The Best Beaches Near Playas del Coco (2024)
Playas del Coco is a popular beach thanks to its great location – only a half an hour drive from Liberia International Airport. It also has many amenities and a large expat community. But popularity can also mean it gets busy. Luckily, if you’re in Coco, you’re in a great location to experience the best beaches in Guanacaste, many within a 10 minute to two-hour drive away.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
Beaches near Playas del Coco are, essentially, beaches near Liberia, Costa Rica. So, if you’ve traveled internationally and arrived in Liberia, you are spoiled for choice. Not renting a car? No problem. Some of these beaches near Playas del Coco are so close you can take a taxi to get to them for cheap. Got a vehicle? Your choices are endless!
The Closest Beaches to Playas del Coco
Each of these 3 beaches is easily accessible by taxi from Playas del Coco. These are great options for those visiting the area without a car.
Playa Ocotal
You can’t get any closer to Playas del Coco than Ocotal Beach. It’s less than a 10 minute car ride away. This beach is known for snorkeling, with tide pools that are great for exploring. Ocotal is a small and relatively quiet black sand beach with few amenities. One restaurant, Father Rooster, sits on the beach and is a great place to enjoy a cocktail and sunset.
Playa Hermosa
A cleaner and quieter beach than Coco, Playa Hermosa is the beach town 15 minutes north of Playas del Coco. This beach truly takes after its name “Hermosa”, which means beautiful in Spanish. The waves can be bigger here than in Coco, but it is usually a good beach for swimming and hanging out, as there are many shady spots along the beach and the water is warm. Here you will find many beach front restaurants to have lunch or sunset drinks. Aqua Sport has a swing and some giant chairs, which make for some fun vacation photos!
Playa Penca
If you’re looking for something more isolated, Playa Penca is probably one of the quietest beaches near Playas del Coco. Situated between Coco and Hermosa, it requires a hike to get to it. To get there, go past Cacique Hill and turn into the green fenced area with the guard shack. The guard will let you in and there’s a parking lot down a rough road (you may need 4×4). From there, you still must hike down the mountain so pack light! If you aren’t up for the hike, another fun way to get there is by kayak from Coco Beach, which will take you about 45 minutes. It may not be easy to get to but the crystal clear water will make the extra effort worthwhile!
Beaches North of Playas del Coco
If you head north from Coco, you’ll find these two stunning beaches – I would go as far as to say that Cabuyal is one of the best beaches in Guanacaste! These are also the two beaches closest to Liberia.
Playa Cabuyal
A lesser-known white sand beach, Playa Cabuyal is just a 45 minute drive from Coco. With no hotels, restaurants or bars, this beach might have you feeling you discovered it like a true explorer. Talk about isolation! There are bathrooms, however, so it’s an easy beach to pack a lunch and spend the day swimming and looking for rays, which seem to frequent the area. To get there, head towards the Liberia Airport and turn at the intersection at the “Do-It Center” onto Route 253 and follow that road for about 18 kilometers (11 miles) until you hit an intersection with a sign to Cabuyal.
Playa Iguanita
You’ll find the lesser-known beach, Iguanita, on the way to Playa Cabuyal and the Four Seasons. Found off of Route 253, it is best to use Waze or GPS to find it as there are not many signs. You must have a 4×4 to get there with a car.
Alternatively, you can take a boat. The water is super calm and clear – perfect for swimming and safe for kids – most of the time, though at certain times you may see surfers catching waves near the estuary. It is part of the Iguanita Wildlife Refuge and has an incredible mangrove and you can walk around to see the different plants and animals. Despite the clear and calm waters, some have been known to surf at Iguanita Beach, with the right swell and winds from the south.
Beaches South of Playas del Coco
Head south from Coco and you’re met with endless beach options, from the popular party beach town of Tamarindo to hidden beaches that require 4×4 access. You can spend an entire day beach-hopping in this area! The beaches we’ve noted below are just a few of the options you’ll find if you take a drive this way.
Playa Conchal
A beach with sand made entirely out of crushed shells, Playa Conchal is a unique and visually stunning natural beauty. The easiest beach entrance must be made through the W Hotel and can be accessed by anyone making reservations to eat at one of the on-site restaurants (such as the Zona Azul Beach Club), as well as guests of Westin.
For those who don’t want to have lunch within the hotel, you can access the beach by parking at the south end of Brasilito and walking over a small but steep hill to the beach. There is also access to Conchal’s south end by heading to a beach called Puerto Viejo. This beach can be reached by driving through Matapalo. Playa Conchal is about an hour away from Coco.
Playa Grande
A long beach that makes for epic sunset photos, Grande is the beach known for surfing. Over an hour drive from Coco, Playa Grande is not ideal for swimming due to the size of the waves. However, despite shade being hard to come by, it is a great beach to just spend an afternoon relaxing, reading a book, and watching the surfers shred waves. As part of the Marino Las Baulas National Park, Playa Grande is an important beach for turtles and wildlife. Leatherbacks have been known to nest here from October to February. Restaurants and lodging can be easily found in Grande.
Playa Flamingo
Housing Costa Rica’s largest marina, Playa Flamingo is the quintessential tropical beach paradise. With white sand and clear blue water, this beach is a hot spot for tourists. You can find fun bars and restaurants right on the beach, such as Coco Loco and Margaritaville Resort. About 45 minutes’ drive from Coco, Flamingo is the spot for sport fishing is you want to charter a boat. Snorkeling and scuba diving are also excellent here, although you will need a boat for these activities as well.
Playa Mina
If you really want to enjoy a secluded beach and forget about the world, check out Playa Mina (Playa Zapotillal). Even though it is only 45 kilometers away, Mina is close to two hours’ drive from Coco due to the poor road conditions to get there. The turn off of the main road in Matapalo is unpaved and is covered in big pot holes. A raised vehicle with 4×4 is highly recommended, even in the dry season, and the road turns into a slippery mess in the rainy season. There are few signs of civilization at this beach so bring what you need and turn off your phone – you are unlikely to get reception at this beach anyways!
Whether you’re looking for pristine blue water and white sand, a fun beach bar, or a secluded paradise, you can find it all within a 2 hour drive from Playas del Coco! We may be a little biased in saying that the best beaches in Guanacaste are close to Coco and you can’t go wrong paying a visit to any of the beaches on the list! In fact, we highly recommend making a day out of beach-hopping to as many as possible! (No car? Message us and ask about beach-hopping tour options!)
HAVE YOU BEEN TO ANY OF THESE BEACHES CLOSE TO THE LIBERIA AIRPORT? WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE?
