Tamarindo is a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
of the
Santa Cruz canton, in the
Guanacaste province of
Costa Rica, located on the
Nicoya Peninsula
The Nicoya Peninsula () is a peninsula on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It is divided into two provinces: Guanacaste Province in the north, and the Puntarenas Province in the south. It is located at . It varies from 19 to wide and is approx ...
.
The town of Tamarindo is the largest developed beach town in Guanacaste. Main attractions in the area are
surfing and
eco-tourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...
.
History
Tamarindo was created on 27 November 1995 by Decreto Ejecutivo (English: Executive Order) 24820-G.
Geography
Tamarindo has an area of
and an elevation of .
Settlements
Besides Tamarindo, towns in the district include Villarreal, Santa Rosa, Garita Nueva, Hernández and San José de Pinilla.
Villareal
The nearby town of Villareal has a both a public elementary school and a public high school, two full size soccer fields, multiple restaurants, two large stores, multiple hardware stores, a police station, a church, several car repair shops and a gas station.
Langosta
Just east of the centre of Tamarindo, there is a three-way intersection. To the left is the road that leads to the Banco Nacional de Costa Rica, and also a secondary exit from Tamarindo. To the right is the road that leads to Langosta.
Tourism
Beaches
Playa Tamarindo is a long, rocky beach with excellent waves near the mouth of the
estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
. Currents can be strong, especially on a falling tide. Tamarindo has two main breaks for advanced surfers:
Pico Pequeño, a rocky point to the right of the Hotel Tamarindo Diriá, and the excellent river mouth break across from Cabinas Tsunami called
El Estero. The biggest waves can reach a height of up to 12 feet, although this is a rare occurrence and is only seen during June, July and August.
The beaches in the area are generally clean and recent efforts by the government and local business organizations are proving themselves. While the beach has not regained its Blue Flag Status, in September 2008 it did get a clean bill of health from the Costa Rican government. The town is trying to regain its Blue Flag Status.
Fishing
Tamarindo is known for world-class fishing tourism, and a variety of captains and charters services are available. Costa Rica requires
fishing licensefrom the INCOPESCA (Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuicultura), the government agency that manages, regulates and promotes fisheries and aquaculture.
Demographics
According to the
2011 census, Tamarindo had a population of .
Transportation
Road transportation
The district is covered by the following road routes:
*
National Route 152
*
National Route 155
Airport
Tamarindo is the most accessible location along the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica with an
airstrip
An aerodrome ( Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for pub ...
.
Liberia International Airport is the closest international airport to Tamarindo, about an hour away.
Public transportation
There is a scheduled daily bus service to and from San José, as well as a paved highway to San José with driving time of 3.5 to 6 hours depending on traffic.
Gallery
See also
*
Tourism in Costa Rica
References
External links
{{commons category, Tamarindo
Tamarindo Beach VideosInformation about surfing conditions in TamarindoTamarindo DirectoryTamarindo Visitors GuideIncopescaCosta Rica Fishing Charters
Districts of Guanacaste Province
Populated places in Guanacaste Province
Districts of Costa Rica
Surfing locations in Costa Rica