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Travel information for Guanacaste and Flamingo Beach

At a glance: Some beautiful beaches of the northern Pacific Ocean

Some of the best beaches of the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica are very suitable especially for snorkeling and diving. The vegetation here is tropical dry forest, so the greenery is not as lush as the beaches of the Caribbean, especially in the dry season. 

Golfo Papagayo has been developed for tourism only in recent years. Here, attempts are being made to bring high-class hotels in harmony with nature. The beaches include Playa Ocotal, Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa and Playa Panamá.

Here you can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, diving and surfing. The Papagayo Peninsula is the most developed area of the Gulf region. From here you can also visit the Santa Rosa National Park.

The beaches of Playa Potrero and Playa Flamingo, located at Bahía de Portrero, are surrounded by shady vegetation, unlike the other beaches in the area. Since the hotels are not located directly on the beach, they still seem quite untouched. Playa Flamingo is therefore one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica.

Playa Tamarindo is located on a long bay and is ideal for swimming and long walks on the beach. The place is very well developed for tourism. Boat tours to the river delta, sailing tours and snorkeling excursions are offered. At Playa Tamarindo you can also surf well. In the village there are many restaurants and possibilities to spend the evening.

Another loved place in the Nicoya Peninsula is Playa Sámara. The beautiful, 3 km long sandy beach, in an elongated bay protected by a coral reef, is well suited for swimming and surfing. If you want to snorkel at the coral reef, a boat will take you to the island of Chora (about 1.5 km from the beach). There you can watch iguanas and snorkel. The place itself is quite pristine and quiet. Nevertheless, there are enough restaurants and cafes. Most of the hotels are not located directly on the beach, which is why the beach seems to be mostly natural.

On the southeastern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula is Playa Tambor, Mal Pais, Santa Teresa and Montezuma. Tambor is ideal for family beach vacations because of the lack of waves. This light sandy beach is very suitable for swimming. Excursions to Isla Tortuga and the hinterland are offered here.

The best surf spots in Costa Rica

– Tamarindo is known for its beaches with strong surf like Playa Tamarindo and Playa Langosta.

– Santa Teresa is a resort town located in the west of the Central American nation of Costa Rica. The town is located directly on the Pacific Ocean at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula.

– Jacó is known for its surf beaches and nightlife. It also serves as a gateway to the national parks.

– Nosara is located on the coast of Costa Rica with the famous surf beach Playa Guiones and the turtle nesting site Ostinal.

– Dominical is a small town in the province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica.

– Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is located on the Caribbean coast and offers perfect surfing and diving spots as well as the Manzanillo Sanctuary.

– Paya Grande is off the beaten path but has a gorgeous beach, and is great for surfing. Turtles can be observed.

– Samara has a great surf beach, language schools, and lots of bird and wildlife watching.

– Montezuma is a village on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and is known for its yoga classes and modern Rastafarian culture.

– Surfing in Manuel Antonio National Park is often combined with a language school. Rainforest reserve with abundant wildlife and several marine species.

– Playa Hermosa offers a great beach for surfers and wave riders

Learn to surf: All beginnings are difficult…

– Find a good surf school or surf camp

– Surf instructors should have a surf instructor license from the ISA (International Surfing Association).

– When surf guiding you will be introduced to the spot under the assumption that you can already surf reasonably well. Only a good surf course will help you learn to surf. Both theory and practical knowledge will be taught. So better surf course instead of surf guiding.

– Less is more – The less students a surf instructor has to take care of, the better he can respond to the individual surf student. Anything over 4-5 students per instructor is too much.

– Watching yourself on video helps with learning to surf. It makes it easier to understand your own mistakes. Because your own performance often feels better than you are….

Guanacaste has definitely become a favorite destination for bachelorette or bachelor parties.

Most of the time, clients ask us for a private catamaran trip, departing from some of the most popular beaches in the Guanacaste area.

As all our trips are private, the clients have the decision of the activities to do on board.
All our trips include drinks, meals (from light meals during short trips) to full day trips with a delicious BBQ lunch at a remote beach.

Activities include snorkeling on a rocky reef, paddle boarding, or any special activity that the clients wish.

Guanacaste hotels and beaches

Among the areas where we pick up clients, are almost all the accessible beaches of the North Pacific and North Guanacaste.

These are:

• Papagayo
• The Mangroove
• Hermosa Beach
• Riu
• El Coco
• Ocotal
• Flamingo
• Las Catalinas
• Conchal
• Tamarindo
• JW Marriott

You can enjoy an all inclusive tour swimming, dancing and drinking delicious cocktails all day long with your best friends while celebrating your bachelorette party. Rent a yacht now!
Ask about the different schedules we have available for our charters, and let us know which catamaran is your favorite, and we will send you a customized quote.

Services included or available:

• Departure from the hotel beach
• Music system to play your own music
• Unlimited good quality drinks
• Good quality food and light meals during the 4 hour tours.
• Full lunch during the 8 hour full day tour

Among the activities included or available are

• Snorkeling on a reef
• Paddle boarding
• Kayaks ( Consult us )
• Fishing ( Consult )

The Papagayo Peninsula, in northern Guanacaste, is a small peninsula with one of the most interesting and dramatic geographies and topographies of the province.

It is located north of Playa Hermosa, and is part of the Papagayo-Bahía Culebra eco-region, since Papagayo is the outer part that protects and creates the Culebra Bay, an idyllic bay of calm waters located to the south.

It has a very interesting scenic beauty, given its changing topography of beaches, mangroves, wooded hills, islands and hidden coves.

At its western end, for example, are two of the most beautiful beaches of the peninsula, Virador and Blanca, which are separated from each other by only 120 meters.

The interesting thing is that both are influenced by totally opposite currents and winds, given their opposite location.

Playa Jicaro, Nacascolo and Manzanillo are three beaches of clear sands that are located in the southern part of the peninsula, and are ideal for swimming, snorkeling or stand up paddle.

There is a constant absence of waves, due to the protection that Culebra Bay enjoys precisely because of the peninsula.

Iguanita Beach Natural Reserve

Iguanita Beach, located at the northern end of the bay and at the eastern end of the peninsula is an important natural refuge, where there is an important mangrove swamp, as well as extensive tropical forests.

In this area, there are no tourist developments, since it enjoys an environmental conservation regime, which also contributes to the scenic beauty of the area, and the survival of species of flora and fauna, both terrestrial and marine.

Hidden beaches and coves

Towards the north side of the peninsula, there are a series of remote and inaccessible beaches, among them Playa Huevos and Playa Nacazcolito, two beaches of white sand, reefs and an absolutely natural environment.

The islands located at the west end of Papagayo, especially Playa Huevos, add even more to the scenic beauty.

Playa Cabuyal, at the north end and end of the Papagayo Peninsula, is a beautiful long, sandy beach, which again is different from those on the south side, as it is influenced by the currents and climate of the open Pacific and northern Guanacaste, or the buffer zones of the Santa Rosa National Park.

Flamingo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, has turned into the prime sailing and luxury yachts hub in the province.

Read our weekly Blogs about Guanacaste

• Best beaches in Papagayo Peninsula
• Bachelorette Sailing in Guanacaste
• Beach vacations
• Andaz Papagayo Peninsula Sailing
• Sailing, snorkeling and paddle boarding combined
• Transportation to Flamingo and Potrero Beach
• Best beaches near Flamingo
• Whales in Guanacaste ( Whalewatching )
• Sunset catamaran cruise

. Luxury Yachts

With the newly built sailing marina, Flamingo will be able so serve clients from different areas and popular beach vacation destinations nearby, including Conchal, Flamingo, Tamarindo, Las Catalinas, Papapgayo, Riu, Hermosa and even lone standing luxury hotels such as Kasiiya and Hotel Santarena.

Several activities are available for visitors to Guanacaste, including scuba diving, snorkeling, paddle boarding and boat trips.

Land excursions are also available, including horseback riding through a colorful farm, atv trips, canopy or zip lining and even longer trips to national parks.

Some of the most amazing volcanoes in Costa Rica are located in the Guanacaste province, including the impressive Rincon de la Vieja volcano, the Miravalles, the Orosi volcano and the lesser-known Cacao Volcano.

Diverse and interesting national parks and nature reserves protect important wildlife habitats in the province, including tropical dry forests, cloud forests, wetlands, and of course, long strips of coastline, a preferred habitat for sea turtles, including the incredible Leatherback Sea Turtle.

Sailing in Flamingo, Guanacaste

Sailing is one of the most unforgettable ocean experiences in Guanacaste, and the newly built Flamingo Marina is a perfect hub for starting yacht or sailing trips along Guanacaste’s more secluded coastline.

All the trips including real sailing experience, and we focus on nature a lot. While we provide all the necessary services once you are onboard, including drinks food items, Bluetooth music sound system and toys such as snorkeling and paddle boarding, we constantly try and show the most beautiful and natural highlights in Guanacaste.

Snorkeling near rocky reefs, islets or islands, or visiting lonely beaches and secluded coves are part of the tour script.

Your might very well see sea turtles on the ocean, interesting sea birds, dolphins, whales ( during the whale watching season ) and lots of colorful fish while snorkeling.

Paddle boarding is also part of some of the boats, a popular activity and one where nature is easily appreciated while having fun paddling.

_Guanacaste

Welcome to a magnificent beach destination in Costa Rica`s northwestern Guanacaste

Playa Flamingo is one of the most popular beaches for tourists looking for a pleasant beach vacation.

The beautiful main beach of Flamingo is undoubtedly beautiful, with white sand, relatively calm waters, as well as rock formations at both ends, where snorkeling is often excellent.
Additionally, the beach is surrounded by an extensive mangrove forest, and hills with tropical dry forest and luxury villas at the other ends.
Flamingo also offers a good amount of services and amenities, among them restaurants and bars, several hotels, and a collection of luxury villas and vacation rentals of different categories (condos, ocean view homes, etc).

Tours from Flamingo Beach

As for the activities that can be booked, there is also a collection of activities, both adventure tours, such as canopy, rafting, horseback riding, sport fishing, atv and others, as well as ecotourism tours, ideal for lovers of flora and fauna.
Some of these ecotourism tours include visits to volcanoes and national parks, such as Rincon de la Vieja, Barra Honda or Pao Verde, as well as shorter activities, including sea turtle watching, scuba diving, snorkeling and sailing tours, both classic sailboats and catamarans.
Additionally, if you have your own transportation, you can also visit neighboring beaches of great beauty, such as Prieta, Penca, Pan de Azúcar, Danta, Dantitca, Tamarindo, Conchal, Avellanas, Playa Real or Bahia de los Piratas and several other beaches.
Those looking for some local folklore and traditional culture, can visit the town of Brasilito, which is an authentic village where you can visit some of the local restaurants and see the traditional life of the Guanacasteco inhabitant.

Guanacaste high end beachfront community and luxury hotels

Playa Danta Beach is located to the north of Flamingo Beach, about 15 minutes driving time. Several beautiful beaches are located in between the Flamingo Beach area, commencing from the Flamingo Marina to the North.

Potrero Beach, which is not particularly beautiful because of the darker color of its sand, is the first adjoining beach. It is a great place for family vacations since there are no large waves nor currents.

The next beach is Playa Penca, a very nice white sanded beach, which is another still sort of hidden jewel among tourists, since its name is not yet as famous, although the beauty of the beach is amazing. Penca also has an interesting small estuary, where wildlife inhabits, especially monkeys and bird species

Prieta Beach is next. This small beach is also very beautiful, and also, still quite natural, since there are few development right on the shoreline. There is still abundant tropical dry forest than comes right to the shoreline.

The last beach before getting to Playa Danta is Sugar Beach, which is yet another fantastic beach. The entire property covering the terrestrial portion of the beach belongs to one developer, who has a more sustainable view, therefore guaranteeing the everlasting presence of nature. Sugar Beach is considered a secluded beach with one only tourist development.

Playa Danta

Playa Danta, one of the last visitable beaches between the cantons of Santa Cruz and Carrillo, is a beautiful white sand beach.

There are no large waves, nor currents ( They might happen occasionally but it is not the norm ). It also offers the visitor an interesting set or rocky pinnacles and rocky reefs, where visitors can snorkel during days of good visibility.

Las Catalinas at Playa Danta

Las Catalinas is a unique Project, which was founded by developers that purchased almost the entire land around the beach, all the way up the forest covered hills behind the beach.

It currently has turned into a renaissance looking village, with high end luxury vacations rental homes, and even two hotels.

The entire architecture resembles that of an older Italian village, and since all units must be built in the same style, it is a very solicited vacation destination.

There are two hotels at Las Catalinas, Hotel Santarena and also Hotel Casa Chameleon. The first is located right in the village, while the later sits atop a hill overlooking the ocean.

Conchal Beach, Guanacaste is one of ther most beautiful white sanded beaches in Guanacaste.

The beautiful Playa Conchal is one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire province of Guanacaste, also called the Gold Coast, for its scenic beauty.

Location

It is located between the beaches of Flamingo-Brasilito and Cabo Velas, and is undoubtedly one of the most recognized beaches for its beauty and also for something particular: Its sand is actually millions of tiny pieces of rounded shells, which make up what is considered as the sand of the beach.

Particularities of the beach

Conchal is undoubtedly a fantastic beach. During summer days, the water reflects turquoise, blue and emerald green colors. The waters, due to the characteristics of the absence of sediment or fine sand, are usually extremely crystalline, and that is why many tourists are encouraged not only to swim in its waters, but also to snorkel.

Lodging in the area

There are several hotels in the area, however, the Westin Conchal Hotel and the W Hotel are the most luxurious in the area. In the neighboring town, Brasilito, there are a number of more modest hotels, which also offer good quality accommodations.
The luxury hotels, located right in the middle of the famous beach, have the advantage of being right in front of the ocean on the most beautiful part of the beach.
Tours from Conchal

There are a lot of tours and activities that can be done from Playa Conchal, among them atv, horseback riding, snorkeling and diving, kayaking, tours to national parks and volcanoes and obviously sailing, both in sailing catamarans and classic sailboats.

Fountain Pajot

• Max capacity 30 people
• SEE PHOTOS

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The Altair X is a fantastic Fountain Pajot Catamaran, which comes with 4 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, air conditioning, large salon fully equipped with table, seating area, fully equipped galley, modern and spacious cockpit. In the exterior areas, it has spacious deck areas, an extensive trampoline, and capacity for up to 30 people comfortably seated.

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The boat additionally has a disembarkation ramp, as well as an inflatable dinghy with its own engine with which we can not only pick up clients, but also take them to desolate, remote and natural beaches.

It is an ideal catamaran both for private charters of half day, full day, but also for tours of several days, staying overnight on board. For multi-day trips, it can accommodate up to 8 people in 4 shared double rooms, or 4 single people, if each person wants their own bedroom.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

•  46 hull ( 30 passengers )
• 20 feet width
• 4 double cabins

• 4 bathrooms
•  Spacious AC saloon
• Chart table

• Bar table
•  Spacious deck area

The areas we serve include the following:

Papagayo, Flamingo, Conchal, Tamarindo, Playa Hermosa, Ocotal

Sailing charters from Bahia Pez Vela Resort

Private catamaran and sailboat charters departing from Bahia pez Vela, in Guanacaste.

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If you are staying at Bahia Pez Vela, near Ocotal Guanacaste, we invite you to book our private catamaran and sailboat sailing charters.

We offer three different basic tours:

Morning Tour 4 HOURS

The morning tour leaves at 8 and returns 4 hours later. Normally we sail out, navigate and enjoy sailing, then visit a snorkeling spot and also a remote secluded beach.

Sunset Tour 4 HOURS

The sunset tour is basically the same tour script as the morning tour, but some people enjoy it since they can watch the sunset from onboard the boat.

Full Day Tour 8 HOURS

The full day tours includes everything the half day trips to, but twice the amount of time. And additionally, it also includes a full BBQ lunch, normally it takes place at one of the beaches we visit.

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Included in all the tours:

All trips include limitless bar service ( open bar ), food items, snorkeling and paddle boards. Clients can also pay their own music ( Blue Tooth Systems ).

All our yachts, sailboats and catamarans are first class, and they come with a fantastic service oriented and knowledgeable crew that will make everything possible to provide you with an unforgettable sailing experience.

Highlights

• Snorkeling
• Visiting a remote beach
• Swim and enjoy the beaches and the ocean
• Sailing and relaxing
• Exploring the unspoiled coast of Guanacaste

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BAHIA PEZ VELA

Bahia Pez Vela is a closed villa rental resort located on a small tiny beach just south of Ocotal Beach in Guanacaste. It is situated right on the ocean, and among the services includes concierge and cleaning, fully equipped villas for rent, beach club, swimming pool.

Our private sailing charters can pick clients up from the beach in the nearby Ocotal Beach, literally just a rock throw away.

We do offer all the tours departing Bahia Pez Vela, including the morning and afternoon half day tours and also the full day all inclusive sailing charter.

Private tours are available with:

• Sailboats
• Catamaran sailboats
• Catamarans
• Luxury Yachts
• Speed boats

Charters available from Papagayo

• Catamaran sailboats
• Classic Sailboats
• Luxury Yachts
• Yachts
• Boats
• Fishing Yachts

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Sailing Secrets Papagayo – Costa Rica Sailing Charters

Amazing  private catamaran and sailboat charters from Secrets Papagayo resort, in beautiful Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

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Available private charters from Secrets Papagayo

•  Half Day morning tour from  8 – 12
• Half day sunset tour from 2 – 6
• Full day private catamaran sailing charter from 10 – 6  PM
• Overnight tours ( Multiday sailing expeditions )

Renting a sailing catamaran from Secrets Papagayo, in Guanacaste, Costa Rica can become the most unforgettable tour you will enjoy during your stay at Secrets Papagayo and Guanacaste. It is one of those tours that almost everyone does when visiting Papagayo and Guanacaste, mainly because it combines luxury and comfort with the exploration of the dramatic coastline and its secret spots, such as remote beaches, reef sites for snorkeling and sailing parallel to the coastline which offers unique panoramic landscapes. 

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Our private charters

Most regular ( non-private ) boat charters include sailing for a couple of hours on a shared cruise with strangers, where you drink beer and spirits and take a quick trip into a bay.

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Our private charters offer a very different alternative, combining comfort and service on board, but emphasizing more on the natural beauty of the area.

Papagayo, and other sites in Guanacaste are worth really appreciating the vibrant colors of the sky, the turquoise water and the pristine sand in your soul, you need a more dedicated and special experience. One where you can enjoy the salty breeze mixed with the glorious taste of an exquisite wine or a refreshing drink.

You deserve comfort, luxury and the best service. And that’s precisely what our charter of our sailing yachts and catamarans is all about.

Tours include:

Open bar, food items, snorkeling and paddle boarding.

Private tours are available with:

• Sailboats
• Catamaran sailboats
• Catamarans
• Luxury Yachts
• Speed boats

Charters available from Papagayo

• Catamaran sailboats
• Classic Sailboats
• Luxury Yachts
• Yachts
• Boats
• Fishing Yachts

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