There are few countries that “have it all” when it comes to vacations, but it could be said that Costa Rica falls into this category. Whether its beaches, surfing, history, forests, volcanos or anything else - this is a nation which is well and truly taking full advantage of tourism.

As the title may have already given away, today’s guide is going to concentrate on the country’s beaches. This is quite often which grabs the headlines in the Costa Rica travel agents and in short, visitors are spoilt for choice.

Bearing this in mind, let’s take a look at four of the best beaches that this country has to offer.

Manuel Antonio
Let’s start with the pick of the bunch, Manuel Antonio. Few would disagree that it is the most popular in the country, and it’s for very good reason.

The beach itself is out of this world, even if it does attract a lot of people nowadays. The thing that makes this beach unique is its proximity to the Manuel Antonio National Park though. This is a coastal rainforest, and will take just half an hour to get to from the beach itself. All forms of wildlife are aplenty, monkeys especially.

If we return to the beach area, there’s an amazing coral seascape and snorkelling is one of the prime activities in the region.

Santa Teresa
This next beach offers a different form of popularity. It’s almightily popular with surfers, and offers some of the best waves in the country. For some reason, it is also home to a lot of yoga activities as well.

In and amongst the soft, white beaches are plenty of rock pools - meaning that this is one beach that really can appeal to the entire family.

Nacascolo Beach
The previous couple of suggestions have focussed on beaches that really do open themselves up to the tourism market nowadays. This is by no means a bad thing - it means that you will always have amenities on offer. However, if you’re looking for something a little quieter and secluded, it’s time to take a trip to Papagayo Peninsula.

When we say secluded, we really mean this. There will be plenty of occasions where you have to entire beach to itself. Considering some of the activities on offer, like stand up paddle boarding and snorkelling, this can make for an ideal setting.

Costa Ballena
If you head over to the South Pacific, you will come across Costa Ballena. For those familiar with the language, this of course translates to Whale Coast.
Don’t be alarmed - everything is under control. Not only does the beach appear in the shape of a whale, but it’s possible to organize whale watching tours while sea turtles also frequent the area.

Unsurprisingly, there are many tour operators in this area, meaning that the standard snorkelling, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding activities can all be taken advantage of in this picturesque setting.