One thing the team at HPV really loves is questions, but not just any questions. We love questions about Tamarindo, Costa Rica and Costa Rica in general. We consider ourselves experts on those subjects so questions give us a chance to flex our knowledge.
It also gives us a chance to really help others, which is why we got into this business in the first place.
What makes us experts is more than our time spent in Costa Rica. It’s not even because of our founders. It’s the whole team of dedicated people who come together to solve any questions that might be tough.
But most people don’t have tough questions, not to us anyhow. They ask the sort of questions you have, questions like… well, questions like this:
Where is Tamarindo, Costa Rica?
Chances are if you’re already considering Tamarindo as a destination you have a sense of it, but Costa Rica’s map can get confusing. You also might be going on a recommendation alone.
No problem.
Tamarindo is in the upper left corner of Costa Rica’s map, the northwest corner. It’s not far from Nicaragua, but not as close as its sister town of Playas del Coco.
If you’re not sure where Costa Rica is, it’s in Central America, which is the strip of land connecting North and South America.
What to do in Tamarindo, Costa Rica?
There are just a few things you can do… [big inhale]… surf, ride a zip line, ride them all (there are so many), take off-road quad tours, hike up a volcano, tour a rainforest, watch exotic wildlife do live their lives, Stand Up Paddleboard, sail, fish, deep-sea fish, enjoy a sunset cruise on a catamaran, mountain bike along the sea, sunbathe, swim in the ocean, swim in a pool, swim at the base of a waterfall, explore pre-historic sites, shop, dance the salsa, try local food, try international food, try to try all the food, skydive, bungee jump, and holy cow I hope you’re taking notes…
Obviously, there is a ton you can do in Tamarindo, especially if you’re willing to venture away from town a bit. There’s way more Costa Rica than you’ll have time for on any given holiday.
What time is it in Tamarindo, Costa Rica?
The time in Costa Rica is UTC-5 (Coordinated Universal Time minus five hours) otherwise known as GMT-5 (Greenwich Mean Time minus five hours).
For half of the year, Costa Rica lines up with Central Time in the USA, and the other half it lines up with Mountain as there is no daylight savings time in Costa Rica.
There is one always-true answer to “what time is it?” in Costa Rica. It is always the right time for a cold beer.
How to get to Tamarindo, Costa Rica?
Once upon a time, not that long ago for many of us who live here, if you wanted to get to Tamarindo, you needed all-wheel drive and good clearance. The road into Tamarindo from what was once the bigger town of Villarreal was not paved, and in places, at times of the year, it was flooded.
These days, most folks fly into Liberia airport (LIR), which is the closest to Tamarindo, but a few still use the more venerable San Jose airport (SJO). You decide.
One drops you about 90 minutes away by car. The other takes five hours or more, traffic depending. If you finish your trip by bus, it will take longer.
Other than renting a car and driving it yourself, which is on a paved road the whole way nowadays no matter which airport you use, you can also hop on the bus, pay a taxi to drive you or try to use Uber.
It’s doubtful an Uber will take you the full way, though.
If you’re going to pay a taxi, try to get a group together and cut your costs. There is one other option which many locals use and that is a shuttle bus. There are several services in town. You’ll enjoy air-conditioning, you won’t have to navigate, and many have wifi on the bus.
Where to stay in Tamarindo, Costa Rica?
For the record, we stay in hotels from time to time, but we always come back to the value found in vacation rentals. So it would be weird not to recommend this option above the rest.
That stated if you absolutely must stay in a hotel, consider booking one of Tamarindo’s boutique hotels. There are several, and you get a much more personalized experience for your money.
But, if you want privacy and autonomy, there’s no better option than your own vacation rental. Even if you don’t care about privacy and autonomy, if you’re traveling with a group, you’ll spend a fortune on hotel rooms to accommodate everyone’s needs.
As far as where in town to stay, in general, the closer you are to town the noisier it will be. There are exceptions and we highlight those exceptions when blogging about them.
If you stay in one of Tamarindo’s adjacent towns, Playa Langosta or Villarreal, plan to rent a car or take cabs everywhere. In Tamarindo, you’ll have everything you need in walking distance for most places.
One last point, there are no bad parts of town in a town this small.
There’s a good chance you have more questions. Good. We want to answer them all, at least the ones you have about Costa Rica. Contact us. We mean it when we say we want to help you.
Horizon Pacific Management & Rentals is located in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Offering vacation rentals, property management, long-term rentals, as well as a complete concierge service. Providing you with a local contact during your stay, Horizon Pacific is a company you can trust, with the experience you need.