Sitting south of the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, lies the largest peninsula in the country – the Nicoya Peninsula. The Nicoya Peninsula is home to some of the most beautiful and vast beaches in Costa Rica, as well as a hub for some of the best surfing the country has to offer. For families, it’s relatively easy to get to and safe for traveling. There are an ample amount of accommodations to suit all needs and plenty of activities to keep the whole family happy and having fun.

The interior countryside offers a plethora of off-the-beaten-path adventures, but the peninsula’s coastline offers families a true experience of “pura vida” with its stunning scenery, charming towns and mellow attitude. Most importantly, the Pacific side of the peninsula has some of the best stretches of surfing coastline to satisfy the cravings of surfers of all levels.

It’s no wonder that through the years, the region has increasingly become a target destination for ex-patriots to settle down in and is one of the most popular stopping points for travelers from all over the world, especially families in search of beachside adventures.

WHEN TO HIT IT – OR NOT:

Overall, the Nicoya Peninsula is known for its great weather and is nearly perfect to visit pretty much all year-round. Temperatures can range between 80 and 100 degrees (Fahrenheit) throughout the year.

December/January – April are high season sunshine months and the highest tourist months, so expect travel costs and accommodations to be more expensive. May is a good low season time to go, with mild and mellow rain showers. As a result, people often call it the “green season,” providing nature lovers the ultimate experience in lushness and vibrant color.

September – November can carry the heaviest rainfall. Since the southern peninsula region transitions to a more tropical rain forest climate from the northern region’s more dry forest climate, the southern area tends to receive more rain. Mid-November marks the end of the rainy season and start of the dry season, as well as the offshore winds (“Papagayo”) that tone down the heat and humidity a bit and offer prime surf conditions.

HOW TO GET THERE…EASILY:

By air: International airline carriers fly into either San Jose, or to Liberia (in the northern Guanacaste area). There are a couple of smaller airlines that fly within Costa Rica – either from San Jose or Liberia – to where you want to go in the Nicoya region.

Sansa Regional offers daily flights from San Jose to Liberia, Tambor, Tamarindo, Nosara, Punta Islita and Samara. Because they’re a smaller airline (hence, smaller airplanes), there are some strict rules about carrying surfboards (this is per the most current info on their website, so please call the airline and confirm if any changes have been made to the rules):
~ Surfboards are not part of your free baggage allowance – they’re considered standby bags. The charge is $30 per surfboard each way.
~ Fins must be removed.
~ Neither clothing nor any other articles are permitted inside the surfboard bags.
~ Damaged packaging and/or packaging not resistant to normal handling is not accepted.

Nature Air offers flights from San Jose to Liberia, Tambor, Tamarindo, Nosara and Punta Islita. They truly stand by their name in that they apparently are the world’s first certified carbon neutral airline. Since 2004, they’ve been the first airline to compensate for 100% of its carbon emissions from flight operations. They do this through combating deforestation by paying local landowners to preserve threatened portions of the Costa Rican habitat.

Kids over 24 months are charged an adult fare (depending on season, can range anywhere from $61 – $111 USD – check with the airline), but Nature Air offers some good promotions to keep a look out for.

Regarding surfboards (according to Nature Air’s rules):
~ Surfboards are subject to space and are charged at an extra fee of $40 per flight.
~ No luggage, regardless of weight, is guaranteed transfer on the same flight as the ticketed passenger.
~ Longboards are not accepted at all. Surfboards bigger than 6-ft are rejected from transportation due to space limitations.
~ They do not accept surfboards under their responsibility.
~ No guarantee your board(s) will make it on your flight. However, they’ll “do their best effort” to send your board(s) with you in flight or any other available Nature Air flight following.
~ Nature Air cannot transport surfboards out of airport locations and only will provide air transport to Nature Air destinations.
~ No pre-reservations are accepted – confirmation is received only on the day of departure and at the gate.

PLEASE NOTE: During high season (December – April), both airlines may not allow any boards on their flights at all.

By car: You can rent a car from any location – either in San Jose, Liberia, or within the towns of the peninsula. However, many of the roads throughout the peninsula are horrible and often require a 4WD – dry and rainy season – and gas stations can be few and far between.

SAFETY! Don’t forget…
Because the Nicoya Peninsula is so highly visited by travelers from across the globe, theft can be an issue if not careful. But just as with any city or town you visit in Costa Rica – or in the world, for that matter – your best chances at avoiding theft is to always leave your hotel room/vacation rental locked, use lockable safes (if available) and don’t leave any valuables on the beach. And if you’re driving, NEVER leave anything in your car. Not even a tempting pair of old, sandy flip-flops.

NORTHERN PENINSULA:

Part of the Guanacaste province, the northern part of the Nicoya Peninsula is where you’ll find some of the most visited and popular vacation and surf spots.

Tamarindo is the Endless Summer II surf capital of the coast, as well as the most developed and touristy. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re looking for lots of surf activity, fun in the sun and shops, restaurants, bars and cafes options galore, than this a great spot to hit. However, if you’re looking for time away from the masses and just want peaceful solitude, quality beach and surf time, hitting the beach areas outside of Tamarindo – to the north and south – are your best bet.

Getting There:

The Liberia (Guanacaste) international airport is conveniently nearby, making Tamarindo the most accessible place along the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Flying direct is possible, as the Liberia airport is open to many international carriers and is about a 45-minute drive to Tamarindo.

If you choose to drive to Tamarindo from San Jose, there’s a paved highway from San Jose, which will take you about 4-5 hours.

Accomodations & Services:

There’s no shortage of high-end to budget hotel choices in Tamarindo, but if you’re looking for a true family surf trip experience where you want the feeling of your own holiday house, booking a vacation rental is the way to go.

Whether you stay in Tamarindo, or in your own rental house just outside of it, there’s no shortage of everyday services nearby. Tamarindo has grocery stores, fresh produce and fruit juice stands, an ice factory, a variety of souvenir and clothing shops, an art gallery, medical clinic, pharmacy, hardware store, a full service bank with ATM machine, real estate offices, laundry mats and internet cafes.

There are plenty of restaurants and cafes – from international to typical Costa Rican cuisine. There’s also a bakery and grocery store if you plan to cook on your own.

Childcare: Some of the hotels and vacation rental homeowners can provide, or recommend child care arrangements, if necessary.

Surfing & Beaches:

Consistent swells, warm waters and offshore winds provide good surf conditions right off Tamarindo. Surfers don’t need to bring their own board – there are plenty of surf shops in town with surf equipment for rent or for sale.

The beach breaks off Tamarindo are well suited for beginners to learn on – if you’re willing to share the water with dozens of others. Surf here is best during high tide with the long rights north of the beach, at the river mouth, being especially popular with long boarders (just watch out for crocs, which have been seen when the tide is rising. How convenient.)

To the north and south, Playa Grande and Playas Langosta, Avellana, Negra and Junquillal work well for the more experienced surfers with bigger, faster and less crowded waves.

~ Playa Grande – left/right beach breaks. Consistent surf, even during low tide.
~ Surf conditions in Avellanas are perfect throughout the year with swells coming in both from the north and south. A bit more difficult access via dirt road (and often by 4WD only) make it a fairly uncrowded area. Avellanas offers a variety of different surf spots spread out along the beach, with most breaks for experienced surfers.

Surf map and local surf report links:
http://nicoyapeninsula.com/tamarindo/tamarindosurf.htm
http://www.crsurf.com/
http://www.unaola.com/costa-rica-surfing/surf-reports/

Activities:

On top of all the surfing and sunning, visitors 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, boogie boards and equipment of all types are available for rental from specialty stores.

Golfers can enjoy themselves with two local championship courses – located at Paradisus Conchal and Hacienda Pinilla.

Nature:

The beach of Playa Grande forms a large part of the Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste, which prevents beachfront development and protects critical leatherback turtle nesting sites.

Most of the turtles nest on Playa Grande and Playa Langosta from October through February/March. Since these are protected nesting areas, during that time of the year, visitors are only allowed on the beach after sunset with an official guide.

Just a short walk north of Playa Grande is another pristine beach in a small bay: Playa Ventanas, which has tons of tide pools. Walk even further north at low tide along the beach to the next cove and hit the black sand beach of Playa Carbon where there are caves in the rocks.

CENTRAL PENINSULA:

Nosara is a tranquil and highly environmentally committed beach community. For a small Tico town, “No Shoes, No Shirt Nosara” is also home to a few hundred American ex-pats. They, along with the native Ticos, are very protective of the area’s wildlife and land conservation. Almost half of the land in the area is protected forest where no trees can be logged, as well as a ban on hunting animals that has stretched back for over 20 years.

Nosara also claims to enjoy the cleanest water table in Costa Rica – clean ocean water with no dumping of gray or black water into the streams or beaches (sad to say, only a few parts of Costa Rica can boast this claim).

Getting There:

You can fly into Liberia or San Jose and then take Nature Air or Sansa to the Nosara airport, which is literally a landing strip, right in the middle of the village of Nosara.

Driving is an option. However, if you choose to drive from either Liberia (approx 3 hours) or San Jose (approx 5-6 hours), you’ll easily find yourself with a massive headache, dinged rental car and potential flat tire with the rutted and mud hole filled roads. A 4-wheel drive is advisable. It may cost a bit more, but after two attempts at trying to save money with a rental car – and almost losing our transmission, all four tires and our sanity (during May/June/July) – I’m not driving anything but a 4-wheel drive through there again.

All may not be lost though…apparently, the main road to Nosara is scheduled to be paved beginning November 2009. Let’s hope it’s on schedule, but in the meantime, expect big bumps, potholes, dust, mud and sore necks.

Accomodations & Services:

For a small village, Nosara still has quite a few of your typical tropical hotels and restaurants, as well as a grocery store, bank/ATM, a few souvenir shops and a yummy ice cream shop (which is heaven after a long day at the beach). There are, of course, a number of great houses in the area that are perfect for a family vacation rental, as well. Harbor Reef, which is just a short walk from the beach, has a wide range of accommodations, including home rentals.

Childcare: There is a local childcare service for families visiting Nosara, if need be. Nosara Nannies was started by a woman from the U.S., who’s also a yoga teacher and is actively involved in several education programs that work to support the local schools and children in the Nosara area.

Check out Oasis Natural Foods – awesome natural food meals and smoothies at great prices. They offer surfboard rentals and lessons too. [Next to Harbor Reef and the Enchanted Forest in Guiones.]

Surfing & Beaches:

~ Playa Guiones has the best and most consistent break of the central coast of the peninsula, especially when the wind’s offshore. It can get a little busy, but there’s plenty of room to find your spot. A great place for beginners, as well as advanced surfers.
~ Playa Pelada & Playa Nosara also have similar waves with consistent beach breaks. Great for beginners when it’s small, but challenging for all levels as it gets bigger.

While there are quite a few surf shops in the village area to choose from, Nosara Surf Shop has over 120 boards for rent, including soft tops and soft boards for the beginner to boards for the advanced surfer. There’s also Oasis Natural Foods, where a couple business savvy young guys are running a nice little healthy restaurant and surfboard rental/lesson business.

Surf map and local surf report links:
http://www.crsurf.com/
http://www.surfingnosara.com/
http://nicoyapeninsula.com/nosara/index.html#beaches
http://nicoyapeninsula.com/nosara/nosara.html

Activities:

As you can imagine, there are a number of fun family activities – outside of surfing – that can be had here: kayaking, boat tours, fishing, hiking, snorkeling, horseback riding and turtle watching.

~ Nosara Yoga Institute is located within a beautifully lush and natural habitat, including a gorgeous open-air yoga and meditation practice area up in the trees.
~ Tica Massage – professional massage for great prices from local Ticas (across from Casa Tucan, off the main road in Guiones)

Nature:

The beaches of Nosara form part of the Ostional Wildlife Reserve, located north of Nosara.

Reserva Biológica Nosara is set behind the Lagarta Lodge, with trails leading through a mangrove wetland down to the river and beach. Great for birding.

SIBU Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in Nosara. Currently, they are working with Refugio Animales de Nosara to save the Howler Monkey population in the area, in collaboration with the Costa Rican Electricity Institute. Many of the animals have become unfortunate electrocution victims of uninsulated power lines and “hot” transformers.

SOUTHERN PENINSULA:

Santa Teresa has developed from a quaint, small fisherman’s village to a quite a booming and lively little surf town. Mal Pais has been a long time and well-known haven for surfers all over the world, due to its consistent waves.

Getting There:

Mal Pais and Santa Teresa are served by a small airport that can be reached from within Costa Rica (Liberia, San Jose). Again, Nature Air and Sansa are the two airlines that fly here.

By Car: From San José, drive on the Interamericana to Puntarenas (120 km or 2.5 hours) where you take the ferry to Paquera or Naranjo.

Ferry from Puntarenas:
~ Drive from Paquera, through Tambor, to Cobano. (45 minutes).

Continue straight through Cobano to Malpais (15 minutes). This will bring you to “El Cruce” (the crossroads) at Playa Carmen. To the left is Mal Pais, and to the right is Santa Teresa.

Another route is to avoid the ferry is by continuing on the Interamericana, direction Liberia, and turning off at km 168 to the road leading over the Tempisque bridge.

Accomodations & Services:

There are a lot of hotels and surf vacation rentals in the Mal Pais-Santa Teresa area to stay at. However, make sure you plan well ahead, as this surfing hot spot can fill up quick during the high season (Dec – April).

Restaurants can range from budget to expensive. However, shopping and other tourist services are not as rampant here as other towns on the coast (like Tamarindo).

There’s also an Organic Farmer’s Market every Saturday afternoon at Playa Carmen.

Childcare: Some of the hotels and vacation rental homeowners can provide, or recommend child care arrangements, if necessary.

Surfing & Beaches:

~ Playa Manzanillo – in the north. The coastal road coming from Mal Pais and Santa Teresa ends in the town of Manzanillo. Perfect place for snorkeling, especially during the morning (lighting is best). Swimming is better at mid-high tide, due to underwater rocks.
~ Playa Hermosa – perfect wide and sandy beach. Uncrowded and great for swimming and a family beach day. No underwater rocks.
~ Playa Santa Teresa – most famous break of Mal Pais area. “Fast and powerful.”
~ Playa El Carmen – good beach break

Surf map and local surf report links:
http://www.crsurf.com/
http://nicoyapeninsula.com/teresa/teresa.html
http://nicoyapeninsula.com/teresa/surf.html
http://www.surfreak.com/
http://www.malpais.net/surfing.html

Activities:

Surfing isn’t the only big activity here – you can also do beach walking, fishing tours or sunset boat trips, snorkeling, kite surfing, horseback riding, hiking Cabo Blanco, as well as a canopy tour in Mal Pais.

Nature:

~ Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco – located on the southernmost tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. To minimize environmental impact, a limited number of trails have been opened to visitors (since visitors were even permitted as of 1985) and the reserve is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Right on the edge of the national park is one of Mal Pais’s most scenic beaches: Playa Las Suecas, a small white-sand cove behind a rocky outcrop. The large rocky pool in front of the beach is the best spot for snorkeling in Mal Pais.

Obviously, this is just a sliver of what the Nicoya region has to offer. But we only have so much space in this blog…

Let us know some of your favorite spots, travel tips, or questions regarding your next family surf trip to the Nicoya Peninsula!