Tamarindo Hotels

Tamarindo hotels are pretty easy to find whether you book in advance or arrive on the day. The times I have been there, it has been without reservations - I simply show up in town and ask around for an hour until I pick a place. I’ve stayed at Hotel Pasatiempo Tamarindo, Hotel Capitan Suizo, Hotel Tropicana and Tito’s Camping (several times) over the years. Here’s some info to help you with your Tamarindo travel planning:

Typically, you will find that hotels in Tamarindo base their rates on four seasons. The actual dates may vary slightly from place to place, so use this as a rough guide, and call for exact dates and prices (obviously). Here’s a general idea of fluctuations in price during different seasons using a basic room price at $100/night as an example:

Festive Season (Dec 16–Jan 10, April 3–April 12): $175.00

High Season (Jan 11–April 2, April 13–April 30, July 1–Aug 31): $160.00

Transitional Season (May 1–June 30, Nov 1–Dec 15): $135.00

Green Season (Sept 1–Oct 31): $100.00

Tamarindo Hotels

Note: Remember to add 16.39% tax to all of the following room rates.

Hotel Pasatiempo: Located at the center of Tamarindo, this is a cool place to stay. Ask the staff at Hotel Pasatiempo to help you organize day trips throughout the Tamarindo area… sport-fishing, golf, turtle watching, snorkeling or nature tours, or get on their weekly sailing cruise. Playa Grande is a short walk from town so you will be right in the action and a stones throw from the surf. Prices range from $109-$169 depending on the number of guests ($25/per additional person/per room - up to 4 people. Kids 4–12 are additional $15). They have complimentary coffee and cake every morning from 6am to 7:30am. All rooms are equipped with A/C, Cable TV and yes- they’ve got wireless Internet service!

Hotel Capitan Suizo: Made up of 7 bungalows, a honeymoon bungalow, 22 rooms and 4 bedroom apartment. The spaces are tastefully furnished and decorated with plenty of space to unwind. Some rooms have air conditioning and others are cooled by ceiling fans, depending on the time of year, a ceiling fan is may be all you need. All rooms have a balcony or terrace which overlooks tropical gardens and beyond to the ocean. Enjoy the free-form swimming pool, an internet corner, a gift shop and a fenced in parking lot. Hotel Capitan Suizo can help you organize day trips to nearby attractions, and has everything you need to be comfortable and safe, so you can relax and enjoy Playa Grande, and all that Tamarindo has to offer. Room rates vary from $130.00–$590.00 depending on number of beds and the season.

Hotel Tropicana: CHEAPEST!!! SURF GURU PICK!!! Only about 150m from the beach - each of their 44 rooms are equipped with air conditioning and ceiling fan, security box and private bathroom with hot water phone and TV. Swim up to the wet bar in their huge swimming pool and get yourself a cocktail in between surf sessions. They also have a Jacuzzi and a decent gym. Safe parking with 24hrs security is available for your convenience. Room rates vary from $48.00–$143.00 depending on number of beds and the season. This place is totally fine for the money, and besides, you’re going to Tamarindo to surf - not for 600 thread count sheets.

Hotel Diria: SURF GURU LUXURY PICK!!! The above photo simply does not do this place justice. Tamarindo Diria is a four star Tamarindo Resort. If you love golf -stay here. I’m assuming that if you love golf, you have money and can afford the luxury and decadence that this place has to offer. The restaurant, 9 hole PGA golf course (3kms away), beautiful rooms, bar, café, boutique shop, and location right on the beach, makes this one of Tamarindo’s finest destinations. Room rates are more expensive. Contact them for pricing - I’ve never stayed there.

Hotel Luna Llena: Brand new! Hotel and restaurant Luna Llena was completed in 2001. An Italian villa style resort with pool surrounded by lush tropical gardens. Complimentary breakfast served in the poolside pavilion. They offer free wireless internet and their gift shop also has two computers for guests if you were smart enough to leave your laptop at home. Bungalows are perfect for families or groups of 4–5 persons. Ask for honeymoon suites. each unit has a safe for your valuables and AC, cable TV, and ceiling fan. Room service, housekeeping and on site security guard are there to make your stay comfartable and safe! Room rates are $75.00–$165.00 depending on number of guests and time of year.

El Milagro Hotel: Just off Playa Tamarindo, El Milagro is a small and peaceful hotel. El Milagro Hotel is made up of 32 cute little bungalows, each one with its own private terrace, phone line, A/C or fan, bathroom and security box. They have a regular pool and a kids pool, as well as a bar and restaurant which specializes in international cuisine. This is a great place if you want privacy in your own structure, and the prices are pretty good. Room rates are $87.00–$92.00 depending on number of guests and time of year.

Oasis Tamarindo Hotel: GATED COMMUNITY WITH VIEW OF PLAYA GRANDE!!! A secure gated community in Playa Tamarindo. The expansive tropical gardens and common areas invite you to relax and unwind in one of the community’s two pools or on a spacious deck with a club house. Tamarindo Oasis’ neo-colonial architecture blends perfectly with the lush and tropical gardens. Many of the condominiums have an amazing ocean view over Tamarindo’s estuary and some of them, a large ocean view over Playa Grande, one of the most consistent surfing beaches in the Costa Rica. Contact them for pricing.

Hotel Pueblo Dorado: Situated right along the white sand beach of Playa Tamarindo, all of the 30 rooms of the Pueblo Dorado Hotel have recently been totally renovated and re-decorated. Each room features all of the comforts of home in a tropical surrounding and sleep up to 3 people. On the premises you will find the Garden Courtyard, Swimming Pool, Poolside Kitchenette, TV/Games Lounge, Plenty of parking, Surf Board lock-up, and they offer Free Internet Access in the lobby. Room rates are $69.00–$160.00 depending on number of guests and time of year.

Tamarindo Surf

Tamarindo is you one-stop shopping Costa Rica Surf Vacation. Tamarindo really has it all: multiple surf spots for surfers of all levels, a killer nightlife, day trip adventures, surf camps, surf shops, great restaurants, and plenty of surfer-friendly accommodations. Even better, Tamarindo is just a short shuttle/bus/taxi from Liberia International Airport. All this makes it one of Costa Rica’s most popular surf spots.

Playa Tamarindo: The beach in front of the main drag is good for beginners, and easy to find a little ripple to yourself. Theres kind of a rocky-ish left that comes in as well. I’ve surfed it about head high and it’s fun. Playa Tamarindo is lined with surfer-friendly hotels and cabinas pretty much the whole way.

Playa Grande: As far as Costa Rican beaches go, they don’t get much more beautiful than Playa Grande. The white and gray coral sand stretches seemingly forever, and you can always find an uncrowded spot to chill on the beach or surf. Playa Grande is very consistent, so I doubt you will get skunked on a surf trip here. Theres healthy mix of lefts and rights, and surf jacks up at high tide. The beachbreak here is good for beginners, as is Playa Tamarindo (probably a bit mellower for beginners). You can hike to the trail at the north end of the beach which winds along the cape through dry forest to Playa Ventanas, where you can get away from the hub-bub and play in the tide pool which are great for snorkeling and splish-splashing around with your girlfriend.

Playa Grande Marine Turtle National Park: The entire shoreline in Tamarindo is protected within the 445-hectare preserve, which guards the largest nesting site of the leatherback turtle on the Pacific coast. The preserve even extends 22,000 hectares out to sea. Turtles have been nesting here for millions of years, and in 1990 the beach was finally included in the park to protect the turtles, which are so awesome! Hopefully you will get to witness them hatching sometime.

Witchs Rock Boat Trips

Ollies Point Boat Trips

Surf Lessons/Camps: There are a lot of places offering camps and lessons in Tamarindo. You can expect to $30 for an hour lesson and $100 (and up) for surf camps/day. Since I’ve kind of graduated from the surf camp thing, I can only recommend a few that i know are professional, reliable, and have the expertise and equipment and blah blah. You get it. Here are my recommendations for Tamarindo Surf Camps: Iguana Surf, Nomad Surfers (right on the nature preserve behind Playa Grande), Witch’s Rock Surf Camp (get your boat trip to Witch’s Rock), and Maresia Surf Shop (one of the first shops in the area– definitely check them out — you can get hire your boat to Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s here as well).

Tamarindo Hotels: There are so many places to stay here. I never plan ahead, I just get into town and sniff out a cheap place, or camp. The hotels I’m listing here are all possible for under $100/night: Best Western Camino A Tamarindo, Hotel Pasatiempo, Hotel Pueblo Dorado, Bw Tamarindo Vista Villas, Hotel Luna Llena, Hotel Tropicana - I’ve stayed here… bunkbeds… It’s totally fine for $80 or so/night.

Tamarindo Camping: Here’s the place: Tito’s Camping (they don’t have a phone) which you can find nearby the Hotel Capitán Suizo. The easiest thing to do is ask around when you get there. Camping on the beach in an unsecured area is a bit of a bad idea. There are plenty of sketch drug types hanging around on the beach and in town at night. You wont feel safe and your stuff won’t be safe. Avoid this unless you are a sketch drug type yourself.

Tamarindo Nightlife: Tamarindo has a raging nightlife. If you go out, you will surely end up at Babylon and Mambo. You can also check out the Monkey Bar at the Best Western, and the bar at the Hotel Pasatiempo. It’s easy to score drugs in Tamarindo if that’s your bag. dime bag.

Tamarindo Day Trips and Other Activites: Tamarindo makes a great home-base for surfers, eco-tourists, adventure seeker types, and anyone else. Surfers - organize a boat trip to Witch’s Rock and surf for a day, you won’t regret it. You can visit the nearby estuary, go to the rainforest - zip lines, canopy tours, horseback, etc.. Another great thing to experience here - watch newly hatched leatherback turtles make their down the beach and into the waves.