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Playa Grande Review

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Playa Grande

Category: Beaches
Location: Nicoya Coast

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.8/5

Fodor's Review:

A very bumpy 21 mi from Tamarindo by road, but only 5 minutes by boat across a tidal estuary, lies Playa Grande. The beach had largely escaped overdevelopment, thanks in part to a surfer who came ashore more than 30 years ago and traded in his surfboard for a conservationist's agenda. Louis Wilson, owner of Las Tortugas Hotel, spearheaded the campaign to create a wildlife refuge—now Las Baulas Marine National Park—to protect nesting baulas (leatherback turtles). The Blue Flag beach, edged by creeping sea-grape, is still a paradise for surfers and sunbathers by day and a haven for nesting turtles by night. The whole beach and miles of water offshore are, in fact, part of the national park.

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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by edaviscr from Atlanta on 12/4/08
The Playa Grande review above is not correct. It is actually 21 kilometers, not 21 miles from Tamarindo. The road has also been in great shape for nearly a year now. Grande is a more affordable, more laid back option in the area with one of the prettiest sandy beaches in the country and consistently good surf. I would highly recommend it. The only thing a bit inconvenient is that the closest semi-decent grocery store is in Huacas, but stock up on your way into Grande and you'll be fine.