Don’t let the name fool you. Playa Coyote, Costa Rica, is a fabulous getaway for vacationers, and not an unkempt inhabitance of nomadic wild dogs.

Somewhat isolated from the other beaches on the western coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, Playa Coyote is a great place to camp, surf and swim. This beach is somewhat difficult to reach in the rainy season, and it is best to head here in a four wheel drive vehicle. To the north of Coyote lies Playa San Miguel, Playa Bejuco and Playa Samara, and to the south Playa Bongo and Playa Manzanillo.

Coyote Beach is not as built up as other areas nearby, but there are a number of smaller establishments that cater to incoming travelers. Near to the beach, the community of San Francisco de Coyote has some restaurants, bars and hotels. Of the lodgings you might find Cabinas Coyote, Cabinas San Francisco and across the Rio Jabillo is Casa Caletas. Of the restaurants and bars there is Chepito, Loma Clara, Café Sante and across the river is Tanga’s and La Verenera.

Heading into Playa Coyote, you may want to bring a surfboard, a tent, a hammock, sun screen, a camera and a water bottle. One of the restaurants on the beach serves as the camp site for the beach, also. If you plan on camping there, it might be best to do so in the months that are drier. The rainy season is from September to November.

Getting to Coyote can be done through flights, ferries or by car. Domestic flights can be found through Nature Air and Sansa Air, and the nearest airports to Coyote are in Samara and Punta Islita. Juan Santamaria International Airport in Alajuela, Costa Rica, is four hours and twenty minutes without taking the ferry, and with the ferry it is five hours and forty eight minutes. The capital of San Jose is six hours and twenty two minutes by going around the Gulf of Nicoya, and by going across the Gulf it is seven hours and fifty three minutes away. Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia, Costa Rica, is two hours and forty nine minutes from Coyote.

Location: Playa Coyote
Items to bring: a surfboard, a tent, a hammock, sun screen, a camera, a water bottle
Distance from San Jose: 6 hrs 22 mins (no ferry) 7 hrs 53 mins (+ferry)
Distance from Liberia: 2 hrs 49 mins
Hotels nearby:Cabinas Coyote, Cabinas San Francisco, Casa Caletas
Ways to get here: plane, ferry, rental car, private shuttle, bus, taxi