In a nutshell
- Costa Rica has incredibly beautiful beaches — both on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, all lined with palm trees. We’ll show you our 8 favorites, with honest tips on what to expect at each one.
- For every beach, we’ve handpicked a selection of the best beachfront hotels so you can wake up with your toes in the sand.
- Our top pick is Playa Manuel Antonio. You’ll need to hike through the national park to get there, but it’s absolutely worth it! Our hotel recommendation: the Buena Vista Plus — located just outside the park.
- A real under-the-radar gem is Playa Punta Uva near Puerto Viejo. Leaning palms, warm water, and a quiet sandy beach — it’s an absolute dream on the Caribbean coast. Our hotel pick: the aWà Beach Hotel — our absolute favorite of all the Costa Rica beach hotels.
Does Costa Rica have beautiful beaches?
Yes, absolutely! Along Costa Rica’s coastlines you’ll find truly dream-worthy beaches. Our 8 favorites all have white sand and are full of palm trees. Just stunning!
To give you an overview of where the best beaches in Costa Rica are, we’ve marked all 8 of them on a map.
Good to know: On the Pacific Coast, the weather is great for swimming year-round, but especially perfect during the dry season between December and April. That’s also the best time to visit Costa Rica.
On the Caribbean Coast, there are two windows when the weather is perfect for a beach vacation: February through April and in September and October.
The most beautiful beaches on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast
Playa Uvita
- Perfect for: A mix of relaxation & adventure
- Near: Uvita
- Best time to visit: Year-round, but ideal from December through April
Playa Uvita is a true natural paradise. The beach is endlessly long and wide, and borders directly on a dense jungle — just breathtakingly beautiful!
You can take long walks along the beach, explore the jungle trails, or simply stretch out in the shade under one of the palm trees. In between, you can swim in the bathtub-warm ocean.
The beach sits right in the middle of Marino Ballena National Park, which is a real highlight of the beach town of Uvita. Entrance to the national park costs $6.
Playa Uvita is completely untouched, so there are no beach bars or anything like that. Be sure to bring plenty to drink and a few snacks.
Our tip: Uvita is a great base for a day trip to Corcovado National Park. Ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to deal with the long (and adventurous) drive to Corcovado.
The best beachfront hotels in Uvita
Right near the beach in Uvita, there are a handful of beautiful hotels directly on Costa Rica’s coast. Our top picks:
Playa Manuel Antonio
- Perfect for: A full day trip
- Near: Manuel Antonio National Park
- Best time to visit: Year-round, but ideal from December through April
Playa Manuel Antonio is, for us, the most beautiful beach in Costa Rica. The wide sandy beach, the lush palm trees, and the calm water make you want to spend a whole day here.
The beach is located inside Manuel Antonio National Park. So you’ll need to pay the park entrance fee first and hike through the rainforest before you reach the beach.
But it’s totally worth it! If you want to have the beach nearly to yourself, arrive right at 7 AM — the later you get there, the more crowded it gets.
You can also easily combine your beach visit with a guided tour through the park, since a visit to the national park should be on your Costa Rica road trip itinerary anyway.
Our tip: 3-hour exploration tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
The best beachfront hotels in Manuel Antonio
Unfortunately, you can’t sleep right at Playa Manuel Antonio. But just outside the park there’s the public beach Playa Espadilla, which is also really lovely. There are a few accommodations right on the beach here.
Playa Santa Teresa
- Perfect for: Beginner and intermediate surfers
- Near: Santa Teresa and the Montezuma Falls
- Best time to visit: For surfing: April and August; for swimming: year-round, but ideal from December through April
If you’re into surfing, Playa Santa Teresa is your spot. The beach is not only really beautiful but also a super popular surf spot — the waves here are just right.
Directly adjacent to Playa Santa Teresa are the beaches Playa Hermosa and Playa Carmen. Together they stretch 5 kilometers. That’s plenty of space to find a quiet spot for swimming, relaxing, or reading after a surf session.
Our tip: Surf lesson in Santa Teresa
The most beautiful beachfront hotels in Santa Teresa
Playa Montezuma
- Perfect for: Long beach walks
- Near: Montezuma Falls and Santa Teresa
- Best time to visit: Year-round, but ideal from December through April
A long walk along Montezuma Beach is a great way to clear your head. The beach stretches several kilometers and is still wonderfully unspoiled.
The ocean here on the Pacific Coast is a bit rougher, so be careful when swimming. Even so, Montezuma Beach is one of our personal favorites.
From the beach, it’s only a short walk to the entrance of Montezuma Falls, which is one of the best things to do in Costa Rica in our opinion.
The best beachfront hotels in Montezuma & the surrounding area
Playa Samara
- Perfect for: Families and beach vacationers
- Near: Samara
- Best time to visit: Year-round, but ideal from December through April
The beach in Samara is super shallow and the water is very calm year-round. That makes Samara the perfect spot for a beach vacation with the whole family.
The wide sandy beach is dotted with tall palm trees. You’ll definitely find a shady spot to relax perfectly between your swimming adventures.
Beautiful hotels right on the beach in Costa Rica's beach town of Samara
The most beautiful beaches on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast
Playa Punta Uva
- Perfect for: Romantic getaways for two
- Near: Puerto Viejo
- Best time to visit: February through April and September through October
Playa Punta Uva is our absolute under-the-radar pick on the Caribbean coast. Here the palm trees lean halfway out over the water, the ocean is warm, and the beach itself is narrow but seriously cool. Typical Caribbean, really.
The beach sits among many other stretches of sand along the southern Caribbean coast, and not many tourists make their way here. Only on weekends will you encounter plenty of locals — on weekdays you’ll have this wonderful beach almost entirely to yourself.
Beautiful hotels right on the beach at Costa Rica's Playa Punta Uva
For us, Playa Punta Uva is the perfect destination for a bike ride from the popular tourist town of Puerto Viejo. But you can also book a hotel right on the beach here.
The aWà Beach Hotel, for example, is one of the most beautiful boutique hotels in Costa Rica in our opinion.
Playa Blanca in Cahuita National Park
- Perfect for: Snorkeling
- Near: Cahuita National Park and Puerto Viejo
- Best time to visit: February through April and September through October
Another dream beach on the Caribbean side can be found in Cahuita National Park: Playa Blanca. Of our eight beaches, this one has the fewest palm trees, but the sand is incredibly white and the stretch of beach is really wide.
Just like at Playa Manuel Antonio, you’ll need to walk through the national park to reach the beach. But the walk is pretty cool: you first hike through dense rainforest, and then suddenly you’re standing at this amazing beach.
You can also book a short snorkeling tour to the country’s largest remaining coral reef right from here.
Our tip: Combo tour with hiking and snorkeling in Cahuita
The best beachfront hotels in Puerto Viejo
Unfortunately, you can’t sleep right at Playa Blanca. We recommend staying in Puerto Viejo (or at Playa Punta Uva). It’s only 20 minutes away by car. There are some nice hotels right on the beach there.
Beach in Tortuguero
- Perfect for: Watching sea turtles
- Near: Tortuguero National Park
- Best time to visit: July through October
Admittedly, the water at Tortuguero Beach is often a bit rough and not ideal for swimming. But it’s still one of our favorites — because here you can experience something truly special: watching sea turtles.
The Spanish word “Tortuguero” translates to: the place where the turtles come. Starting in July, female turtles lay their eggs on the beach at Tortuguero National Park at night, and by around November the little hatchlings emerge — so adorable!
During the day you can really unwind on the beach, read a book, or take a super long walk and soak in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Somehow magical, isn’t it?
Our tip: Guided sea turtle tour in the evening
Beautiful beachfront hotels in Tortuguero
Is it dangerous to swim and surf in the ocean in Costa Rica?
How safe swimming and surfing at Costa Rica’s beaches is depends a lot on the conditions. Both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts have an underestimated ocean current that can be dangerous even for very strong swimmers.
Take a look at the ocean before you get in and trust your gut. If the waves are too high and too powerful, stay out. At some of the more touristy beaches there are lifeguards — if so, listen to what they advise.
Our tip: Ask locals if you’re unsure and heed their warnings. This is especially important if you’re a beginner surfer and plan to paddle out into open water rather than just swimming near the shore.
In a dedicated article, we’ve written more about safety in Costa Rica:
