Best Days Trips from Tamarindo: 6 Ideas to Inspire Your Planning
One of the greatest (and yet, often unsung) advantages of staying on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast? There are dozens of incredible day trips from Tamarindo, many within just a two-hour drive.
From active volcanoes and their medicinal hot springs to Class III-V river rapids and some of Central America’s most incredible birdwatching, here are six of our favorite things to do near Tamarindo:
Day Trip Idea: Rincón de la Vieja National Park
Drive Time: 2 hours
Yup, totally worth it. | Photo courtesy Miguel Vieira
As day trips from Tamarindo go, Rincón de la Vieja is one of the best. This ancient volcano, wreathed in legend, is as incredibly scenic as it is high adventure. And there are three ways to enjoy it!
Option #1: Buena Vista Lodge
This scenic cattle hacienda and mountain retreat is one of our favorite destinations in the foothills of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. Here, within the thick foliage of rainforest-covered slopes, panoramic vistas unfold onto breathtaking views of Costa Rica’s northwest plains, rolling cattle country and, on a clear day, two sister volcanic cones – all the way in Nicaragua!
In shorthand, we like to think of this one as Option Adrenaline-Packed Fun: This is a great choice if you want to combine sightseeing with some seriously action-packed fun. It begins with a horseback ride or hike to a refreshing waterfall, followed by a 400-meter water slide built into the mountain and powered by a freshwater stream.
Then, relax in Rincón de la Vieja-heated thermal hot springs. Indulge in the sauna. And treat yourself to skin-pampering, therapeutic mineral mud.