www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Does anyone know where they have beaches like Tampa Bay''s Gulf of Mexico.? Where the water is calm, warm and good for swimming and the best time of the year for such.
Thanks
Painman
Rub someone the right way.

Probably Playa Conchal up in Guanacaste. Playa Avellanes (sic) also but it is not as calm. It is more for surfers but the beach is beautiful No clouds and no rain from now until March or April in Guanacaste.

Painman.

Also in Manuel Antonio, inside the national park there are 3 nice beaches, the one on the far left is a white sand beach, very calm water and clear.

Best time of the year would be summer, Jan, feb, March even April


Best regards

Mente

_________________
Tico and Panama, let me know if you need any help down here.
Panamaexplorers.com

Painguy –

If you are a little adventures and want to stay in a lively town, Tamarindo is my favorite on the Pacific side so far. The beach is surf, but pretty mellow like chest/head high beginners surf. I love to swim / splash / body surf in it, warm - wade the river at low tide (watch for El Crocodillo – just kidding) walk the beach up Playa Grande and dive in bare ass. Just pay a little attention to the tide and watch out for outgoing tide rips, and make sure you can get back across the river before high tide (or you can shout at a panga and get a boat for less than a buck if you phuck up you can’t go wrong). At the end of Playa Grande like two miles is Las Tortugas Hotel a great place for a drink or three, bring some money with you. North more still for miles and miles are headlands and calm waters and those tropical waterfalls that fall into the sea. Car rent, everything is there in Tamarindo to access the north or south beaches like Flamingo maybe ½ hour north (very calm on the inside) and Playa Coco – like a hour north?

All the other towns are pretty small villages often with Exclusive Resorts (not my thing) on the Pacific coast. It is All a Tropical Paradise I just run out of stuff to do in the small towns, although all can hook you up with tours, zip slings etc. Flamingo has a lively BAR where the infamous Michigan Boys got busted and Tamarindo has Why Not, a pooner refuge and in town a lively nightlife. It is all a just couple hours at the most away from each other once you get out there. I actually own a little property near Flamingo but I stay in Tamarindo for headquarters even if is a little more expensive. Mente is right on it is Spring and High Summer from here on out in Guanacaste.

This December/January I am going to check out the Caribbean, there is coral reefs that make lots of swimming holes looking at the pictures. I am spending Christmas week at Puerto Viejo and explore like I have the Pacific the last two years. Looks good so far I will post an update.

Via Bien Mae,
Novice

Oh yeah, Painman,

Watch out for that Sun, or you will know Exquisite Pain…Serious, Be Prepared with SunScreen unlesss you are mulato or darker skin,
Novice

My favorite beaches are on the Caribbean side...Puerto Viejo and south to Playa Cocles and Punta Uva. Manzanilla further south is beautiful and desolate most the time also. These are the REAL white sand beaches of Costa Rica...and the currents and wave action usually is much safer than the Pacific coast for swimming. A bus leaves every couple of hours from the Caribe Terminal...not far from the Radisson Hotel...and drops you off at Puerto Viejo/end of the line in about 3 hours for less than $5...a little closer than the Guanacaste beaches mentioned here. See the new CRT discount at Kayas Place for a nice and inexpensive place to stay over there...

agree that playa conchal is a nice beach if you want a tropical setting....anytime in the dry season should be good.. other beaches on the pacific side are kinda dirty and don't have "sand" in the tropical sense of the word.