Playa Junquillal

Playa Junquillal Review

Seekers of oceanfront tranquillity need look no further than Junquillal (pronounced hoon-key-yall), a wide swath of light-brown sand that stretches over 3 km (2 mi), with coconut palms lining much of it and hardly a building in sight. Two species of sea turtle nest here, and a group of young people collect and protect their eggs, releasing the baby turtles after sunset. Although it qualifies as a Blue Flag beach, the surf here is a little strong, so watch children carefully. There's a kids' playground right at the beach, and a funky little restaurant with concrete tables amid the palms. It's also a perfect beach for taking long, romantic strolls. Surfers head here to ride the beach break near Junquillal's northern end, since it rarely gets crowded. A surprisingly cosmopolitan mélange of expats has settled in this area, and there's a new supermarket at the entrance to an upscale housing development. But Junquillal is still barely on the tourist map. Its handful of hotels consequently offers some of the best deals on the North Pacific coast.