Top 3 beaches in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Greetings from Costa Rica! 

I would like share some of my favorite beaches while cruising Guanacaste as I wish I had had more information on where to go, especially if you only have a few days to spare. I thought I could create something a little more useful for everyone traveling who are looking for a short guide!

Playa Carillo, Hojancha

My favorite beach, a long strip of beach (and by long, I mean really long). If you can manage to get a beach umbrella that would be great to get some shade (this is something I recommend for all beaches). Although the palm trees do cover, the sand gets very hot and we spent most of our time looking for some much needed shade. It's a picture perfect beach and, as you can see in the picture...could you possibly beat anything this pretty?

Checklist: 

Suitable for children: Yes

Bathroom/Showers: No

Easy Access/Parking: Yes

Food/ Restaurants: There are a few stands with coconut water and a couple of small shops nearby. Restaurants are about a 10 minute drive to Sámara Town. 

Playa Pelada, Nosara

The perk of this beach is the sunset. It is one of the best places to visit in the afternoon. I suggest you have a drink or grab a bite at restaurant La Luna, right in front, and watch the sunset from there. It is also a great place to surf!

Checklist: 

Suitable for children: Yes

Bathroom/Showers: No

Easy Access/Parking: Yes (by the La Luna Restaurant), careful with driving back at night as it's a bit of a windy road. 

Food/ Restaurants: Yes, there are 2-3 restaurants nearby.

Playa Islita, Punta Islita

To be honest, when we first arrived to this beach, I genuinely thought it was the worst beach we had been to, merely because it is more rocky and has larger waves. However, I quickly discovered that this beach has the warmest water (we spent nearly an hour in the water skipping waves) and since the hotel Punta Islita has access to the beach, it is no big deal. I also recommend it if you want to learn how to surf as they have a surf school (please call the hotel first though, as they need to check vacancies before hand).

Checklist: 

Suitable for children: Yes, beware of larger waves though!

Bathroom/Showers: Yes, at the Punta Islita Hotel

Easy Access/Parking: Yes

Food/ Restaurants: No, except for the hotel. 

Playa Pelada (Instagram)

You can reach all beaches via car. I highly recommend you rent a car in San José and drive. I do not recommend taking a bus as it is a lot more comfortable. We stayed in Sámara (right next to Sámara town) and I think it was a great starting point to go to different beaches, the longest we drove was about 50 minutes. Beware! Roads are not paved, so you really need to rent a 4x4. 

All in all, all beaches we went to were stunning. I can only hope you will have as good a time as we had in beautiful Costa Rica!