You’re searching for a white-sand beach for your Costa Rica vacation where you are spoiled for choice with activities. A place where you can be surrounded by nature in all its forms, and fill your day doing things that justify putting your feet up and relaxing at the end of it. If this sounds like your idea of a good break, you will probably enjoy Tamarindo to the point where you don’t want to leave. Here are some suggestions for ways to pass your vacation time in Tamarindo’s tropical paradise.
1) Sport fishing in Tamarindo
The Marlin, Saltfish and Giant Tuna catches from the beaches of Tamarindo are legendary, and deep blue-water, reef and shoreline fishing are all readily available from a variety of local fleets for the eager fisherman. If a dedicated sport-fishing holiday is not what you are after, hand-line fishing in front of your beach-side hotel is also popular if you want to pass a lazy day at the end of a line. Owing to the successes of fishermen over the years thanks to the impressive quantity of fish in the water, you’ll almost certainly be enjoying your catch in one of the beach-front restaurants, who are happy to grill your fish for you to enjoy on request.
2) Surfing in Tamarindo
Wobbly beginner or wave-carving expert, the beaches of Tamarindo have something for you. Playa Tamarindo is a long beach with waves that form near the river-estuary. The majority of the beach is great for learning, but options exist for advanced surfers at Pico Pequeño, a rocky point, and El Estero near the river-mouth. Currents can be strong, especially on a falling tide, so keep an eye on the shore to check your position and avoid a long board-carrying walk. the big swells roll in around Novermber and December and can produce waves up to 12 feet; an opportunity for most of us to get out of the water and watch the professionals do their thing...
3) Eco-touring in Tamarindo
Sitting in an incredible location between mangroves and the beaches of Playa Tamarindo, Playa Grande and Playa Langosta that forms part of the national park network of Costa Rica, visitors will not be short of opportunities to get back to nature. Beaches Grande and Langosta are host to Giant Leather-back Turtle nesting sites, and if you are lucky enough to arrive between October and March you can take a special tour to see these huge creatures as they arrive under the cover of darkness to lay and bury their eggs. If the sound of exploring mangroves on locally built skiffs sounds good to you, you’ll have the opportunity to see a huge range of creatures, including monkeys, Cayman and exotic birds as you motor around the network of waterways.
4) Diving in Tamarindo
It doesn’t matter if you are a dive virgin or spend most of your time underwater; Tamarindo has options for everyone, offering dive courses and tours to open a window into a part of the marine-world of the Pacific teeming with life. Dive spots such as the Catalina Islands offer a stunning variety of sea life such as giant manta rays, spotted eagle rays, moray eels, and white-tip reef sharks. If diving is your reason for a trip abroad, cruises to the Bat Islands or to the famous Coco Island will put a stop to your compressed-air cravings.
5) Watching the sunset in Tamarindo
Everyday during the wet season between May and October, showers build up onshore and then head out to sea, creating some of the most spectacular sunsets that you are likely to witness. What better way to end a day’s surfing, fishing, diving or eco-touring then watching the sky catch fire with a drink in hand?
Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America
