The Area

Why Tamarindo?

It is rare to find a place with numerous world class activities, all in close proximity. Tamarindo, Costa Rica is such a place. Whether it's the surfing, the fishing, the sailing, the golfing, the windsurfing, the eco-tourism, the scuba diving, the turtle-watching, the national parks or just 'the lounging on the beach' that brings you here, there's never a shortage of things to do (see Activities page). All of this in a beautiful setting, with year-round pleasant tropical climate (see Climate below). In comparison to Costa Rica's other main beach area (Jaco), Tamarindo is cleaner, safer, less run down, and features better year-round climate and diversity of activities.

Tamarindo is multi-cultural, with people from all over the world calling it home. Tamarindo still has a 'real', small-town feel to it, unlike a mega-resort (like Cancun or Miami Beach, for instance). There are no monster hotels, and no mass commercialization. And while Spanish is the official language, English is understood everywhere. The locals are friendly and helpful. It is safe, for families, for women, and even at night.

Even within beautiful Costa Rica, there is no better place, combining such a beautiful setting (and beach!), a huge variety of activities, ideal climate and safety.

For people with an active lifestyle, it doesn't get any better than this!

Why Costa Rica?

Costa Rica has long been a 'hidden gem' for tourism. It is, by far, the most tourist-friendly of all the Central and South American countries. Long known as a mecca for eco-tourism (which it continues to be), it has expanded far beyond that. It is a very safe and politically stable country (it doesn't even possess an army). There's been virtually no turmoil in its history. For this reason, it has become increasingly popular for foreign investors, ex-pats and tourism. The market for real estate for foreigners is booming, and many now call it home, or at least have vacation properties. Despite this, foreign influence remains subtle and commercialization is very low key. Costa Ricans themselves do not seem to have any resentment, but rather an appreciation, toward visitors to their country. There is almost no 'hawking' of tourists, and no hassle in general. The cost of living remains quite low, and your dollar still goes a long way.

Costa Rica is an exceedingly beautiful country, and still remains famous for its numerous national parks and preserves, featuring enormous ecological diversity and wildlife. Mountains, volcanoes, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, beaches, rainforests, dry forests, estuaries, mangroves, beaches, islands and more, are all represented. The parks are easily accessible and safe. A great number of them are easily accessed from Tamarindo, by bus, by organized tour, or by road. Rental cars are readily available and road travel is quite safe and easy.

Costa Rica is becoming increasingly known for its many other drawing cards, including its fabulous beaches (of which Playa Tamarindo is one of its best).

Climate

There is really no bad time of the year to visit Tamarindo. Tamarindo is located in an eco-system called 'tropical dry forest', the only such eco-system in Central America. Because of this, it receives much less rain than other areas of Costa Rica or Central America in general. Even in the wettest time of the year, there is rarely a day without some sunshine. Hurricanes or severe tropical storms are not a factor in the area.

The climate is tropical and pleasant. It's warm, but not excessively so. The nights are cooler, but still warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt.

There are 2 seasons in Tamarindo, the dry season and the 'green' season (or wet season). Each lasts about half of the year - the dry season from mid-November to mid-May, and the green season from mid-May to mid-November. During the dry season, it is quite arrid and there is almost no rain. Even within the green season, there is a 'little summer' (July and August) which receives very little rain. During the other green season months, the rain comes in the form of brief (often refreshing!), intense showers. The sun still shines nearly every day.

Getting Around

Nearly every activity imaginable is within short walking distance from the condo. But, if you want to venture further afield, there are a number of different options. There is a local Tamarindo airport serviced by Costa Rica's Sansa Airlines, which also flies everywhere in the country. There is an easy, safe and cheap public bus system, as well as private tourist buses (called 'Fantasy Bus'), which can take you pretty much anywhere you'd want to go. Rental cars are available from several agencies, steps from the condo, as well as at the Liberia and San Jose airports. Road travel is relatively easy and safe. Taxis are readily available, and inexpensive (negotiate a good price!). Other options include scooter or bicycle rentals.