Community and Lifestyle

For tourists and expats, Tamarindo is among the most popular beach towns in Costa Rica. This bustling big town/little city is known for its surfing, shopping, social life and nightlife.

The highly walkable main roads in town are packed with restaurants, hotels, tour agencies and hundreds of shops of all kinds. A string of beachfront restaurants stretches for almost a mile, full of people having a cold cerveza or a hot meal right on the sand, watching the surfers ride the waves. Tamarindo is a great place for people-watching.

Sidewalks are packed with tourists and expats (many in board shorts or bikinis, and many carrying surfboards), as well as the ubiquitous locals who work in tourism. The local economy is almost totally dependent on tourism, and the tourists arrive in numbers that rarely disappoint.

By night, bars and dance venues are packed with revelers. While Tamarindo is very popular with families, it’s also a great place for singles and anyone looking for a party.

The local expat community is well-connected, often working together to improve local infrastructure and safety. Virtually anything you need or want can be found here, and the town is about an hour and 15 minutes from the international airport in Liberia.

North Americans will be delighted to find their favorite foods at Auto Mercado, the U.S.-style grocery store in Tamarindo. In this beautiful, well-stocked store, one will find items similar to those found in any top grocery store back home.  

Dining out in Tamarindo always proves to be a good time, with an eclectic mix of local and foreign cuisines available. Tamarindo probably has the widest variety of restaurants of any coastal community in Costa Rica, offering Mediterranean, Asian, Mexican, and other international cuisines. The seafood here is remarkable, and the incredible ocean views make any meal more enjoyable. 

Those who love laid-back retail therapy will find plenty of treasures in the town's countless clothing boutiques, souvenir shops and other stores. New tiendas are always popping up throughout the area, so you’ll never have trouble finding something new in town.

Location and Climate

Tamarindo has a superb beachfront location on the central Guanacaste coast, with great surfing and easy accessibility from the international airport in Liberia or from San José and the Central Valley.

Tamarindo, made internationally famous by the 1994 surf movie “Endless Summer II,”  is among the three most visited beach towns in Costa Rica. Originally a quiet fishing town, it soon became a mecca for surfing, socializing, shopping and an all-around good time.

Temperatures in Tamarindo average about 80°F year-round, with little variation month-to-month because of its proximity to the equator.

The dry season is from mid-November through April, when it rarely rains. The rainy season is from May through mid-November, with especially heavy downpours in September and October.