Fodor's Expert Review Bahía Junquillal

The warm, calm water and relative isolation makes this one of the best swimming beaches on the Golfo de Santa Elena. Stay for the day or camp out right on the beach in the well-kept, shaded camping area with cold-water showers, bathrooms, firepits, grills, and picnic tables ($15 per person onetime park entrance for foreigners, plus $19 per person per night to camp). Compared with other camping areas in Costa Rica, prices are steep since this is part of the Junquillal Bay Wildlife Refuge. You can snorkel if you bring your own gear. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: fishing; solitude; swimming.