Described as one the most beautiful and visited beaches on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Tamarindo is a place full of contrasts that encloses all modern conveniences as well as the exuberance of a region with little exploration. The place is known as a Wildlife Refuge and it is located in the Guanacaste province, 321 kilometers from San Jose; which translated into time is about 5 hours by car from the Capital City.
The access is easy since it has a paved road going all the way to downtown Tamarindo. Nevertheless, if you would like to shorten distances, you can use one of the aerial services that in less than an hour’s will bring you to there. And if you just want to enjoy the landscape of the road to Guanacaste without worrying about driving, you can travel by bus from San Jose or other places in Guanacaste for a very low price and with a variety of schedules.
Attractions in the Area
One of the largest attractions in this zone is its wide biological diversity since the refuge comprehends two sections: the beach and the mangrove. The beach is 3.6 km. wide with semi-white sands and warm waters. At certain times of the year you can observe the arrival of the Baula, the largest sized species of turtles. This endangered specimen can reach up to 2 meters in length and weight up to 700 kgs. and its slow movements over the sand can be an unforgettable memory of this region.
Marine fauna is very abundant making sports like diving and fishing very interesting and entertaining.
The mangrove is the other section of the Refuge where tourists can observe botanical specimens such as the five species of mangrove present in the zone: mariquita, rojo, piñuela, botoncillo and salado. Also in there you can find a variety of wild fauna ranging between different species of birds to monkeys and small mammals.
For all Tastes
There are a large number of restaurants in Tamarindo, offering from Italian and French cuisine to the traditional Guanacaste food such as hand shaped tortillas, olla de carne (meat and vegetable soup) and gallo pinto (rice and beans) with natilla (sour cream). As far as lodging you will find hotels with all the necessary facilities such as swimming pool, television, hot water and others; as well as small cabins or totally equipped houses that will allow you to enjoy nature at your ease.
Tamarindo has an intensive night life, specially on weekends, consisting of bars, restaurants and discotheques where you can enjoy a tropical cocktail while feeling the marine breeze. On the other hand, although Spanish is the official language in Costa Rica, in this zone you will find a large diversity of languages and English speaking will not be an inconvenient for your visit, since most people speak it fluently.
Also at this time the area is inhabited by a large number of foreign residents. If you wish to spend your vacation in a zone with lots of sun and fun or with the peace of the coast and nature, think about visiting the Wildlife Refuge of Tamarindo.
Geographical Division 
