Tamarindo or Southern Area?
 

As I read more about the Tamarindo area- dry,touristy and dirty? I'm rethinking possible more south around Samara, Nosara area? Is this a nicer area- small towns of interest? Easier to access some adventure? Thanks for your opinion! Susan

my 2 centavos:
I didn't much care for Samara. Nosara is a bit hard to get to but nice, but all the nice places to stay in Nosara are set back from the beach -I recommend Hotel Romantica. Great surfing at Nosara - better than Tamarindo for my intermediate level.(Tamarindo can be scary). I liked the town of Tamarindo though and don't think of it as dirty, maybe a slight bit touristy and it won't be too dry this time of year. Another place in Guanacaste, more adventurous, might be to consider Mal Pais which actually is a "nice place".
Overall though, I prefer Manual Antonio, Jaco and Dominical over Guanacaste. But Guanacaste will have less rain and that might be a factor this time of year (the rainy season)

I did not care for Tamarindo either. Why not try Montezuma on the southern tip of the peninsula. Its smaller and less people, very laid back. Beautiful beaches, waterfalls. Some very good things to do there.

I've been through Tamarindo twice now and still don't understand the attraction. It is essentially a gringo town, not a Tico town. It also has a significant problem with car break-ins and petty theft. Playa Samara is smaller and quieter. It has some surfing but not as good as the other places mentioned, so it is not a surfer destination. Since it is a relatively easy drive from San Jose, it is a favorite destination of Ticos, especially on the weekend. IMO the beach is nicer than Tamarindo, especially Playa Carillo about three miles down the road.

I used to like Tamarindo but in the recent years it has become really busy and built up. During the rainy season it is green and not terribly dusty.

I actually love the Guanacaste region. There are nice beaches further north of Tamarindo where I would definitely consider staying. If you want to go further south on the Nicoya Peninsula, Samara is a nice option and an easy drive thanks to the new bridge and paved roads. I did not care for Nosara (too spread out and no shade trees near the beach) and it is a pain in the neck to get there. I really liked Malpais/Santa Teresa but it is really difficult to get to those "towns". Montezuma is also a good option, not nearly as touristy as Tamarindo.

I agree with Iza,regarding Samara,we spent 3 weeks there,we went to visit Nosara and Tamarindo,no question,much more nicer Samara.Small village with all...We stayed in Villas Kalimba simply perfec.

Hi smartin
I have been to Tamarindo,Samara and Nosara.At Samara we also stayed at Villas Kalimba which we loved, but we had trouble finding decent restaurants when we were there in August.I liked the beach at Samara and also Carillo and it is true that there is no shade in Nosara but we really like it there.We have stayed twice at what is now called Casita Romantica, which consists of studio apartments and one two bedroom apartment which used to be part of Casa Romantica.It is a short walk to the beach. While we loved Villas Kalimba the town of Samara was not appealing to us.If we were to stay at Villas Kalimba again I would stop at a grocery store so we could at least make breakfast and lunch in our villa.What kind of activities were you hoping to access?