Playa Caletas, Guanacaste

Sunset over Playa Caletas

The southwestern part of the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste province is home to many of Costa Rica’s beautiful and natural unspoiled beaches. These virgin remote beaches are perfect for those who prefer a relaxing quiet vacation, as the shoreline here is mostly uncrowded. Playa Caletas is one such beach. Lying just south of Playa Coyote, this beach is a secluded area with some of the most beautiful surfing opportunities in the country.

A Hidden Treasure

Regarded as one of Costa Rica’s hidden treasures, Playa Caletas is a superb sandy beach strip with a lovely offshore breeze that keeps the temperature here pleasant most of the year. Since it is relatively isolated, traveling to this beach can be a problem as the routes leading here are mostly rough dirt roads that become extremely difficult to negotiate during the rainy season. However, once you get here, you will find a small piece of paradise on earth.

Awesome Surfing

Known as one of the best surf beaches in the country, the swells at Playa Caletas can get quite big and are mostly meant for the more experienced surfers. With a high tide and a number of reef breaks, this beach is ideal. Surfing here is plenty of fun as there are not many surfers around.

Getting to Playa Caletas

The best way to get to Playa Caletas is to take a domestic flight from the capital city of San Jose to the airport at Punta Islita and then drive down to the beach, which is around 30 minutes away by car.

Turtle Nesting Beach

Another attraction of this beach is that it is considered to be a very important nesting area for the Leatherback sea turtles on the Eastern Pacific coast. These turtles are now an endangered species and plans are underway to turn Playa Caletas into a national park.

Map of the Area

Click to enlarge map - Map of the Area

Other Activities

Besides the beautiful scenic views, there are plenty of activities that one can enjoy on the beach. You can horseback ride on the shore or in the nearby tropical rainforest, or you can kayak along the coast. If you are an avid angler, there are plenty of sport-fishing opportunities available here. Offshore, you will find a variety of fish including marlin, Wahoo, sailfish, and tuna.

Nearby Playa Caletas, you will find a number of hotels and accommodations to suit every pocket. For those who can afford it, stay at the luxurious Casa Caletas, an exclusive boutique hotel and resort five minutes from the beach.