Updated April 2023 – Costa Rica is a beautiful country and has a great deal to offer. That is why it is one of the most desirable destinations in the world. I thought I would comment on our experiences of visiting Tamarindo Costa Rica over the past few years.
Introduction
We have traveled to Costa Rica several times during the past few years and 4 times during the recent pandemic. I know some of you are not traveling and wondering when it will be safe to travel. I think the destination you pick will have a great deal to say about whether it is safe. I will explain why I think Costa Rica, and specifically Tamarindo, may be a good first location for those who want to travel.
As Canadians, we have several choices to get to Costa Rica. There is currently a selection of flights to the Liberia airport, (in the northern part of Costa Rica), from several carriers including Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat. Getting to Costa Rica currently requires no specific testing, but of course, due to the Canadian travel rules, you must prove that you are vaccinated in order to fly and return home. During our most recent trip, (just before Christmas 2021), we used Air Canada and were able to load our documentation into their App. Getting on the plane and leaving Canada was quite simple other than the delay to de-ice the plane. We managed to get out of Ontario just before the only big snowfall so far.
The airport at Liberia is quite small but well-appointed. Canadians also have a history of providing some of the funding for the airport as well as managing the fund that has the concession rights. Passing immigration is easy if you have the right paperwork, and know the name of the place you are staying. Their economy is based on the travel industry so they want you to spend money in their country. Your bags will be scanned when you arrive looking for any vegetation that you might be bringing into their country.
Getting from the airport to Tamarindo is very straightforward. The best option is to arrange a shuttle from the airport to Tamarindo. You are best to do that in advance. The cost is $20 per person. Tamarindo Shuttle is a great option. If you have 3 or more people you may decide to rent your own van, with the cost starting about $75-80 for that option. You can also check with Transmillia. If you book in advance, you will find the driver standing just outside the door, with a sign with your name on it.
Finding a place to stay in Tamarindo is also quite easy. We have always rented condos, from Airbnb or one of the other services. Once we were down there a few times we found better pricing by talking to one of the local providers directly. If you are looking to save money, there are also lots of hostel-style places. There are also several hotels, with the Diria hotel being located right on the beach if that is more your style.
If you would like a real treat, there is a place just outside Tamarindo called Los Altos de Eros which will provide you with a shuttle back and forth. It is a great place to stay or go for a spa day.
The ride to Tamarindo will take about an hour and a half with a “beer stop” Don’t bother buying an expensive beer at the airport because the driver will likely offer to stop at a local grocery store so you can buy beer at about half the price. The most common local beer brand is Imperial. It is a nice pale ale and you will find it everywhere. It has a few different versions, but I normally just ask for an Imperial Silver, because to me it tastes the best. There is also a light option with less alcohol and calories. More on beer later!
One of the first things you will notice, (or rather miss), is that there are no street signs, hence no real addresses. Each location has its own name, and you have to know how the local people refer to it. The other option when you don’t know a street name is to refer to it by another local landmark or restaurant.
Tamarindo is primarily a beach and surfing town. Costa Rica has so much more to offer than this, but this is a good place to call home even if you plan to have other adventures in Costa Rica. You will also likely see some wildlife in and around town. The howler monkeys, iguanas, and funny-looking squirrels all seem to make an appearance once and a while.
General Tamarindo Information
Tamarindo is likely hotter than you think. You will not likely need warmer clothes for a “cool” evening since they never seem to exist. You can live in your bathing suit and a t-shirt like most people do. You may want a long-sleeved sun shirt, but that would be to keep you out of the sun, and not keep warm. You may want a few nice pieces for going out in the evening, but even those are optional in Costa Rica. Suntan lotion is also recommended. There are always a few people on the beach who underestimate the power of the sun near the equator. Personally, I always wear a hat, but I find I am in the minority in this town.
Don’t trust the weather you see online, other than the temperature which is often over 30C almost every day. It may say that there will be a thunderstorm every day, but in our experience, the storms only come once and a while, stay for a short period, cool the temperature down for a bit. In our 18 week stays over the past few years, (many different months), we have only seen it rain for a few hours total. Rainy season lasts for a few months and is the worst in September and October. You can be trapped in a torrential storm every day, and the streets are almost like rivers. Normally during November the weather starts to improve, but this year the rainy season extended into the first few weeks of November.
You will notice that the main street close to the beach is nice and level, but most of the side streets are very bumpy, filled with rocks, and often very dusty. This means it is important to have shoes with a good sole. In late December or January, they spray the roads with molasses providing a sweet smell on the streets. This is intended to keep the dust down but is also a good way to ruin a pair of shoes. On one trip we took down older but good quality shoes and threw them out when we were done, rather than bringing them back because they were destroyed. Sandals are OK but make sure that they have a good thick sole on them. Don’t worry, if you don’t have what you need, there are lots of places on the beach to buy shoes or sandals.
Tamarindo is mostly a walking town. You can walk from one end of the main town to the other in about 25 minutes. Even walking to the main shopping center just out of town is no more than 35 minutes. Sometimes when the traffic is busy the cars move slower than the people. Although there are lots of cars in town, most people still seem to walk. This is good because there is really only one road through the center of town.
There has been a great deal of development in Tamarindo over the past few years. This is leading to more traffic congestion. If you rent a car, know when traffic jams exist, and try to stay away from them. Every evening starting at 4:00 there is a long traffic jam in Villa Real, with people leaving Tamarindo for the day.
The entire town is centered on the beach area. On the beach, you will find several restaurants and lots of people. The beach is normally easy to walk, but there is a huge difference between high and low tide. At high tide, there will be less room to walk.
Because it is an active beach town, most of the people you see walking on the beach are quite healthy. You will even see people who run or do yoga in the hot sun. We eventually found a few paths in Tamarindo which kept you in the shade and provided great cover during the heat of the day. One of them runs behind the Bank National and ends up at the location of the Saturday Market.
Walking on the beach early in the morning or in the evening is a great way to escape the sun and the heat. Some of the restaurants on the beach offer shaded areas to enjoy a cold beverage. You can also rent chairs and umbrellas if you would like and provide your own beverages. There are a few crocodiles that they warn you about on the beach. The estuary, (freshwater river), at the end of the beach past Witches Rock, is the most dangerous location. Some people walk over to Playa Grande when the water is low, but it is recommended to pay a bit and take one of the boats over. These boats are known as pangas.
You will see lots of people surfing in Tamarindo. It is one of the few places where you can surf and swim in the same location in Costa Rica. The surfing normally happens on both ends of the beach with the swimming in the middle, but watch out for the volcanic rocks in the middle. Surfing lessons are available everywhere and I have seen people of all ages practicing on the shore. When swimming the waves are not too bad, but it is fun to jump into them. Lots of kids seem to play near the shore with “boogie boards”.
Although we have never had a problem, I have heard about theft happening on the beach and around town. If you leave something valuable on the beach it will have a high probability of being stolen. I would describe these as crimes of opportunity. There are a number of beach vendors who walk up and down the beach trying to sell you things, from coconuts to bracelets to cigars to sculptures to whistling birds. These people are harmless but can be a bit of a nuisance at times. You will learn to say “No Gracias” and wave them away.
As you walk the beach you will also find people who will offer you lots to do while in Tamarindo. You can ride a horse on the beach, go fishing, take a sunset cruise on a catamaran or sailboat. You can also book a day trip to one of the great locations around to visit another beach, see animals, see the beautiful waterfalls, or even zip line over some of Costa Rica’s beautiful scenery. The prices for these trips have a wide range and the person selling you the package has to make money as well. Check around to make sure you are getting your money’s worth.
One of the other things that are worth checking out is the massage stations that are set up on the beach. You will see dozens of them and will provide you with a massage that will cost you less than it would at home. We particularly like the massage station found at La Palapa. Karen and her team are very professional and they do a great job for a fair price.
Getting Around
One of the questions I get asked is: “Is there Uber in Tamarindo?”. Well, the answer is Yes. As of 2023 Uber is available, and there seem to be quite a few cars available. We never had to wait more than 5-6 minutes and the normal wait was about 2-3 minutes. Sometimes is is harder to get a car on a Sunday or near sunset.
I suggest you find a few local uber / taxi drivers and get their phone numbers, (WhatsApp), so that you can contact them if you need to. We were lucky because we had a few numbers of local drivers that were willing to assist us.
Taxi drivers will also negotiate flat rate costs to go to the local shopping center or take you to another beach, but check around and know how much you want to pay and be willing to negotiate for it. Getting to a location in the neighbouring towns of Playa Langosta or Villa Real is easy to do by taxi for a small fee.
The local people use a service called “Collectivos” that will provide a shared ride for a fixed amount, but I would not suggest this for visitors unless you know some Spanish and know exactly where you want to go.
Food
With a great selection of fresh fruit and local seafood, this location provides an amazing collection of food & food porn! (Those Instagram pictures you post for your friends back home) Everything looks so amazing, and it tastes even better. It is easy to stay healthy and eat well.
TripAdvisor lists 134 restaurants in Tamarindo. I think we have eaten at many of them, and most of them are rated very good to excellent. There is food for every type of appetite. In addition to the foods that you find around the world you will also find a large number of providers of Costa Rica food. Central American food is again very healthy and provides you with what you need.
Some of our top choices for higher-end restaurants are Pangas Beach Club, and Dragonfly Bar & Grill. We also enjoyed the Mother Earth Vegan Hotel and suggest you check it out for lunch or dinner. You can also bring your bathing suit and enjoy their saltwater infinity pool.
You can find almost every type of food, and if your group can’t make up their mind, you can always go to the Food Truck Garden or visit the El Mercadito where you will find 20 or so vendors with a bar shaped like a boat in the middle. Both places are great for lunch.
Tama Onda Beach has an amazing breakfast, along with La Bodega, and El Chiringuito. For a special treat try Breaking Bread for fresh bread or great breakfasts.
You need to pay attention to the prices provided by the restaurants. Some of them include the tax, but many of them do not. There is a 13 percent tax added to all orders at a restaurant. Some of them also add a 10% service tip automatically to the price. These details are often provided in the small print on the menu so be careful. With the included tip, there does not seem to be an expectation that you tip beyond that amount unless the service is spectacular. If the tip is not included, then it is up to your discretion. Food and drinks are more expensive on the beach, but you are paying for the view so in my mind that makes sense.
With all of this alcohol, you would think that the coffee lover would be overlooked, but there are many options for a great coffee throughout the town. We like Noridico, Waffle Monkey and Santa Rita Coffee Shop. There is also a new great coffee place close to Breaking Bread and Little Luca’s called Coffee Culture or Derecho Sagrado.
If you want a low-cost option, there are several vendors who sell meals prepared at home from the trunk of their cars. You can recognize them by the long lines of people waiting for their turn. This will cost you approximately $5US for a large lunch. You can also try La Kitchen which provides Empanadas for only 1,800 Colones each.
Costa Rican cuisine is a blend of Native American, Spanish, African, and many other cuisine origins. One of the key things you will find is Gallo pinto. This is a dish centered on rice and beans and can be eaten at any meal in Costa Rica. The local restaurants with this local food are often called a “Soda”. There are a few of these in Tamarindo and many more on the roads leading into Tamarindo. Some of them are entirely outdoor and don’t have any traditional buildings or air conditioning. We highly recommend Soda Buffet El Estero close to Pangas Beach Club it is open for breakfast and lunch.
Traditions
There are lots of things that seem to happen on a regular schedule each day or each week in Tamarindo. So much so that they start becoming traditions.
Because Costa Rica is close to the equator, the sunset and sunrise times do not change much throughout the year. At 5:30 am the sun will come up and at 5:30 pm the sun will go down. Because of this regular schedule, most beach restaurants and bars start their Happy Hours around 4:00 pm. I suggest you check out the “The Swell Dealer” a local paper that has a great map of the town as well as a list of all of the happy hour specials and events found in town. You can pick one up around town or download one here. A few places even have happy hour all day long if you want to get an early (or late) start on the sunset.
In addition to happy hour, the tradition of making your way to the beach to watch the sunset is great. It is fantastic to see everyone, couples, families, and dogs, enjoying this time together. The sunsets are often quite remarkable but they happen quickly so pay attention or you will miss them.
Shortly after sunset, you will often see a fire juggler performing on the beach. It is a great show and they are performing for your tips. There are also other musical performers who work around the area providing a great deal of entertainment. We highly suggest you check out Max Gea, Joe Hrbek, and Stephanie Waltrip.
The weekly Tamarindo Markets are a great way to feel the pulse of the community. This market is thriving and has grown for the past few years as we have been visiting it. There are a few fruit and vegetable vendors and I suggest you go there with your own bags to get your weekly supply of food because much of it is fresh and a very good price. There is also other food, and many crafts and things to purchase. The smoothie truck at the one entrance to the market is fantastic and has many Instagram-worthy meals.
The Saturday market is much larger and is located close to the Green Papaya taco restaurant. It will take you a while to check out all of the available booths. The Thursday night market is down the street near the local gym and ends up being much more like a party. There is alcohol, a live band, and lots of people just hanging out. People walking around are a bit closer there so you may decide to wear a mask. The selection of vendors at the night market includes more clothing, food, and also a few crafts. Both markets have their own vibe and I suggest you check them both out.
Every Tuesday you can enjoy Taco Tuesday with $2 Tacos at Little Luca’s. The taste is great and you can even order them as take-out. Some of the other restaurants have specials so keep your eyes open. Again the Swell Dealer has a list of many of these.
No Sunday would be complete without a visit to The Grateful Hotel in Playa Grande. (Note: They have recently added Saturday boat trips as well). The Grateful offers a free shuttle from the end of the beach in Pangas (small boats). Look for the boat with the deadhead flag., They will take you on the 7-10 minute ride over to the Grateful hotel. It is an inexpensive way to get a quick boat cruise too! When you arrive, I strongly recommend one of the fishbowl drinks. They are large and very good. The food is good and the free music is good. Take your bathing suit since there is a great, (and very deep), pool that you can swim in. When you are ready to go back you can catch a ride back on the boat. Leave yourself some time because it may take a while.
Money
This can get a little confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. The local currency is Colones. If you are from Canada there is a simple trick to figure out what these are worth. The bills start at a value of 1,000 and go up to 20,000. If something is 5,000 Colones, you can think that it will cost you $12 Canadian, (or $9 US). So the trick is just to divide by 1000 and multiply by 2.4. That is an almost exact exchange rate (as of Apr 2023). But they will not accept Canadian $ so you can always pay in Colones, US$, or credit card. (NOTE: The exchange rate has changed recently so be sure to get an update from your bank before you go.)
Almost everywhere you go they will take US money as a form of payment. The exchange rate is not as simple to calculate. They will often give you $6-8 US for that same 5,000 Colones, but the problem is with the current exchange rate that would get you $9.3 US at a bank (as of April 2023). The rate fluctuates up and down but the simple calculation rate used by the vendors has been the same for all of my visits.
The coin change you get will have dominations on it like 500, 100, or 25. These are calculated in the same way. 500 would be worth $1 Cdn or less than $1 in US$. The idea is to keep these in a pile and use them up at the local stores. You can also use them for tipping.
Most places take credit cards so what we often do is charge our meals or drinks to our credit card. They will often ask if you would like Colones or US$. We have found with our bank card, that waives the transfer fee, billing in Colones is better because you don’t know what exchange rate the restaurants use to convert to US$, and you only have one conversion. It would be a good idea to check your credit card before you leave.
The People and Language
People from Costa Rica are referred to as “Ticos”. This is not a slang term but is recognized as the official name of the people. Most people from Costa Rica are very friendly, and many are very laid back, with an attitude you might expect to find in the Caribbean Islands. The local saying is “Pura Vida” which means living a pure or simple life. Very often they will also use that as a greeting when they meet you or leave.
They mostly speak Spanish, and this area was colonized when Christopher Columbus landed here on his 4th trip in 1502. Most people you meet will either speak English or grab someone who does speak English for you to talk to, but it is nice to know a bit of Spanish as well. Most menus in restaurants will be provided in both English in Spanish.
I strongly suggest you load the Google Translate App and download the Spanish dictionary on your phone. That way you will be able to access the translator even when you don’t have an Internet connection.
Shopping
When you are shopping you will be able to find many of the same things you have at home, but don’t expect the same brands or as much selection. Also, you will often need to keep your translation app ready to find what you need since many foods are packaged differently and will not look familiar. Also, the goods in Tamarindo are a bit more expensive than they would be in a town filled with only local Costa Ricans. If you have a car, you may wish to stock up your groceries in Liberia once a week.
The beer is readily available, with a good local selection of drinkable beer. In addition to Imperial (mentioned earlier), you can also find Pilsen and Bavaria. Bavaria has a nice dark beer if you are looking for that option. There are often a number of other brands including a few local craft brewers. One of our local favourite craft beers is Papagayo Brewing with Passion Fruit Ale and Tropical IPA that both have an excellent and fruity taste. If you like Heineken or some of the other international beers you will find them at some of the locations, but pay a premium.
The wines available are relatively quite expensive for a wine you would recognize from California or another area. I have found a few good wines, mostly from Chile that are a reasonable cost. There is also a new location just out of town that has a good selection of Italian wines and other products. Discount Italian Store.
For most of your supplies, there are supermarkets throughout the town. These are called Super Mercados, or Mini Mercados if they are smaller. They will all have a good selection of beer and wine along with other food you need to get by. There are even a few places close to the beach where you can grab a few cold ones to enjoy on the beach and save the higher price at the beachfront bars.
Staying Connected
Wifi is available in many of the restaurants, and once you have visited a few you will know where to stand to get Internet reception on your beach walk.
The cost of the Internet is quite reasonable and much less than in Canada. There was one store in town that would provide you with a SIM chip for $10US for Movistar. That instantly provided you with a number and a few minutes. For only $20US more we were able to have Internet and phone access for our entire 3-week trip. This also included unlimited use of WhatsApp. This is important because that is the way to reach many of the people in Tamarindo. I recommend bringing an old phone since that will allow you to use that as a hotspot and you will maintain the configuration and data on your existing phone without messing it up.
COVID Times
What I have observed about Tamarindo is that most people walk around without a mask on. That is likely because many of the activities are outdoors. You can walk into an outdoor restaurant and sit down without a mask. You will need a mask if you are going into a store, a bank or any building inside.
The local service people all seem to wear masks when serving you. I noticed that most, but not all, of the drivers wore their masks during our taxi and Uber rides. We always kept ours on.
The biggest difference between home and Tamarindo is not the wearing of the masks. In reality that seems to be the same as home. The bigger difference seems to be in the attitude of the people. People are enjoying their lives, living “pura vida”, and are not spending all of their time fretting about COVID. It is a focus on Living rather than Surviving.
This alone is a big difference and I think even if we don’t travel there, we can learn a thing or two about dealing with our current situation.
If you are looking to travel, it is important to pick a place that provides you with the quality of experience you are looking for as well as one that matches your risk requirements. From my experience, Tamarindo offers an easy-going place with a focus on enjoying life, provided by people who go out of their way to make your visit great.
Hopefully, this has provided you with an introduction to traveling to Tamarindo and has answered some of your questions. I will be watching the comments and will answer any questions that I can.
