Arrive at Liberia Airport (LIR) and Welcome to Costa Rica! #CostaRica #Tamarindo #Guanacaste #sunset #Surf #PuraVida This small international airport has been recently remodeled and is super modern. It is only one hour from Playa Tamarindo #Tamarindo by private driver. Once in town you will check into the Casa Margarita Apartments, which is beachfront, in the center of town and just steps from the sand. After time to settle in, head to the beach for the sunset #sunset and dinner at El Chiringuito Restaurant. Happy Hour is from 4:30pm to 6pm with $2 local beers. For food they specialize in small ‘tapas style’ plates, perfect for sharing and snacking.
Day 1 - Experience a traditional Costa Rican breakfast of ‘Gallo Pinto con Huevos’ (rice and beans with eggs) on the beach at Nogies Restaurant. Then start your adventure by taking a surf lesson on Tamarindo beach with the Costa Rica Surf Institute. After working up an appetite, stop for lunch at the Surf Shack for the best burgers and wings in town. Head back to the beach for an afternoon/sunset sailing tour with food, snorkeling and all you can drink beverages (Antares, Blue Dolphin or Marlin del Rey). After sunset on the boat, and a shower back at the apartment, head to La Palapa Restaurant for a seafood dinner, live music and a nightly fire show.
Day 2 - Start your day off by grabbing the best breakfast burrito in town at The Grinds. Make sure to check out the waves and surf from your balcony table. After walking off your mammoth burrito, you’ll head north by car, up the coast to Playa Conchal for the best snorkeling in the area on a beach completely covered in small white shells. Further north, catch lunch at Coco Loco Restaurant and check out Playa Flamingo, which is home to the newest Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville Resort. Take time to relax and soak in the sun and sand before heading off inland to Villareal for an afternoon horseback ride and zip line tour followed by a gourmet BBQ dinner at Black Stallion Ranch. After a full day of adventures, if you have the energy and are interested in checking out the late-night scene, you should check out Sharky’s Bar. Tuesdays after 10pm, is Ladies Night with Karaoke, a great combination!
Day 3 – Consider getting up early and running/walking on the beach, that is, if you didn’t stay out late, singing and drinking at Sharky’s! If you get to the beach before 7am, it is still cool and very much less crowded. At that time, you’ll mostly find locals walking their dogs. For breakfast check out the Santa Rita Café for a coffee or a smoothie to go with one of their amazing Bruschettas. Today you’ll head south to Playa Avellanas. Make sure to stop by the organic goat farm Rancho Avellanas for a tour and some fresh goat cheese. For lunch on a much less touristed beach, head to Lola’s Restaurant. Make sure to check out their famous 300 lb. body-surfing pig of the same name; not something you see every day. Around 3pm, head back to Tamarindo for a relaxing massage on the beach from Maribel at Villa Amarilla. For your Farewell to Tamarindo Dinner and sunset, take a walk up the beach to Pangas Restaurant located at the mouth of the river. If you are a meat eater, you must try their ribeye, which is cooked rare in the kitchen and brought to your table on a hot lava rock to finish cooking to your taste. To wrap things up, a fun place for dessert or a night cap is the Mercadito outdoor food court.
Tamarindo is a pretty amazing place to visit and there are many more things to do and see. Here are some highlights of this area that are not a part of this itinerary.
Restaurants
- Gracia Restaurant at Mar Vista
Clubs and Spas
Tours and Activities
- Estuary Tour in Las Ballas National Park
- Deep Sea Fishing out of Flamingo
- Scuba diving to see black tipped reef sharks and giant manta rays around Islas Catalinas
- Horseback ride from Monte Fresco to the beach in Tamarindo
- Sea Turtle Nesting Tours Night tours to see different species of turtles lay their eggs on the beach.
If you want more information about any of these tours, restaurants or locations, or would like to book a tour like this, we highly recommend the travel experts at Explornatura. Massi Devoto, the owner is a great friend and has been arranging our own personal travel and tour arrangements as well as for many of our clients. You will not find a more professional and knowledgeable staff in Costa Rica.
¡Pura Vida!
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