Playa Azul  on the Pacific coast and the Nicoya Peninsula is actually named for the pigment of its sand rather than the color of the sea which embraces it.

This dark blue (a little bit grey, actually) beach backs up to the fabulous Azul Ocean Club, and is encompassed by the enthralling tropical rainforest which makes it a relatively remote and somewhat upscale location. Playa Azul, Costa Rica, is not your run of the mill stopover where you will see many developments along the beach and hordes of tourists in the restaurants and hotels. It is the kind of place where getting away from it all is both achieved and savored by the fortunate few who make it here.

The premier Azul Ocean Club is the closest hotel resort to the beach, but it isn’t the only hotel that you can find in the vicinity of Azul Beach. Nearby you can find Cabinas Cada Luna, Villa Marbella and Villa Hermosa. These hotels are situated in the nearby surfing beach town of Marbella, Costa Rica. There are also a number of apartments for rent in the area of Marbella if you care to make a longer sojourn into the area near Azul Beach.

Since Playa Azul is not populated by large throngs of tourists, you may want to bring a few things to help you relax on the beach. A packing list might consist of a swimsuit, beach towel or blanket, a small picnic and basket, a good book and a radio or mp4 player. Although, the sound of the waves lapping against the beach may be all that you care to listen to while in this utopia on the sea.

Playa Azul can be reached by a personal rental vehicle, a private shuttle or taxi. The area may not be easily reached in the rainy season, and a four wheel drive or all-terrain vehicle may be preferable for making the trip when it’s very muddy out. Azul Beach in the province of Guanacaste is five hours and thirty nine minutes from the capital city of San Jose. It is three hours and fifty two minutes from Juan Santamaria International Airport in Alajuela, and one hour and thirty two minutes from Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia, Costa Rica.

Location: Azul Beach
Items to bring: a swimsuit, beach towel or blanket, a small picnic and basket, a good book, radio or mp4 player
Distance from San Jose: 5 hrs 39 mins
Distance from Liberia: 1 hr 32 mins
Hotels nearby: Azul Ocean Club, Cabinas Cada Luna, Villa Marbella and Villa Hermosa
Ways to get here: rental vehicle, private shuttle, taxi