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Haga click en el siguiente enlace para leer está página en Español: Playa Manuel Antonio Costa Rica

Location: between Espadilla Sur and Gemelas beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Manuel Antonio Beach entrance GPS Coordinates: 9.391385,-84.149654 (9°23’28.98″N, 84°08’58.75″W)
Manuel Antonio Beach GPS Coordinates: 9.381940,-84.143948 (9°22’54.98″N, 84°08’38.21″W)
District: Quepos, canton: Aguirre, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 60601.

Manuel Antonio Beach Costa Rica is a beautiful and idyllic white sanded beach with crystal clear turquoise waters and a small coral reef, surrounded by thick forested green hills and fascinating jungle blended with a network of trails and a welcoming and abundant wildlife, located within the Manuel Antonio National Park, on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio Beach is separated from Playa Espadilla Sur by a tombolo, a natural land bridge formed over the years through the accumulation of sand, and both, Espadilla Sur and Manuel Antonio Beach, offer tidal pools brimming with minnows and crayfish, so diving is a very good option, especially during the dry season from early December until late April, when the water is clearer.

Manuel Antonio Beach also offers a variety of activities to do, such as hiking the trails of the park, whitewater rafting, ocean cruising, horseback riding, fishing, sea kayaking, just to name but a few. And the volcanic-sedimentary cliffs rise steeply from the shoreline, providing scenic views and hiking trails.

Manuel Antonio Beach is definitely one of the most exuberant places in Costa Rica, with spectacular forests that host a wealth of wildlife, including all four species of monkeys – Howler, Spider, Capuchin and Squirrel or Titi, Two and Three-toed Sloths, coaties, raccoons, marmosets, ocelots, toed anteaters, pacas, iguanas, millions of colorful little crabs and also Olive Ridley and Green turtles occasionally come ashore at Manuel Antonio Beach. Additionally, over 350 species of birds have been recorded, such as sea birds, Toucans and Scarlet Macaws.

However, be careful with the Capuchin Monkeys, who will steal food and anything else that they can get in their hands. Even though it is illegal to feed the monkeys, insensitive people still do it. Note that if you’re caught, you may, quite rightly, be ejected from the park. Recent studies have found a worrisome increase in heart disease and heart failure among the local monkey population. Unfortunately, the animals are much more prone to rises in cholesterol than humans, so please do not leave food lying around.

In the other hand, the popularity of Manuel Antonio has brought its own difficulties. With over 150,000 visitors a year comes the problem of overuse, so it was decided to close the park, which is the same entrance to Manuel Antonio Beach, on Mondays and limit the number to 600 a day. It is essential, therefore, to arrive early, before the quota has been reached.

Manuel Antonio Beach has bathrooms and showers, but do not have any type of accommodations or restaurants and no camping is allowed, but there are a lot of hotels in the vicinity to suit all pockets.

Getting to Manuel Antonio Beach in Aguirre, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 100 km (63 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco, Hermosa, Esterillos and Parrita, taking the Quepos exit, just after Parrita. Follow the road until you reach the town of Quepos, and then turn left following the signs to Manuel Antonio National Park through the mountain for about 6.5 km (4 miles) until you reach Manuel Antonio National Park. You need to pay the park’s entrance fee, as Manuel Antonio beach is inside. This route requires a total of 3 hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 25 km (15 miles) until you reach the exit to Pozon and Jaco, take it and continue for about 100 km (63 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco, Hermosa, Esterillos and Parrita, taking the Quepos exit, just after Parrita. Follow the road until you reach the town of Quepos, and then turn left following the signs to Manuel Antonio National Park through the mountain for about 6.5 km (4 miles) until you reach Manuel Antonio National Park. You need to pay the park’s entrance fee, as Manuel Antonio beach is inside. This route requires a total of 4.5 hours.

By bus

You can take a bus from the route San José – Quepos / Manuel Antonio (Transportes Morales, 2221-4214 / 2777-0318), making the stop at Manuel Antonio National Park, which takes about 4 hours. From here, you need to enter to Manuel Antonio National Park, and you need to pay the park’s entrance fee, as Manuel Antonio beach is inside.

Address map: Click here to view address map from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Manuel Antonio Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Haga click en el siguiente enlace para leer está página en Español: Playa Espadilla Norte Costa Rica

Location: between Playitas and Espadilla Sur beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Espadilla Norte Beach GPS Coordinates: 9.391385,-84.149654 (9°23’28.98″N, 84°08’58.75″W)
District: Quepos, canton: Aguirre, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 60601.

Espadilla Norte Beach Costa Rica is a unique destination with white sands and clear blue waters in a long and wide beach located meters away from Manuel Antonio National Park entrance, in Quepos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. In fact, is the largest and most popular beach in Manuel Antonio.

Its great atmosphere plus lush natural beauty turns this beach into a truly paradise. The landscape at Espadilla Norte Beach is beautifully accented by its incredible amount of tropical vegetation with stately palm trees, as well as its Coral reefs and abundant wildlife with species such as raccoons, porcupines, sloths and monkeys, that simply enchant all visitors. Its cliffs maintain the original vegetation and in their bases in shallow waters visitors can see lots of small fish and coral colonies, which must be protected so that they can be exploited for scientific tourism. In the rainy season the weather is nice for tourists, since generally the rain cools the air, and also, during this time, the endless stretch of sand reflects the sky’s beautiful, billowing clouds. On the other hand, both North and South Espadilla beaches, have been awarded under the Blue Flag award.

North Espadilla Beach is very popular, and tend to get slightly crowded, however, even when crowded, the beach is so long that you can find space to spread out in the sun or in the shade of the surrounding palms and almond trees. This is a beach ideal for swimming, sunning, and practice some water sports, such as surfing, kayaking, boat trips, jet skiing and fishing, as here abound snapper, snook, mullet, pomfret, etc., just to name a few. Also, North Espadilla is safer than most beaches due to the presence of lifeguards, an uncommon sight on public beaches in Costa Rica. Even though swimming here can be dangerous because of the unpredictable riptides and currents.

North Espadilla Beach has smooth and consistent waves, better known to have strong rip currents in spite of their small size, so surfers fall in love with the exciting each breaks found here, especially when the tide comes in.

North Espadilla Beach is accessible to the general public and tends to receive more visitors than the beaches inside the park. The town of Manuel Antonio itself has a wonderful tourism infrastructure that respects wildlife species, as well as the jungle flora found everywhere. Here you can find many restaurants, shops and street-vendors options, even a surf shop.

Getting to Espadilla Norte Beach in Aguirre, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 100 km (63 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco, Hermosa, Esterillos and Parrita, taking the Quepos exit, just after Parrita. Follow the road until you reach the town of Quepos, and then turn left following the signs to Manuel Antonio National Park through the mountain for about 6.5 km (4 miles) until you reach Espadilla Norte beach, just before the park entrance. This route requires a total of 3 hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 25 km (15 miles) until you reach the exit to Pozon and Jaco, take it and continue for about 100 km (63 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco, Hermosa, Esterillos and Parrita, taking the Quepos exit, just after Parrita. Follow the road until you reach the town of Quepos, and then turn left following the signs to Manuel Antonio National Park through the mountain for about 6.5 km (4 miles) until you reach Espadilla Norte beach, just before the park entrance. This route requires a total of 4.5 hours.

By bus

You can take a bus from the route San José – Quepos / Manuel Antonio (Transportes Morales, 2221-4214 / 2777-0318), making the stop at Manuel Antonio National Park, which takes about 4 hours, as Espadilla Norte beach is just at the park entrance.

Address map: Click here to view address map from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Espadilla Norte Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Location: between Palma (Bandera) and Isla Damas beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Palo Seco Beach entrance GPS Coordinates: 9.521240,-84.321102 (9°31’16.46N, 84°19’15.96″W)
District: Parrita, canton: Parrita, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 60901.

Palo Seco Beach Costa Rica is a beautiful, pristine and unspoiled 9 km (5 mile) long palm tree lined beach, usually deserted even though it is very close to Manuel Antonio National Park. This beach has greys sands and blue waters located on the Central Pacific area, near the town of Parrita. The beach has the Pacific Ocean on its southern shore, the Pirris River mouth to the West and the Palo Seco Estuary on its northern shore. This estuary is a popular area for mangrove tours to view its vast wildlife such as white-faced monkeys and an a great variety of birds. Also, the local Palo Seco Elementary School has a sea turtle sanctuary program which has helped to protect, hatch and release thousands of “Baby Sea Turtles” whose mothers come ashore here to lay their eggs, being the best time to see the baby sea turtle hatchlings from August through November.

Also, the navigable estuary at Palo Seco Beach offers great fishing for snook (robalo), snapper and grouper, so gives a great opportunity to get on the water and see some incredible wildlife firsthand. In fact, the world record snook was caught from the surf on this beach. In the other hand, the estuary is also home to crocodiles, toucans, scarlet macaws, monkeys, sloths and more.

Palo Seco Beach is indeed a hidden jewel of the Central Pacific area in Parrita, Puntarenas, costa Rica, a medium sized Costa Rican town that offers pretty much of what any homeowner or vacationer might need such as banks, health clinics, groceries, stores, restaurants, bars, small hotels, and more. Also, a full service hospital is located in Quepos, just 25 minutes away. The mountains and town of Parrita, 10 minutes away, rise above the estuary and offer vacationers many delights such as canopy tours, white-water rafting, quad and jungle tours, hot springs, waterfalls and more.

If you ever wanted to see a truly unspoiled Costa Rican beach then you must visit Palo Seco Beach, where every late afternoon offers a chance to see a picture-postcard sunsets, where one feels apart from the hustle and bustle of the larger beach towns yet close enough to them by 20-30 minutes should one want to go. Palo Seco Beach is ideal to just seat and relax, or you can also practice some water sports such as swimming, diving, snorkeling or surfing, trying to not be on the nearest areas from the mouth of the river, as they have strong waves and currents.

Although Palo Seco Beach is hidden away, is still only one and half hour away from San Jose, and it has easy access year round.

Getting to Palo Seco Beach in Parrita, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 80 km (50 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco, Hermosa, Esterillos and Parrita. Turn right at the Palo Seco Beach entrance and continue for some 4.5 km (3 miles) until you reach the beach. This route requires a total of 3 hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 25 km (15 miles) until you reach the exit to Pozon and Jaco, take it and continue for about 80 km (50 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco, Hermosa, Esterillos and Parrita. Turn right at the Palo Seco Beach entrance and continue for some 4.5 km (3 miles) until you reach the beach. This route requires a total of 4.5 hours.

Palo Seco Beach By Bus

You can take a bus from the route San José – Quepos / Manuel Antonio TRACOPA (Google Maps, WAZE, web, phone: +506 2221-4214), making the stop at Parrita, which takes about 4 hours. From here, you can take a taxi o walk to Palo Seco beach.

Address map: Click here to view address map from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Palo Seco Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Haga click en el siguiente enlace para leer está página en Español: Playa Bejuco Costa Rica

Location: between Esterillos and La Palma (Bandera) beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Bejuco Beach GPS Coordenates: 9.518574,-84.435730 (9°31’06.86″N, 84°26’08.62″W)
District: Parrita, canton: Parrita, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 60901.

Bejuco Beach Costa Rica is a quiet and beautiful dark sand beach, with blue waters, and surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, mostly by palms and almond trees, with powerful crystal clear waves ranging from moderate to strong ideal for surfing and fishing, as well as its neighboring beaches, located on the Pacific coast of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. This beach limited on its back, with Bejuco River and an area of ​​mangroves, also the mouth of the river has sandy banks for your enjoyment.

Bejuco is higly recommended for tourists looking for uncrowded beaches for a relaxing holiday, as it is easy to spend the whole day at Bejuco and not see another person.

This secluded beach is often described as a fun spot to tackle plenty of incredible waves, best surfed at rising tide. These very consistent waves create a true surfer’s paradise for experienced surfers, but rookies might need to find alternate locations, as here there is little to no current, so lots of paddling is required in order to track the best waves.

If you like pure unspoiled tropical nature then this is the perfect beach, making ideal to take long walks, and if you like fishing, well no better place to be then that Bejuco Beach. In fact, due to its pristine and clean environment, Bejuco Beach has been awarded the Blue Flag Eco award for many years. Also, Bejuco Beach boasts a small stream that can be explored by boat, so it is a popular nesting area for birds ideal for bird watching.

Much of the surrounding area of Bejuco Beach is undeveloped however a few small projects are beginning sprout up, as well as it offers several accommodation options and a few sodas where you can enjoy typical Costa Rican meals.

Bejuco Beach offers numerous entertainment possibilities, easy accessibility plus beautiful scenery. Visitors can choose to drive or to fly into the nearest airport to get to the beach.

Getting to Bejuco Beach in Parrita, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 66 km (41 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco, Hermosa and Esterillos. Turn right at the entrance to Bejuco beach and continue for 1 km (0.5 mile) until you reach the beach. This route requires a total of 2.5 hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 25 km (15 miles) until you reach the exit to Pozon and Jaco, take it and continue for about 66 km (41 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco, Hermosa and Esterillos. Turn right at the entrance to Bejuco beach and continue for 1 km (0.5 mile) until you reach the beach. This route requires a total of 4.5 hours.

By bus

You can take a bus from the route San José – Quepos / Manuel Antonio (Transportes Morales, 2221-4214 / 2777-0318), making the stop at Bejuco beach, which takes about 2.5 hours.

Address map: Click here to view directions from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Bejuco Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Location: between Hermosa and Bejuco beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
West Esterillos Beach GPS Coordenates: 9.526662,-84.503169 (9°31’35.98″N, 84°30’11.40″W)
Center Esterillos Beach GPS Coordenates: 9.529481,-84.480014 (9°31’46.13″N, 84°28’48.05″W)
District: Parrita, canton: Parrita, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 60901.

Esterillos Beach Costa Rica is a vast and beautiful beach of nearly 7km extension with gray sands, crystal blue waters that invite you to go for a swim, and natural wealth all along the coast with palms and almond trees that line a forest edge, located on the central Pacific coast, in the canton of Parrita, Puntarenas, costa Rica.

Esterillos is divided into three sections: Esterillos Oeste beach to the West, Esterillos Centro beach in the middle, and Esterillos Este beach to the East. The part of Esterillos Centro and Esterillos Este, boasts gorgeous mangrove swamps, while Esterillos Oeste has small creeks and headlands, which are excellent points for observation of both wildlife and lush landscapes.

This part of the Central Pacific has one of the most consistent and cleanest breaks for surfers. Waves frequently break head high and are terrific all year long, but common consensus says that the West Coast is often better. These strong waves are best surfed while the tide level is rising, that is when the swells get big. Besides surfing, the waters are friendly towards all sorts of activities, such as diving, snorkeling and swimmers, always taking into account the necessary precautions. At low tide, the size of the beach increases dramatically, creating an extense dark sanded beach waiting to be explored, making it ideal for long walks or horseback riding.

Esterillos Beach features easy access, a wide array of accommodation options as well as a legal camping site. Here you will find plenty of hotels and cabins sprinkled throughout the Esterillos area that has direct access to the beach, to stay either further back through the dense secondary forest, or in the beautiful hillside with spectacular views of this peaceful paradise.

Esterillos Beach is passable throughout the year, has bus service and for those interested in domestic flights Esterillos beach does offer a grassy airstrip.

Getting to Esterillos Beach in Parrita, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 57 km (35 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco and Hermosa. Turn right at the entrance to Esterillos beach and continue for 1.5 km (1 mile) until you reach the beach. This address is for Esterillos Oeste, if you want to visit Esterillos Centro and/or Esterillos Este, do not to take Esterillos Oeste exit, instead you should follow the Costanera road for about 3.2 km (2 miles) to Esterillos Centro, or 6 km (4 miles) to the Esterillos Este entrance. This route requires a total of 2 hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 25 km (15 miles) until you reach the exit to Pozon and Jaco, take it and continue for about 57 km (35 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river and the towns of Jaco and Hermosa. Turn right at the entrance to Esterillos beach and continue for 1.5 km (1 mile) until you reach the beach. This address is for Esterillos Oeste, if you want to visit Esterillos Centro and/or Esterillos Este, do not to take Esterillos Oeste exit, instead you should follow the Costanera road for about 3.2 km (2 miles) to Esterillos Centro, or 6 km (4 miles) to the Esterillos Este entrance. This route requires a total of 4 hours.

BY BUS

You can take a bus from the route San José – Quepos / Manuel Antonio (Transportes Morales, +506 2221-4214 / +506 2777-0318), making the stop at Esterillos beach, which takes about 2.5 hours.

Address map: Click here to view directions from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Esterillos Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

More Esterillos Beach Costa Rica Photos

Location: between Jaco and Esterillos beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Hermosa Beach GPS Coordinates: 9.576397,-84.606346 (9°34’35.02″N, 84°36’22.84″W)
Hermosa Beach entrance GPS Coordinates: 9.577148,-84.605638 (9°34’37.73″N, 84°36’20.29″W)
District: Jaco, canton: Garabito, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 61101.

Hermosa Beach Costa Rica in a wide and calm beach with a broad grey-sands and blue waters contrasted by pounding white surf of undeniable beauty, located in the Central Pacific coast of Puntarenas province.

Although Hermosa Beach is much less developed than neighboring Jaco beach, it attracts experienced surfers from around the world for its consistent waves which can reach as tall as 13ft, being one of the reasons why there follow the annual surfing contest. Swimmers are advised to take caution as strong riptides are common.

Importantly, in Costa Rica there are several beaches named Hermosa, two of them very famous, one of them is located in Guanacaste – which is not a surfing beach at all – and the other one is in the Central Pacific, which also boasts the Playa Hermosa Wildlife Refuge. This recently created refuge, December 2nd 1999, comprises the strip of beach where the mangrove swamp is. Birds and nesting Olive Ridley turtles may be seen here. In fact, the Playa Hermosa Wildlife Refuge is intended to protect the beach that serves as nesting site for the Olive Ridley turtle. These are one of the smallest sea turtles, weighing in at a mere 90 pounds. Females typically arrive solo or in small groups ashore to lay their eggs between the months of July and December. There are no organized turtle tours in this area; however visitors during the nesting season may spot an Olive Ridley come ashore at night.

Getting to Hermosa Beach in Garabito, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 42 km (26 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river, and then turn right at Hermosa Beach entrance and continue until you reach the beach, after passing the Jaco entrance. This route requires a total of 1.5 hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 25 km (15 miles) until you reach the exit to Pozon and Jaco, take it and continue for about 42 km (26 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river, and then turn right at Hermosa Beach entrance and continue until you reach the beach, after passing the Jaco entrance. This route requires a total of 2.5 hours.

Hermosa Beach Costa Rica By Bus

You can take a bus from the route San José – Quepos / Manuel Antonio (Transportes Morales, +506 2223-5567), which takes about 2.5 hours.

Address map: Click here to view directions from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Hermosa Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

More Hermosa Beach Costa Rica Photos

Location: between Herradura and Hermosa beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Jaco Beach GPS Coordenates: 9.613983,-84.630207 (9°36’50.33″N, 84°37’48.74″W)
District: Jaco, canton: Garabito, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 61101.

Jaco Beach Costa Rica is a 4 km (2.5 miles) long strip beach of grey sands and blue waters of consistently big waves and the breaks are very good that offers world renowned surfing, located in Puntarenas province along Costa Rica’s central Pacific Coast, being also one of the closest beaches to San Jose.

Jaco is one of the most popular Costa Rican beaches as it offers most of the services such as a post office, health center, police station and branches of major banks. Furthermore, there are an abundance of surf shops, hotels and restaurants to suit every budget. There are also plenty of tour operators in town that arrange everything from horseback rides on the beach, to some excellent off shore sport fishing and sea kayaking. Among the activities that Jaco Beach encloses are surfing, swimming, ATV tours, bicycle rentals, crocodile safari, national parks and reserves, boat and white-water rafting, canopy tours and an excellent nightlife. However, visitors need to be careful about swimming here, as riptides are quite common along the beach shore.

Jaco beach lies between several mountains, so it has a tropical climate mainly defined by the dry and wet seasons. Generally speaking, from August through early December is the wet season, and from late November through early April is the dry; the remaining months have irregular rainy spells.

On the other hand, at about 15 km (9.3 miles) north of Jaco beach, is the Carara National Park, recognized for its exuberant wildlife and dense rain forest with several miles of trails open to visitors. Carara is a great place to view much of Costa Rica’s wildlife. Early morning or around sunset is often the best time to see the wealth of scarlet macaws that rest among the mangroves. It is also possible to see crocodiles, white-faced monkeys, peccaries, coatimundis and a wide variety of birds.

With all this to offer it is no wonder why Jaco beach is as popular as ever. However, There are concerns in Jaco about drugs, crime and prostitution. Being aware of your surroundings and using common sense should help you to avoid any undesirable situations. We recommend not leaving anything unattended not even inside your vehicle. If you are using a rental car to travel to Jaco or surrounding areas, ask for the full coverage insurance.

Getting to Jaco Beach in Garabito, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 34 km (21 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river, and then turn right at Jaco entrance. Continue for about 2 km (1.2 miles), turn left and continue for 1km (0.6 mile) more and then turn right in any of the entrances until you reach the Jaco beach. This route requires a total of 1.5 hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 34 km (21 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river, and then turn right at Jaco entrance. Continue for about 2 km (1.2 miles), turn left and continue for 1km (0.6 mile) more and then turn right in any of the entrances until you reach the Jaco beach. This route requires a total of 2.5 hours.

By bus

You can take a bus from the route San José – Jaco (Transportes Jacó, +506 2223-1109), which takes about 2 hours.

Address map: Click here to view directions from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Jaco Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

More Jaco Beach Costa Rica Photos

Location: between Caletas and Jaco beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Herradura Beach GPS Coordenates: 9.648350,-84.656911 (9°38’54.06″N, 84°39’24.88″W)
District: Jaco, canton: Garabito, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 61101.

Herradura Beach Costa Rica is a small beach of grey sands, calm blue waters and a palm tree lined shoreline that has become one of the most popular tourist destinations, located on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, exactly at about 5km (3.5 miles) north of Jaco.

Initially Herradura, which refers to the shape of the bay of this particular beach whose Spanish name means “horseshoe”, was a rural beach and sleepy little town. Nowadays, this unknown paradise has seen a lot of changes due to the demand of tourism and property development. Today Herradura beach is a tourist hotspot with different types of hotels, vacation rental condos, homes, camping sites, groceries, restaurants and nightlife, such as the prestigious Marriott Los Sueños Resort, with its own marina and golf course, known as the Fishing Capital of Costa Rica playing home to Costa Rica’s only full service five star Marina Boats and home to the largest fleet of the country’s top Big Game Sport fishing Captains and boats.

All this makes Herradura beach ideal for those looking for activities like swimming, water sports, boat trips, sport fishing, golf and many other options. Also, Herradura is located nearby the Carara National Park, famous for its crocodiles in the Tarcoles River and mangroves where you could see birds such as macaws, herons and toucans, as well as its trails will allow visitors to see an abundance of wildlife and impressive flora.

However, Herradura beach still does not attract as many visitors as its neighbor beaches such as Jaco does, making it a great place to slip away in a quiet environment. In fact, Herradura has a campground nearby with showers and other basic services just a few hundred meters from the coast, making it perfect for low budget travelers and backpackers.

Getting to Herradura Beach in Garabito, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 31 km (19 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river, and then turn right again at Plaza Herradura (where the Auto Mercado supermarket is) towards Herradura. Continue for about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) until you reach the beach. This route requires a total of 1.5 hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 25 km (15 miles) until you reach the exit to Pozon and Jaco, take it and continue for about 31 km (19 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river, and then turn right again at Plaza Herradura (where the Auto Mercado supermarket is) towards Herradura. Continue for about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) until you reach the beach. This route requires a total of 2.5 hours.

By bus

There are no public buses to Herradura, however, you can take a bus from the route San José – Jaco (Transportes Jacó, +506 2223-1109), which takes about 2 hours, or you can also take a bus from the route San José – Quepos / Manuel Antonio (Transportes Morales, +506 2223-5567), which takes about 2 hours, making the stop at Plaza Herradura and then walk to the beach in both cases.

Address map: Click here to view directions from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Herradura Beach in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Location: between La Pita and Limoncito beaches in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
Agujas Beach entrance GPS Coordenates: 9.716883,-84.632535 (9°43’00.77″N, 84°37’57.12″W)
Agujas Beach GPS Coordenates: 9.722593,-84.652448 (9°43’21.33″N, 84°39’08.81″W)
District: Tarcoles, canton: Garabito, province: Puntarenas.
Zone postal code: 61102.

Agujas Beach Costa Rica located in the canton of Garabito in Puntarenas, is a quiet beach of gray sands and calm blue waters alternating with rock formations that allow the creation of creeks coves at low tide, where visitors can enjoy a refreshing swim.

Agujas, which is also the name of a fish that is abundant in the area, is ideal for swimming, fishing, snorkeling, sunbathing or simply walking along the beach. Agujas beach is also one of the beaches of Costa Rica that has been recognize with the Blue Flag award, for maintaining environmental friendly conditions.

Agujas Beach enjoys a very quiet environment as it is located in a village of fishermen, with a minimum tourism development, recommended for those who like to camp on the beach under a starry sky.

Within the main attractions of Agujas beach, is that not only is just 60 minutes driving from San Jose, but also is surrounded by some of the main beaches in Costa Rica, such as Jaco and Hermosa, without mention the Punta Leona hotel resort and the Herradura Marina. Furthermore, Agujas Beach is located near the Carara National Park, a place created to protect and study its rich ecosystem, which also presents traces of Indigenous remains of occupations.

Getting to Agujas Beach in Garabito, Puntarenas:

From San José

Drive north towards Puntarenas on route #27. Take the Pozón exit (to Jaco), and continue for about 23 km (14 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river, and then turn right again towards Agujas. Continue for about 1 km (0.6 miles) until you reach Agujas beach. This route requires a total of one hour from San Jose.

From Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR)

Drive to the northeast towards Liberia. Once in Liberia, continue along the same highway to Puntarenas for about 120 km (75 miles). Once at the entrance to Puntarenas, continue on route #27 to San Jose for about 25 km (15 miles) until you reach the exit to Pozon and Jaco, take it and continue for about 23 km (14 miles), passing over the Tarcoles river, and then turn right again towards Agujas. Continue for about 1 km (0.6 miles) until you reach Agujas beach. This route requires a total of 2 hours.

By bus

There are no public buses to Agujas, however, you can take a bus from the route San José – Jaco (Transportes Jacó, +506 2223-1109) at the Coca Cola bus station 16th st, 1-3 avenue, which takes about 1.5 hours, making the stop at Agujas beach entrance, and then walk to the beach.

Address map: Click here to view directions from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), Alajuela, Costa Rica TO Agujas Beach in Garabito, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

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