Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Camaronal

Península de Nicoya


A good beach and point break, this charcoal-gray stretch north of Punta Islita is strewn with driftwood and sheltered by two headlands. This beach also happens to be a protected nesting site for leatherback, olive ridley, hawksbill and black turtles, hence its protected status. Tour operators in Sámara and Carrillo offer turtle-watching excursions to Camaronal.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Península de Nicoya attractions

1. Macaw Recovery Network

2.59 MILES

A local NGO that is dedicated to the conservation of Costa Rica's two species of macaw: the great green macaw and the scarlet macaw. The group…

2. Museo Islita

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Sponsored by the Hotel Punta Islita, this imaginative, open-air museum includes mosaics, carvings and paintings that adorn everything from houses to tree…

3. Playa Corozalito

4.46 MILES

About 4km south of Punta Islita, Playa Corozalito is an entirely undeveloped beach backed by mangrove swamps and offering plenty of opportunities to spot…

4. The Jungle Butterfly Farm

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Mike's beautiful 45-acre mountainside property, 10 minutes north of San Miguel, includes walking trails and a butterfly rancho. In addition to the…

5. Playa Bejuco

7.95 MILES

South of Punta Islita (and not to be confused with a beach of the same name south of Jacó), Playa Bejuco has reddish-brown sand, crystal-clear water and…

6. Playa Barrigona

9.3 MILES

A dreamy, hidden, white-sand beach about 30 minutes north of Sámara, where no development is visible. Just inland, though, sits a sprawling hacienda…

7. Playa Garza

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From the south, the first beach you'll hit is Playa Garza, still a sleepy Tico fishing village with an arc of pale brown sand, and headlands on either…

8. Playa Guiones

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Nosara's most developed beach is also a stunner, with a wide, generous arc of marbled sand (and a few pebbles and shells mixed in), excellent beach breaks…

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