindo Costa Rica the first landmark on the right is the Playa Grande Tourist Information Centre located next to an estuary where many boats are on standby to take tourists over the river that separates Playa Tamarindo and Playa Grande. The Crocodile Hotel and the Laguna complex are adjacent.

The first of many Tamarindo hotels, Best  Western Hotel is next, followed by a vacation rental comlex known as Tamarindo Vista Villas, both have commanding ocean views.

Opposite is a  Thrifty Car Rental outlet. Here we come across the first of many surf shops and surf schools in Tamarindo. The Las Palmas rental apartments are 2000 meters up a hill from here.

As you head into town, on the right is a small complex which houses a video shop and a retail pharmacy, and opposite the Commercial Rodama there is a mini market and a Chinese fast food outlet. A nice café called Eat at Joe’s offers free wireless next to Kelly’s Surf Shop and Economy Car Rental.

Approaching Tamarindo Beach the El Coconut Restaurant on the left is opposite some beach shacks offering soft drinks and a sitting area with benches. El Coconut is next to Aqua discothèque and the Sushi Lounge in a two-story commercial complex.

Enjoy the sights of surfers and the Pacific ocean on the right as you progress past a large commercial center which, being close to the beach, has 4 surf shops; presently these are Matos Surf, Banana Surf Shop, CR Surf and Arelas Surf Shop, and a couple of souvenir stores.

On the right the regional office for Sansa Airlines is next to Villa Amerilla Hotel opposite the Sunrise Condominium (many vacation rentals in this complex are advertised on this website). The road past the Sunrise Condos has some shops and eateries. Remax Real estate has an office here and there is a souvenir shop up the hill past the condo complex.

In the same vicinity we have a Pizza Hut restaurant with a full range of offerings opposite Blue Trails Surf and Rentals. How all these surf shops make a living is any one’s guess!

One of the major hotels in Tamarindo, Hotel Diria, is next on the right. Along the walkway you pass a variety of shops and galleries, cafes, boutiques arts and crafts and art galleries. Nice place to shop around.

Opposite the Diria we have HSBC bank, Enterprise Car Rental, Subway, a property management company and a tour agency. Next to this is the Agua Rica Dive School, the BN bank and a gallery. This area really has everything at your doorstop.

Past the Diria Hotel is Century 21 Real Estate, more souvenir shops, Galleria Del Mar, a bakery, Sol Realty and the Shuttle and Tour Service of Tamarindo.

Now we are in the heart of town and to the left is the road inland to Plaza Conchal. This is the road that leads to Playa Langosta with numerous upmarket beach villas and vacation condos. We will come back to explore this road later. The taxi stand is based here outside a tourist information office where you can find everything you want to know about activities and tours in Tamarindo.

Carrying on straight to the end of the main drag, to the left is the Zullymar Hotel and on the right La Palapa Hotel with a restaurant overlooking the ocean, a tour and travel agency and more souvenirs shops.

We are now reaching the end of the beach road and as it turns into the beach parking area we pass an art and jewelry outlet, numerous beach gear and souvenir shops, Coco Adventures and Tours, snack bars and juice stands, cafes and a pottery gallery.

Back to Plaza Conchal where you will find just about everything you need, including BCR bank, Credomatic, internet cafés, art galleries, clothing stores, florists, restaurants, Post Office, day spa, beauty parlor, Tamarindo newspaper, Eagle Realty and Hostel Paraiso.

Past Hostel Paraiso on the right is the Voodoo Lounge and the Coral Reef Backpackers Hostel, with a pizza shop, a surf outlet and the Wok N Roll Restaurant nearby; all geared to the backpackers market. Opposite there is a café, laundry service, ice cream parlor and High Tide Tourist Rentals.

Up the dusty dirt road is a large white complex housing the Pacific Park Condos, and opposite that at Plaza Tamarindo vacation rentals are managed by an establised property manager. This complex also houses the Le Petite Café, a yoga studio, the Lazy Wave Surf Shop and a sushi bar; certainly no lack of surf shops and sushi bars in town.

A pleasant spot in the evening is the la Esquina Bar and Grill on the road to Langosta Beach, with a mini super called 2001 next door. Caroline’s Fine Dining and Chun’s Chinese are here as well making this area a mini restaurant center, especially so when on a branching road to the left there is also an Italian Restaurant and another sushi club located near Costa Rica Breezes vacation condo complex.

On the way to Playa Langosta the Mango Condos offer hotel style rooms, next to a Taco Factory eatery. The more upmarket Hotel Mono Loco is next door, before numerous beach villas on the right; names spotted include Casa Pochote, Casa Cook Cabinas, Casa Banyan, Casa O’Malley, Casa del Mar and the Blue lagoon.

Capitan Suizo Hotel, a member of Costa Rica’s Small Distinctive Hotels is up next just before we reach Langosta Beach, or Playa Langosta. The road splits here, and as we do the u-turn to the right that leads back to the Capitan Suizo Hotel, we pass on the right Villa Allegre, Casa Lobelia, Casa Calibri and the Horizontals del Mar, a popular vacation rentals choice for condos in Playa Langosta.

Opposite are the Villas Circa del Mar and the Amanpuri Condos residence complex. Both these buildings have one, two and three bedroom beach rentals featured in the vacation rentals section on this website. Lastly we pass Hotel Barceló and turn back towards the Capitan Suizo Hotel. And here we end the tour of Tamarindo and Playa Langosta in Costa Rica. Enjoy!