November 2017 - Stay in Tamarindo

Tamarindo Nightlife: 6 Bar-Restaurants You Won’t Want to Miss

November 28, 2017/in Tamarindo Lifestyle, Tamarindo Nightlife, Tamarindo Travel Guide /by Erin Raub

Tamarindo bar-restaurants offer excellent sunset views

Enjoy drinks and a view at the best Tamarindo bar-restaurants

There’s something about Tamarindo life that lends itself perfectly to the bar-restaurant vibe: Order up a frosty drink, dig your toes into the sand, and watch the sun go down as you sample some of the freshest seafood, juiciest pub-grub, and other tasty delicacies Costa Rica has to offer. So, what are the best Tamarindo bar-restaurants?

The good news is that many of our favorite Tamarindo restaurants offer a decent drinks menu: bottled beers, fresh fruit cocktails, and at least a few red and white wines. But, if you’re looking for a more robust bar menu, then these six Tamarindo bar-restaurants will pull double-duty to quench your thirst and sate your stomach.

In alphabetical order:

Destination Overview: Hacienda Pinilla Travel Guide

November 23, 2017/in Tamarindo Travel Guide /by Erin Raub

Hacienda Pinilla travel guide - Beach Club aerial view

Hacienda Pinilla’s spectacular beach club offers an oceanfront pool, restaurants, and relaxation

Located on the extraordinarily beautiful north-western coast of Costa Rica, under four miles from downtown Tamarindo, Hacienda Pinilla is one of the country’s most exclusive and unique resort communities. Our Hacienda Pinilla travel guide gets your planning started on the right foot.

You’ll love the luxury, amenities and incredible activities contained within Hacienda Pinilla, a 4,500-acre historic ranch property that unrolls over sun-bleached savannah, farm land, tropical forest and golden coastline. Here, you’ll find incredible sunsets and beachfront golfing, a fabulous Beach Club and three of our area’s most spectacular beaches: Playa Avellanas, Playa Langosta, and Playa Mansita.

Tamarindo Day Trip: Turtle Tour to Las Baulas National Marine Park

November 21, 2017/in Nature & Wildlife, Tamarindo Travel Guide /by Erin Raub

leatherback turtle at Las Baulas National Marine Park

An endangered leatherback sea turtle crawls toward the sea at Playa Grande in Las Baulas National Marine Park.

At a Glance

Location: Playa Grande, north of Tamarindo

Area: 901 terrestrial acres, 54,000 marine acres

Hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Telephone: 2653-0470 / 2653-2233

Park Entrance Fee: $12 (Tour extra)

Las Baulas National Marine Park – one of the largest nesting sites in the world for the vulnerable/endangered leatherback turtle – sweeps north of Tamarindo, encompassing the beaches of Playa Grande, Playa Ventanas, and Playa Carbón, plus hundreds of acres of mangrove forest.

For nature lovers, a Las Baulas turtle tour to watch these gentle giants lay their eggs is, undoubtedly, a must-visit during your Tamarindo vacation. (Note: Turtle nesting is a rare occasion so, before you book a tour, be sure to verify current conditions.)

Tamarindo Restaurant Guide: The Best Seafood in Town

November 14, 2017/in Tamarindo Lifestyle, Tamarindo Nightlife, Tamarindo Travel Guide /by Erin Raub

best seafood in Tamarindo: lobster coconut salad

You could be here. Dining on lobster-coconut salad. And not just this, but all of the best seafood in Tamarindo!

When you vacation by the sea, you want to dine from the sea. And in Tamarindo, that’s easy. Too easy! Our small town offers dozens upon dozens of excellent restaurants, including many with menus that promise the Catch of the Day, shrimp everything, tropical lobster, and other delicious seafood dishes. Indeed, it’s hard to define the best seafood in Tamarindo.

So, what to choose? First things first: Try a little bit of everything. Try several of our local fishes, and add in some ceviche (Costa Rican-style, with plenty of lemon!), shrimp cocktail, and grilled lobster. At the very least. Because honestly, Tamarindo offers so many seafood options that you could breakfast, lunch, and dinner a different plate every day, and still go home having only tasted only a fraction of what the town has to offer.

With so many choices, you’re going to need a little bit of guidance. So, we’ve pulled together this list of our favorites: the best seafood in Tamarindo. Seven restaurants, dozens of dishes. So good, they’re un-rankable, so we’re going old school (as in, elementary school) and presenting our favorites in alphabetical order:

Destination Family Reunion: Why Tamarindo Shines for Multigenerational Travel in Costa Rica

November 9, 2017/in Costa Rica, Family Travel, Tamarindo Travel Guide /by Erin Raub

There’s a reason (many, actually) why multigenerational travel to Costa Rica is so popular.

It’s a fast-paced world. There never seems to be enough time for everything we need to do, let alone what we want to do. And it’s precisely for this reason that multigenerational travel to Costa Rica is so popular: combine your vacation with a family reunion, and you not only check two items off your list ( ✔ family time and ✔ annual travel), but you have a great time, to boot.

What is Multi-Generational Travel?

Multigenerational travel is any trip that unites three or more generations – typically, grandparents, parents, and their children – in a family vacation. It’s a chance to make lasting memories, share new experiences, and see the world. It’s also a chance for grandchildren to know their grandparents. And, no surprise, multigenerational travel is extremely popular.

In fact, according to the AARP (PDF), in 2017 international multi-generational trips accounted for an estimated 24% of Generation X travel, 18% of Boomer travel, and 19% of Millennial travel. That’s a lot of trips. And many of them are to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Travel Costs: The Accommodations Budget

November 7, 2017/in Costa Rica Travel Costs, Deals & Promotions /by Erin Raub

Honestly, why go hotel when this luxurious mansion (Casa Orchidea) could be yours starting at just $92 per room, per night?

For most visitors to Costa Rica, accommodations cost represents a huge chunk, if not the largest portion of the budget.

Bear in mind that Costa Rica’s travel network is highly developed – tourism is the #1 industry in the country – and that means standards are high. By and large, Costa Rica’s rooms are clean and comfortable. That said, because standards are so high, you’d also be hard-pressed to find a hostel bed for $10. Costa Rica accommodations costs are not bargain-basement, but you can still find a great deal.

We’ll jumpstart this post with a disclaimer: We’re biased. We believe that Costa Rica’s vacation rentals offer far greater value than hotels. But, we don’t expect you to believe that. At least, not right off the bat. We’re going to show you why. Then, you can make your own decision.