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Playa Samara in Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica

Jan 08, 2015
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Juan Sancho

Table of Contents

  • Playa Samara in Nicoya Peninsula
  • Hotel Villas Playa Samara
  • Living in Paradise
  • Activities
  • Sunset At Playa Samara

One of the Best Beaches

Playa Samara Costa Rica might just be one of the best beaches in all of Costa Rica. Samara Beach on the Nicoya Peninsula of the Pacific coastline of Costa Rica is in a tranquil locale of abundance and pleasure.

Villas Playa Samara collage of landscape and spa services

There’s plenty of activities in Samara

The Perfect Getaway

If you’re looking for the perfect getaway location for you and the family, as a couple or on your own, Playa Samara has enough to offer you three or four times the vacation that you have in mind. The activities in and around Samara Beach include horseback riding tours, yoga retreats, fishing tours, snorkeling and much more. The beach itself spans seven kilometers, so you can pretty much have your run of the place with ease. This plentiful plot provided makes it easy to enjoy any number of beach sports from Frisbee to volleyball. Travel agents can find out more about Samara in the travel agent program.

Accomodations

The major resort in Playa Samara is Villas Playa Samara. The town of Samara has plenty of restaurants, banks and stores for any unforeseen desires which might emerge in time spent at or around Samara Beach in Costa Rica. Vacationing here puts every comfort you could ask in to one place.

Isla Chora

Near to Playa Samara and reachable by boat, windsurfing or kayak is the beautiful Isla Chora and its pink sand beach. From any one of the hotels in the Playa Samara area you can book dolphin-watching tours, canopy tours or rent a paddle and board to go paddle boarding. This beach has as many pastimes as there is time to take part in them. For the trip, you might consider bringing a swimsuit, snorkeling gear, beach towels or blankets and a good camera.

Getting There

Samara is reachable in many ways, and you don’t necessarily need to rent a car to get to this popular destination. There are daily buses from the city of San Jose, and the journey takes approximately five hours and twenty minutes. From Liberia, Costa Rica and the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport it’s about an hour and fifty minutes. To the Juan Santamaria Airport in Alajuela, Costa Rica it’s about three hours and forty minutes. You can also make it easier on yourself by booking one of the many tours with Costa Rica Monkey Tours.

The Local Scene

Playa Samara is the kind of place where you can actively intermingle with locals as this is also a popular destination for Costa Rican vacationers. The feeling of immersing yourself in the local scene comes naturally at this oasis on the sea as is the natural flow and tempo of the people of Costa Rica. Making your stay in or around Samara Beach in Costa Rica will come with the kind of experiences which you will want to return to time and again.

Beach: Playa Samara
Location: Nicoya Peninsula, Playa Samara Location
Items to bring: swimsuit, snorkeling gear, beach towel, beach blanket, camera, volleyball, Frisbee
Distance from San Jose: 5 hrs 20 mins
Distance from Liberia: 1 hr 50 mins
Hotels nearby: Hotel Villas Playa Samara, Hotel Samara Beach, Rancho De La Playa
Ways to get here: rental car, taxi, hotel shuttle, bus, bike

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Hotel Villas Playa Samara in Costa Rica

This Hotel in Samara Costa Rica in the province of Guanacaste that is literally lined with hundreds of beaches in which visitors can spoil themselves with more activities than could possibly be fit into one vacation. Villas Playa Samara Hotel is a distinguished location with which to explore such splendor.

swimming pool hotel villas playa samara

The View From The Pool

Fishing Tours

For the fisherman or fisherwoman, there are daily fishing tours where can be found Billfish, Marlin, Sails, Tuna, Mahi-Mahi, and many other types of tropical fish. The waters around Costa Rica are renowned for the marine life that frequents the area and the natural beauty that accompanies the sea life. Villas Playa Samara Hotel operates the aforementioned fishing tours for sport enthusiasts, and ecological tours for those who only care to observe the comings and goings of aquatic and terrestrial creatures.

Rentals, Child-care, BBQs and More

Some other hotel amenities include bicycle rentals, and personal watercraft rentals. There is a gaming room where you can find a pool table and arcades, and a laundry facility. Beach chairs and beach towels are provided by the hotel as is baby-sitting, child care and on the grounds of the hotel you can find barbecue grills. There is an outdoor pool on the property of Hotel Villas Playa Samara in Samara, Costa Rica, as well.

At The Spa

The Hotel Villas Playa Samara controls a spa offering a number of therapeutic treatments at the resort retreat along with yoga courses. Some of the major spa services offered include a relaxing massage, reflexology and aromatherapy, reduction and toning massages and chocolate skin baths. You can enjoy a massage at the Spa with your husband or wife in a couple’s room, or at the beach.

Amenities Nearby

You can pretty much plan out any kind of personal adventure excursion you want. Near to this property on the Pacific coast line are a number of golf courses which offer lessons on the premises. You can rent a scooter or Segway and tour the ocean and rainforests on a beachfront drive. Scuba diving and water skiing activities can be procured at shops and rental provisions within the vicinity of this hotel in Samara, Costa Rica.

Domestic Airports in the Area

Villas Playa Samara Hotel on the Nicoya Peninsula is about an hour and fifty minutes from Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia. A smaller airport to the south on the Nicoya Peninsula is Tambor Airport on Ballena Bahia (Whale Bay). This smaller airport is a little further from Villas Playa Samara at around two hours and fifty minutes by car, but it is a good place to view dolphins and whales in the seasons from December to March and November to July respectively.

Hotel: Villas Playa Samara Hotel
Location: Samara, Costa Rica
Rooms & Suites: 59 Units
Amenities & Services: Fishing, Billiards, Table tennis, Canoeing, Hiking, Horse riding, Snorkelling, Water sport facilities (on site), Fitness center, Spa and wellness center, Massage, Hot tub, Bicycle rental, Games room, Shuttle service, Tour desk, Luggage storage, Babysitting/child services, Laundry, Meeting/banquet facilities, Business center
Driving time from San Jose: 5 hrs 30 mins
Driving time from Liberia: 1 hr 50 mins
Ways to get there: plane, rental car, bus, taxi, shuttle
Contact Information: Website, +506 2656 1111

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Playa Samara is just like living in paradise

Sammy Hagar has Cabo San Lucas, but when you are in Playa Samara it’s David Lee Roth’s “Just Like Paradise,” that will come to your mind.

Water Sports & Spanish Language School

Samara is such a great place to visit that it even makes school seem cool. Right on the very sandy beach you can attend Spanish and surfing classes so that you can yell just like the locals when you wipe out. Actually, the shallow waters are protected by an offshore coral reef that make this beach one of the safest there is for practicing water sports. As a matter of fact, a new sport known as SUP (stand up paddle) is gaining popularity among surfing beginners.

Other sports that you can practice here include:

  • Swimming
  • Snorkeling
  • Kayaking
  • Sports fishing
  • Dolphin watching
  • Horseback riding
  • Surfing

Surfing at Samara

The aforementioned stand up paddle involves paddling on a large surf type board till you’re chest-deep in calm water and friendly waves that are perfect for those surfers who are still a little wet behind the ear. More seasoned surfers, though, can turn the level of difficulty up about 12km south of Playa Samara at Playa Camaronal.

Snorkeling at Cangrejal

On the opposite side of the compass, at the northern end of Samara Bay, Cangrejal is ideal to do some snorkeling. Here, where the reef meets the beach, you can see all kinds of underwater fauna, including manta rays, starfish, and in general fish of such color and beauty they will remind you of the Jaguar Shark at the end of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (if you’ve seen that movie which of course nobody did).

Different Kinds of Accomodations

If the 35 paved kilometers that separate Samara from Nicoya are not isolated enough from civilization for you, you can always kayak your way to Isla Chora which is a 5 hectare maritime bird and wildlife reserve where you can relax on its pink sands. These and more activities can be arranged through the many hotels in the area. These establishments range from cheap lodgings (bohemian, if you will) to luxury accommodations. Cheap, in this context, is not a bad thing by any means, and especially if you want to mingle with the affable residents; a mix of permanent and temporary denizens of both Costa Rican and foreign background.

Nightlife

Plus, with so many things to do in Costa Rica you will only go back to the hotel to catch some Z’s. Maybe not even that. After all, Playa Samara does offer a pretty active nightlife. The main street leading to the beach is lined with as many bars, restaurants, pubs, lounges, and discos as the beach is lined with palms and shade trees. If you’ve still got energy after riding to the Tobacco waterfalls and back, you can dance the night away and then do it all over again.

Playa Samara is one of the main stopping points for the Costa Rica/Nicaragua Combo Tour, Jewels, Coast to Coast and Essential.

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Samara Beach Activities Continued

Popular Tourist Attractions & More

We would like to invite you to experience Costa Rica’s proud Samara Beach. With its beautiful palm trees and large amount of tourist attractions, it is easily one of the most popular beaches on the Pacific coast. Extending a full seven kilometers, Samara is famous for its white sand, and has become what some would call its trademark feature along with its very calm waves. The waves are normally quite low, which makes it very inviting to families, and also to beginning surfers who are looking for serene waves to learn on. There are many surf instruction facilities located along the beach which will turn what many consider one of the most fascinating of sports into a regular summer time activity.

Isla Chora

There is a large island in front of the beach known as “Isla Chora,” which is a popular location for guided kayaking tours, and is also a great spot for snorkeling. Imagine how incredibly relaxing it would be to spend the day venturing out to an isolated white sand island for the day. Isla Chora is filled with tropical fishes and beautifully shelled hermit crabs. Then again, one shouldn’t miss out on the incredible feeling of horseback riding along the beach.

Riding a Horse on the Beach

Like something out of a romance novel, the idea of riding a gallant steed while making your way along the soft white sand along the beach has always been a romantic fantasy for tourists and adventurers alike. There is something truly magical about holding the reigns in your hand as you gallop with pride and vigor, and enjoy the smell of the ocean and the beautiful sights of the sun reflecting off of the ocean. During the day it is truly lovely, and the night in Samara is just as exciting. Offering an incredible nightlife, several big clubs and bars are well known throughout the area.

Finding a Good Drink at Samara Beach

Sports lovers will feel right at home at “Bar Arriba”, which has giant televisions set up for experiencing your favorite sports events in HD television. The drinks are fairly priced and the bar is well known for having a wide variety of televisions. Another popular bar is Los Olas, which boasts a very large selection of both foreign and domestic beer selection, along with popular local favorites such as pina coladas, mojitos and of course a good bloody mary.

Dance the Night Away

Looking to go out? Perfect, you will love some of the clubs, one of the most popular being Tabanuco, which doubles as a casual bar during the day and popular club at night. We encourage you to truly enjoy what this beach has to offer and go along any of the excursions our onsite Monkey Tours staff that can organize for you, we can arrange your daily trips or assist you with any local knowledge. Feel free to contact us to ask any questions, our guests’ happiness is our happiness!

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Sit Back and Relax as the Sun Goes Down at Samara

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Related:

  • Manuel Antonio
  • Palo Verde
  • Santa Rosa National Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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