Playas del Coco

What is Playas del Coco like?

Playas del Coco is the busiest town on the Papagayo side of Guanacaste: a former fishing village on a horseshoe bay, with about 3 km of dark volcanic sand, hills all around and fishing and dive boats anchored offshore. It's not the prettiest beach on the coast, but it's a practical, lively base, and it's only about 30 minutes from the airport.

The main street runs straight down to the sand, lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and bars. There are several supermarkets, ATMs, a public clinic and private clinics, so you have everything you need without a car. Coco is popular with expats and retirees as well as visitors, and on weekends and holidays the bars play music late into the evening.

The quieter bays are right next door: Ocotal, a few minutes south, is a small, calm cove with tide pools, and Playa Hermosa, about 15 minutes north, is a wide, calm Blue Flag beach.

Is it safe to swim at Playas del Coco?

Yes, on most days. The bay is sheltered, and the waves are gentle nearly all year; on swell days, local kids come out to skimboard in the shore break. Keep these in mind:

• Boats use the bay. Dive, fishing and tour boats come and go from the beach, so swim close to shore and away from where they land.
• There are no lifeguards, so swim with someone and watch children in the water.
• If a rip current pulls you out, swim parallel to the shore until you're free, then swim back in.

For clearer water, try Ocotal or Hermosa. Families with small children often prefer those calmer bays for swimming and Coco for dinners and supplies.

Where to stay in and around Playas del Coco

• Friends and couples who want nightlife: the center of town, near the main street and the beach, so you can walk everywhere.
• Couples who want quiet: Ocotal, a few minutes south, on its small calm bay, including the hilltop Ocotal Beach Resort. You can bike or take a short ride into Coco.
• Families: a condo or hotel in Coco close to the beach and shops, or in Playa Hermosa for calmer everyday swimming.
• Divers: anywhere near the beach in Coco, where the dive shops and boats are.
• If you want a big resort: look at Playa Panamá or the Papagayo Peninsula, farther north.

Compare Coco with the other bases in where to stay in Guanacaste.

Things to do and day trips from Playas del Coco

• Diving: the Catalina Islands for manta rays (December to April) and the Bat Islands for bull sharks (May to November, for experienced divers). Beginners can do a discovery dive.
• On the water: sportfishing, sunset sails, kayaking and snorkel trips around the Gulf of Papagayo.
• Ocotal, Hermosa and Playa Panamá: calm bays within a few minutes of town.
• Rincón de la Vieja (1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes): volcano trails, mud pots and the hot springs and mud baths, the classic day trip from this side of the coast. See volcanoes and national parks.
• Río Celeste (about 2 hours each way): the sky-blue river and waterfall, a long but rewarding day.
• Playa Conchal (about 1 hour): the crushed-shell beach, for a swim and snorkel.
• Tamarindo (1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes): a bigger beach town, and a first surf lesson if you'd like to try.

When is the best time to visit Playas del Coco?

December to April is the dry season: sunny, busy and the best time for diving the Catalina Islands. From about November to March the Papagayo winds blow and the water is a little cooler. Christmas to New Year and Semana Santa (Easter week) are the busiest weeks, when Costa Rican families fill the beach.

May to November is the green season: afternoon showers, quieter streets and the season for Bat Islands dive trips. September and October are the wettest months. See the best time to visit Guanacaste.

Getting to Playas del Coco from Liberia airport

Coco is about 30 minutes from Liberia airport, paved all the way via Sardinal, which makes it one of the easiest first nights in Costa Rica, even after a late-afternoon landing. With a private transfer, your driver meets you at arrivals with a name sign, and up to an hour of stops is included. Deciding whether you'll need a car at all? Read rental car or private driver.

For every beach on this coast, by drive time from the airport, see our Guanacaste beaches guide.