Measuring 3.51 kilometers or 2.18 miles, the white sand beach has many beach breaks with sandy bottom and well as a reef break at the northern end.  Due to its orientation, the beach picks up most Pacific swells and is one of Costa Rica’s most consistent breaks.   The main break at Hotel Las Tortugas has rights and lefts and often barrels.  Breaks on either side are generally smaller and some are ideal for learning to surf.   Casitas is another nice break at the southern end of Playa Grande.  The area gets good offshore winds most days during the dry season. 

There is a great deal of variety in accommodations.  On the high end is Casa Muy Grande, a private resort for up to ten people that has a private pool, bar, barbecue, and paddle tennis court and comes with surf boards, boogie boards and sea kayaks for guest use as well as full time staff.     Other great beachfront homes include Villa Siempre and Villa de la Roca.  Villas Costa Grande is a group of five vacation villas that were finished this year and can be rented individually or in groups to accommodate more people.  These are a short walk from Playa Grande.  There are also other options available for budget travelers including Arenas de Playa Grande condos.

Playa Grande has a number of excellent restaurants.  Kike’s Place, named after the owner, is a local favorite and serves typical Costa Rican food including casados.  Mar Bar is a boutique restaurant with excellent burritos, mini-burgers, calamari, and salads.  The Great Waltini’s, found in the Palm Beach area of Playa Grande, serves a more upscale, fusion menu.  Other options include fine dining at Cantarana.

Most restaurants have bars that stay open until midnight, and for night owls, Tamarindo is only 20 minutes away.  There you can find bars and clubs open late.

Transportation to Playa Grande is easy.  It is on a paved road only an hour away from Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Costa Rica.  Flights from all over the world arrive there as well as Costa Rica’s other international airport in San Jose.  If you want to check out all that Costa Rica has to offer, we recommend renting a car so you can check out the nearby volcano at Rincon de la Vieja as well as the canopy tour in Cartagena.  You can also travel to the more remote beaches of Avellanas and Playa Negra to ride the waves there.

Area activities other than surfing include deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, ATV tours, canopy tours, watching the leatherback turtles nesting at Playa Grande, bird watching, spas, yoga, and national park tours. 

To see all that Playa Grande has to offer, please check out www.SurfingPlayaGrande.com!