Activities
More and more people are speaking English here, and Spanish is spoken with a Caribbean accent. Like many Latinos, Costa Ricans are very religious in a superstitious manner. They are very friendly and love to dance and party. There is a lot to do in Costa, besides surf. The fishing is about as good as it gets; in fact, many Floridians travelling here love the snook fishing, too. There are also eco tours, white-water rafting and some really fun discos in the country. Most of the fun revolves around the outdoors and adventure. The climate is very tropical, and it is warm year-round. It is hot, humid and has well-defined dry and rainy seasons. It has periods of heavy rain year-round. Starting in mid-May, the Intertropical Convergence Zone starts coming to life beginning the rainy season. It makes roads impassable with thunderstorms and tons of bugs.

Bring a few boards with you. You‚ll find a variety of surf from long point breaks to barrelling beachbreaks. Shortboards and mid-range boards should cover most of the surf here. Wetsuits aren't necessary.

Playa Grande Surf Camp also has available to rent quality Longboards and Shortboards.

Playa Grande Surf Beach
Playa Grande was put on the map because of the endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles that come up along the beach to lay their eggs. It is part of the Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas and the beach is an important part of the National Park system. You can only use the beach during the day during turtle nesting and hatching season. At night during nesting and hatching season (October to May) there are National Park police patrolling the beach to make sure that poachers do not take the eggs. The eggs were traditionally used as an aphrodisiac and poachers still pose a threat to the endangered species.
Playa Grande also has very good surfing in front of the main beach. It is a great beach break and when there is a swell the waves can get very good. There are calmer areas futher north down the beach to swim if you are not into surfing.

If you are looking to visit this beach, Playa Grande has a very small community with only a handful of hotels. The main focus of Playa Grande is the National Park Marino Las Baulas and no hotels have rooms facing the beach. By law no light is allowed to shine on the beach. This is because the turtles will not come and lay their eggs on the beach if there is light.

Tamarindo
Tamarindo, a former fishing village that is turning into Guanascate's most developed tourist town. It now boasts a newly paved road and soon there will a road heading south out of Tamarindo to Pinilla where a 35 hectacre resort golf course and housing project is currently being developed. Both surfing and windsurfing are good in Tamarindo, and there’s a wildlife refuge and marine national park nearby, where leatherback turtles can be seen nesting during the summer months. However these turtles are protected by law and the only way to see them is on a tour with a specially certified guide. Tamarindo’s beach is large enough that non-surfers can still find quiet stretches. Parts of the beach have rip currents and barely submerged rocks, so be careful about swimming here. Also the estuaries to the north and south are very dangerous to cross at medium to high tide, so do not attempt to cross them. This beach has very good public access by bus, either local busses or the new tourist busses can be found here.

Tamarindo’s combination of attractions is well served with restaurants, and equipment rentals, all of interest to non-surfers here to enjoy village beach life or the nearby refuges. The estuary to the north that separates Tamarindo from Playa Grande is very large and canoes can be rented to view the wildlife in the estuary. To the south is the more upscale beach of Playa Langosta. This beach is more rugged but very beautiful.

Warning: Recent years have seen a growth in robberies against tourists. Rental car break-ins are of particular concern.

Fishing and Diving
Tamarindo Bay has become a mecca for surfers and blue water sport fishermen. Our sport fishing fleet of talented and conservation oriented captains are the pioneers of the Pacific coast. Their record catches of marlin, sailfish, giant tuna and other species have become legendary. Whether you want deep bluewater fishing, or reef or shoreline fishing, our fleet can accommodate you. Surf casting and handlining for snook and jack are also popular. Any way you do it you can be sure to have your fresh catch cooked up for you at one of the friendly beachfront restaurants.

Visitors also have access to SCUBA diving, snorkeling trips, beach cruises, water skiing, jet skiing, catamarans, ocean and river kayaking, wind surfing, sailing cruises and horseback riding. Bicycles, beach gear, surfboards, boogie boards and equipment of all types are available for rental from specialty stores located in Tamarindo.