#1 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Junquillal Beach
Playa Junquillal
~16.80 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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Junquillal Beach is a community that belongs to Guanacaste, in the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It consists of 220 inhabitants and its main attractions are its beaches that extend for 6km and a mangrove site fed by the Nandamojo river.
Junquillal beach was recently discovered to be one of the most important nesting sites of leatherbacks in the country. However, Junquillal Beach is not part of the protected areas system of Costa Rica. Consequently, the lack of patrols by government authorities has led to rampant levels of illegal egg harvesting, which comprised up to 75% of all leatherback nests on that beach before the start of the project in 2005.
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#2 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Barra Honda National Park
Guanacaste - North Pacific Coast
~17.08 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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#3 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Avellana Beach
Guanacaste - North Pacific Coast
~17.25 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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#4 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Tamarindo Beach
Tamarindo
~17.48 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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#5 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Conchol Beach
Brasilito
~17.65 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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Conchal Beach is with out a doubt one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica because of the white shells that cover it. The turquoise water is excellent for snorkeling. Many travel guides promote Costa Rica with photos from this stunning beach.
Conchal Beach is located 1.2 kilometers from Playa Brasilito and 6.7 kilometers from Playa Flamingo.
The beach consists of small white shells and that is where its name comes from. Shell Beach is the translation of Conchal Beach. The 1.5 kilometer long beach is shaded by trees and it is a wonderful beach for swimming and sun bathing.
A beach out of white shells...
In the dry season the sun shines between 11 and 12 hours, this is from the beginning of December until the end of April. Temperatures rise easily up to 26 Celsius in the coastal regions of Costa Rica.
For golfers there is an 18 hole golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones 2. The course is named Garra de Leon, the lions pawn.
The national parks in the area can be easily accessed for daytrips. Sportfishing and diving is also possible off Conchal Beach.
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#6 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Flamingo Beach
Brasilito
~18.21 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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#7 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Grande Beach
Tamarindo
~18.48 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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This long stretch of beaches is ideal for relaxing, sunbathing and exploring the El Morro Peak and nearby beaches called Ventanas and Carbón, surrounded by rocky cliffs and platforms from which brilliantly coloured little fish, trapped in the tidal pools can be seen at low tide without having to go snorkelling.
The Playa Grande beach is where the leatherback turtle comes to lay its eggs. The leatherbacks take over the beach from November to April. They dig their nests one metre deep, lay their eggs and cover the pit with sand, returning once again to the sea. After 60 to 90 days, the hatchlings emerge and immediately make their way back to the water. Along the treacherous path, which measures only a few metres, they are easy pray for crabs, seabirds and various mammals, which means only a few of them are able to survive. Sometimes Pacific Ridley turtles also arrive to nest as they do at Santa Ana and Corcovado National Park.
This sea turtle can measure up to 2,5 meters and weigh around 700 kilos. Unlike other turtles, this species has no hard shell, but rather a black, leathery skin with ridges running lengthwise. It is the epitome of a nomad and its favourite food is the poisonous jellyfish. Like all other sea turtles, the leatherback spends its life in the warm, tropical seas, coming ashore only when the females nests. The beach and the Park Las Baulas are located in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste. Access is by means of the road from Liberia- Guardia- Filadelfia- Belén- Huacas- Mata Palo- Playa Grande
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#8 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Penca Beach
Potrero
~18.74 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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#9 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Coco Beach
Playa Hermosa
~21.21 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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Located on a barrier island, nestled between the great Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River Lagoon on Florida's Central East Coast, Cocoa Beach continues to link the birth of the Space Age with the wonders of the future.
Just six miles long, and mostly less than one mile wide, Cocoa Beach is truly a unique place! Where else can you choose between watching a space launch from the beach or precious animal species in their natural habitat? You can choose between a swim in the ocean, or a quiet kayak exploration off the Banana River islands, from our river shore? Play a round of golf at our 27-holes golf course, surf cast from the beach for dinner, or just enjoy a day at the beach where you will likely see dolphins at play or be lucky enough to see an occasional whale in migration. Widely known as the surfing capital of the East Coast, Cocoa Beach is the hometown of surfing champions.
The primary attraction to Cocoa Beach is the weather. With its coastal location and positioned where two climatic zones (sub-tropic and temperate) meet, our weather usually avoids extremes. This unique location attracts wildlife indigenous to both climatic zones, as well as coastal and migratory species. And, of course, our weather, beaches and local amenities attract human visitors as well! Many of our residents first experienced Cocoa Beach as visitors and eventually relocated here!
Cocoa Beach is a residential community and a tourist destination. Our base population is 12,800, our population though swells to as high as 30,000 during the peak tourist season when the hotels, motels, timeshares and condominium rentals are filled. In addition, Cocoa Beach is the destination for another 2.4 million day visitors per year; it is the primary tourist destination on the Florida Space Coast. It is also home to an active retiree population, many of whom devoted their careers to our nation's space program. The casual beach lifestyle is enjoyed by visitors and residents alike!
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#10 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Ocotal Beach
Playa Hermosa
~21.51 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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One reviewer writes:
Location and wildlife are two of the best things about this place. The building with the small hotel lobby and large restaurant as well our rooms in two of the half-dozen bungalows on the property are on a steep hill running up from the beach, with great views, getting progressively better as you get up to the restaurant. The islands offshore, the Pacific and the small protected bay on which the hotel sits are all at your feet. For us city types, it is a real pleasure to see whales breaching 700 yards offshore, monkeys, raccoons, iguanas, hummingbirds and other exotic avian life in the trees, around the rooms, and especially in the case of birds, invading the restaurant at times. The beach has black, soft sand with tide pools on the points at either end that are worth exploring. If you are here to dive, big mantas and sharks are not hard to find. This is not the Caribbean coast, so there is little coral in the water and on shore the habitat is very dry.
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#11 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Hermosa Bay Beach
Coco
~22.30 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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#12 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Panama Beach
Papagayo
~22.96 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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#13 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Garza Beach
Garza
~24.92 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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Set in a beautiful bay with moderate surf, this beach features an estuary to the south, where Rio Garza empties to form a mangrove swamp. To the north, on the other side of Punta Garza, is a rocky beach called Playa Rosada (Pink Beach) due to the color of its sand. A small fishing community, Garza offers sunbathing, swimming, walking and sport-fishing tours.
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#14 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Samara Beach
Samara
~26.84 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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#15 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Liberia Parque Central
Liberia
~27.08 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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This is a popular park located in downtown San Jose. It is the site for many local events, including the big holiday celebrations. It is also used by many people as a landmark on the way to various areas of the city. For example, someone could refer you to east of Parque Central if you were looking for affordable accommodations, including quite a few budget hotels. The park is also located near many of the city's popular tourist attractions including the Teatro Nacional as well as many taxis and bus routes.
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#16 of 16 Things To Do in Santa Cruz
Carrillo Beach
Carrillo
~27.90 miles from Santa Cruz city center
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Our beautiful Guanacaste province is well known for its lovely pristine beaches; Playa Carrillo Costa Rica is no exception to the rule. Located on the stunning Nicoya Peninsula this tropical paradise offers a charming palm lined beach with chalk colored sand. Playa Carrillo Costa Rica boasts sandy shores that are usually not crowded making it an ideal place to relax. Playa Carrillo Costa Rica is less developed than some of its neighbors, so if you visit you will not see many restaurants, resorts or hotels on the beach. The shimmering waters that lap the shoreline in Playa Carrillo Costa Rica are crystal clear, perfect for snorkeling around the vibrant coral reef or enjoying the water, since it is safe for swimming. Lush mountains serve as a fairytale backdrop to the dreamy location that is Playa Carrillo Costa Rica. The serene waters are inviting and you can practice snorkeling and other water sports such as kayaking, jet skiing and water skiing. Playa Carrillo Costa Rica has received the Blue Flag award for its effort to maintain the location as one of our cleanest beaches.
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