The best beaches in Guanacaste, compared

Guanacaste has hundreds of kilometres of Pacific coast, and the beaches are genuinely different from one another - in swell, in crowds, and in whether you can actually swim. Here's an honest comparison.

Best for swimming: Playa Sámara

A long crescent bay protected by an offshore reef, which knocks the swell down and leaves water that's calm enough for easy swimming and safe for children. That's unusual on this coast, and it's the main reason families keep coming back. The town behind it is small, walkable and low-key.

Best for a postcard: Playa Carrillo

Ten minutes south of Sámara, and almost entirely undeveloped - a clean arc of sand backed by a straight line of palms, with no hotel strip behind it. It's the beach people photograph and then can't quite believe was empty. Bring your own shade and supplies.

Best for beginner surf: Sámara and Playa Guiones (Nosara)

Sámara's gentle, forgiving break is one of the best places in Costa Rica to stand up for the first time. Guiones, at Nosara, is a long, consistent beach break that works for beginners and improvers alike - though the water is livelier and it's less of a swimming beach.

Best for buzz: Tamarindo

The most developed beach town in Guanacaste, with the widest choice of restaurants, bars, surf shops and nightlife. Reliable waves, plenty going on, and by some distance the biggest crowds. Some love it, some find it a bit much - both reactions are fair.

Best for easy access: Playa del Coco

Just 40 minutes from Liberia airport, which makes it a popular first or last stop. A working town as well as a beach town, with a lively strip, a big sport-fishing and diving scene, and darker volcanic sand. Not the prettiest bay in the region, but the most convenient.

Best for getting away: Playa Barrigona

North of Sámara, down a rough track that keeps most people out. Wild, quiet and framed by forest - the sort of beach you have largely to yourself. You'll need a quad, a 4x4 or a tour to reach it, which is precisely the point.

Also worth knowing

• Playa Conchal - famous for sand made of crushed shells and unusually clear water. Beautiful, and busy.
• Playa Flamingo - upmarket, with a marina and the best sunsets on this stretch.
• Playa Avellanas and Negra - serious surf, few crowds, minimal facilities.
• Playa Buena Vista - long, open and good for a walk, just north of Sámara.

Which should you choose?

• Family with young children - Sámara, without much hesitation.
• Learning to surf - Sámara or Nosara.
• Restaurants and nightlife - Tamarindo.
• Quiet and beautiful - Carrillo or Barrigona.
• Short transfer from the airport - Playa del Coco.

One safety note

Rip currents are real on this coast, and most beaches have no lifeguard. Always ask locally before swimming somewhere unfamiliar - conditions vary hugely between beaches that are only a few kilometres apart.