The largest peninsula in the country, the Nicoya Peninsula sits just south of the Northern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica across the Golfo de Nicoya from Puntarenas. Home to some of the most isolated and beautiful beaches, this rugged peninsula is one of the most popular tourist destinations, especially for those looking to have some fun in the sun.

Here you can find everything from wonderful nature reserves to world class hotels and beach resorts, quaint rural towns, amazing sunsets, some of the best surfing on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast and even Tico cowboys!

The northern half of the peninsula is part of Guanacaste province, while the southern portion is part of Puntarenas province.

With a warm climate most of the year, the Nicoya Peninsula is known for its great weather. However, during the rainy season from April to November most of the roads can get quite impassable due to rivers washing them out. During this period the only way to get here is to take the one of 4 ferries running back and forth from Puntarenas to Paquera. Typically it takes the most part of a day to get to any of the beaches in this area from San Jose City. Though this can often mean a long trip, it is well worth it, as the beaches here are secluded and unbelievably striking.

For those looking to spending some quality beach time, I recommend the tiny beach villages of Montezuma and Mal País that have blossomed into amazing resort towns. My personal favorite is Mal País. North from Mal País and Montezuma, one can find many beautiful beaches such as Playa Manzanillo, Playa Samara, Playa Caletas and Playa Guiones.