Playa Grande (, lit. "Big Beach"), also known as Salinas, is a

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

on the

Pacific coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas North America Countries on the western side of North America have a Pacific coast as their western or south-western border. One of th ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

just north of Tamarindo. It is located inside the canton of Santa Cruz in

Guanacaste Province Guanacaste () is a Provinces of Costa Rica, province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern region of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Alajuela Province to the east, and Puntarenas Pro ...

. Playa Grande has been part of the Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas (Las Baulas Marine National Park) since 1990. There are palm trees and vegetation around the beach, which stretches for about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles). It is part of the Las Baulas National Marine Park, which was established to protect the nesting grounds of endangered leatherback turtles. Playa Grande is one of the major nesting sites for these turtles, and visitors can witness the nesting an
hatching process
during the nesting season, which typically occurs from October to March. The main attraction of Playa Grande is its surf breaks. The beach has consistent waves. Playa Grande is an ideal destination for nature lovers, with diverse

ecosystems An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

surrounding it. Beyond the beach, you can explore the nearby mangrove forests, take boat tours along the

estuaries 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 ...

, or venture into the neighboring national parks, such as Rincon de la Vieja or Santa Rosa, which offer hiking trails, wildlife spotting opportunities, and breathtaking landscapes. Playa Grande at dawn

Geography and Location

Playa Grande is located approximately 63 km (39 mi) south of Liberia International Airport and is situated within the Las Baulas National Marine Park, which is dedicated to protecting the nesting grounds of endangered leatherback turtles. The town is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and is situated between the towns of Tamarindo to the south and Playa Ventanas to the north.

Tourism and Activities

Playa Grande offers a variety of activities for tourists, including

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

, wildlife observation,

snorkeling Snorkeling (American and British English spelling differences#Doubled in British English, British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of human swimming, swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing ...

scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...

, sport fishing, and horseback riding along the beach. There are several accommodation options available, including hotels, vacation rentals, and eco-lodges.

Las Baulas Marine National Park

Las Baulas is Costa Rica's nesting site for the leatherback sea turtle and was created to protect their declining population. The

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

is home to 117 tree and shrub

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

and 139 bird

Beach

Playa Grande beach is known for its sandy bottom and waves. There are several surf breaks from the

shore A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

that make the location popular for

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

and

In International Pop Culture

Playa Grande is featured on a postcard in S4 E18 of "The Office" (U.S.). The episode features Toby's going-away party before he moves to Playa Grande, where he appears various times for the remainder of season 4.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Guanacaste Province Surfing locations in Costa Rica