My Vacation Lady never really recommended Costa Rica as a only a beach destination but on a recent vacation to the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, we met honeymooners who were staying for up to 2 weeks at one of many beach resorts.  We’ve always recommended Costa Rica as more of an adventure destination with a beach.  So  may need to reconsider that a bit.

SO HOW ARE THE BEACHES IN COSTA RICA’S PACIFIC NORTH WEST?  

I’m going to be honest, the beaches are not going to be the white sand and crystal clear water of the Caribbean.  First of all, the beaches in the Pacific Northwest part of Costa Rica are ON the Pacific Ocean.  Much like other beaches along the Pacific, the sand will range from white to beige to grayish black.   The water can be crystal clear or a bit cloudy, depending on the weather and how much sand is mixed in with the water.

costa-rica-guanacaste-mapHopefully, this will give you a better idea of the beaches in the Guanacaste section of Costa Rica:

The arrows are color coded so that you can see what the beach looks like at different parts of the Guanacaste region.

Red is for the Beach at the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo resort in Papagayo

Green  is for Playa Virador, at the Four Seasons Papagayo- about 15 minutes away from the Andaz

Gray is for Matapalo beach at the Riu Complex, Purple is for Playa Coco, Blue is for Playa Conchal

The pictures that you are going to see are ones that we took in early December 2015.   They are not photo shopped so the color is exactly as it appeared when we took them.  The color of the beaches from the hotel websites may look different but please keep in mind that they are professionally taken photos.

So as you can see, there is a pretty significant color of the sand in the Guanacaste section of Costa Rica— even if they are only 15 minutes away from each other.

If you are looking for the pure white sand and crystal clear water of the Caribbean, the Guanacaste section of Costa Rica, may not be the perfect place for your next vacation or your dream honeymoon.  If you love pools + a bit of beach and some great adventures and wildlife, this may be right up your alley.

My Vacation Lady takes the personal approach to vacation and honeymoon planning and will be able to figure out whether Costa Rica is a good fit for you.

READ more about Costa Rica and then contact us to help plan your next vacation.