A Complete Guide To The Pacific Coast Of Costa Rica

Welcome to another Costa Rica blog post! Pura Vida! Which, by the way, means “simple life” and is the official slogan of Costa Rica. It means hello, goodbye, yes, no… all the things. In case you missed it, I published a guide recently all about my favorite region in Costa Rica covering the activities to do in La Fortuna! This area is known for its rainforests, waterfalls, and volcanoes. You can’t miss it. This blog post is going to focus on the west coast of Costa Rica, aka the Pacific side of Costa Rica. I’m going to cover how to get there, where to stay, the best pacific beaches in Costa Rica, and can’t-miss towns and destinations from north to south. Let’s hop in!

Disclaimer: This blog post is written in collaboration with adidas. I have linked a few of my favorite products in this blog post, but as always, all opinions written below are my own.

How To Get To The Pacific Coast, Costa Rica

As mentioned in my complete guide to La Fortuna, Costa Rica isn’t that large of a country — it’s roughly the size of West Virginia in the USA. This means most destinations across the country are accessible from the main international airport in the capital city, San Jose. Although there are smaller, regional airports scattered around the country, I recommend flying into the San Jose International Airport (SJO), also known as Juan Santamaria International Airport.

Pro-tip: Liberia is a city located in the northern part of the country, near the Guanacaste region (I’ll cover this below). There is also an international airport here if you wanted to browse flights from the US or Canada.

Once you land at the airport, I would grab a rental car, or plan to use shared shuttles. Selina is a well-known budget hotel chain in the country and they offer transportation options to their various locations. There are also public buses and shuttles.

The closest beach town to the airport along the Central Pacific Coast is Jaco (1.5 hours by car from the capital city).

Where To Visit Along The Pacific Coast Of Costa Rica

The Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is a region of the country — there’s also the Caribbean side (not as popular to visit due to its humidity and rough sea conditions… I didn’t go here during my trip), and the Arenal region near La Fortuna (my fav!), along with countless others. The Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is more popular to visit than the Caribbean side and has calmer waves for surfing and boating. It’s also home to the famous Manuel Antonio National Park.

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Costa Rica is split into 7 regions, and despite its small size, contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity and SIX (very) active volcanoes! Within the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, there are also a few regions.

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Northern & Southern Pacific Coasts

During my trip, I traveled from the north-central coast all the way south to the Osa Peninsula (called the South Pacific coast, near the Panama border). Depending on your visit, I recommend picking 1-2 parts of the coast to explore.

Since the Osa Peninsula is quite remote, I would say that most people choose to visit the Guanacaste region (part of the North Pacific Coast) and part of the Central Pacific Coast. As for the Guancaste region, you can stay at Selina hotels — which offer daily surfing, yoga, meals, and co-working spaces, in Santa Teresa, Tamarindo, or Nosara. All are fabulous, especially if you like surfing.

The Osa Peninsula is so remote there are mostly dirt roads here that only certain buses can fit on, and limited phone service. However, if you make it here — as part of a biodiversity conservation volunteer group, for example — you can expect to see TONS of wildlife ranging from iguanas to wild pumas. This is the most diverse region of Costa Rica in terms of wildlife.

Central Pacific Coast

I recommend staying within the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, since this is the most popular region to visit for vacation in the country. Popular “home bases” here include Jaco and Quepos — more on these below.

Pro-tip: If you read my La Fortuna blog post and now this one, you may be feeling overwhelmed with SO many things to do! You do need a good chunk of time in Costa Rica to see the highlights of the various regions. I would suggest 10-14 days – stay in La Fortuna / the rainforest for about 4 of them, then visit the North Pacific Coast for a few days (3), and the Central Pacific Coast for a few days (3). Most people don’t visit the Osa Peninsula in the South Pacific Coast of Costa Rica since it’s so remote. I did during my trip since we were doing sea turtle conservation volunteer work. You also don’t need more than a night or two in the capital city, San Jose.

Best Pacific Beaches In Costa Rica

That was a natural segue into the next section of this guide, which is going to cover the best Pacific beaches in Costa Rica! There are beautiful beaches located all along the coast, although they are known for different things. For example, the northern area is best known for surfing; areas like Santa Teresa and Nosara attract pros from all around the world.

The Central Pacific coast has the best snorkeling and is where you’ll find the most wildlife (Manuel Antonio National Park is here), and the Osa Peninsula is known for its bio-diversity and sea turtles! The largest population of Green sea turtles can be found nesting on the beaches here, along with some of the only wild jaguars left in the world!

Pro-tip: If you visit one (or several!) of these beaches, be sure to see a sunrise or sunset! The sun rises and sets at 6 am and 6 pm pretty much every single day of the year in Costa Rica. It’s easy to schedule your day around the light.

Here are a few of the most iconic beaches, by region:

Northern Pacific Coast / Guanacaste Region

• Playa Conchal: White sand beach with turquoise water, shells, and off-shore snorkeling
• Playas del Coco: Family-friendly beach with calm water, along with an adjacent park + playground
• Playa Hermosa: Clear blue water; great for surfing and snorkeling
• Playas Naranjo & Nancite: Located within Santa Rosa National Park; you can see sea turtles nest here!

Nosara (Best Surfing!)

• Playa Guiones: Main beach in the Nosara region; when people think of “Nosara beach”, this is the one!
• Playa Pelada: Half-moon bay with beach trails nearby; a little rocky but perfect for sunset

Central Pacific Coast (Most Visited)

• Nicoya Peninsula: This is where you’ll find the Islas Tortugas (Turtle Islands); they are uninhabited, but are home to some of the most pristine beaches in the country. This is also where you’ll find Playa Montezuma!
• Playa Espadilla: Located in Quepos, a popular tourist area; the northern part of the beach is free, while the southern part is part of Manuel Antonio National Park — the most beautiful part of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica!
• Playa Jaco: Closest beach to the capital, San Jose; beach town known for its nightlife and surfing

Southern Pacific Coast / Osa Peninsula

• Drake Bay: Where the rainforest meets the coast; full of wildlife and alleged treasure!
• Llorona Beach: Located in the remote Corcovado National Park; several hiking trails around beach area

Additional Places To Visit On The Pacific Coast Of Costa Rica

Aside from the beaches mentioned above, there are a few other towns and areas to call out! Don’t miss this activities during your trip to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park is one of 28 national parks in Costa Rica, which has the highest percentage of protected land… in the world! This is the most popular national park in the country, and is certainly the most visited, for good reasons. It is one of the world’s most beautiful national parks. It’s known for its beaches, rocky islands, hiking trails, and of course — biodiversity!

When traveling to this region of the Pacific Coast in Costa Rica, be sure to pack a pair of waterproof hiking shoes. Costa Rica has  a rainy season and often experiences quick showers, so you want to be prepared.

You can see the park in a day or two, but it’s recommended to stay in this region of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica for 2-3 days to enjoy the nearby town and maybe a catamaran cruise too.

Pro-tip: There is a daily capacity for visitors within Manuel Antonio National Park! For this reason, be sure to grab tickets online and in-advance for your visit! They do sell out!

Quepos

Quepos is a popular beach town located within the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. This area is the “Gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park”. Here you’ll find several beautiful beaches, mangroves, and some of the best snorkeling and diving in the country. Before you leave Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, you HAVE to do some sort of boat tour here!

We went on a catamaran cruise to a nearby bay, off the coast of Manuel Antonio National Park, and saw the most beautiful rock formations and snorkeled in colorful reefs. We caught sunset from the boat and also enjoyed a meal onboard — the perfect afternoon!

That brings us to the end of my second & final Costa Rica guide! I didn’t visit the Cloud Forest (Monteverde area) or Caribbean side during this trip, but did cover the Pacific Coast to the best of my ability in this guide, in addition to the best activities in La Fortuna in this guide. As you can see, the best things to do around the Pacific Coast are all the beaches! There are so many famous ones along the coast — don’t miss them! Try surfing, snorkeling, and enjoy the scenery. Don’t forget to look for wildlife and go hiking in Manuel Antonio for a day too. See you next time… Pura Vida!

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