Tamarindo

Currency

US dollars circulate freely in tourist areas and are quoted for tours and rentals, but paying in colones at local sodas and shops is cheaper. Costa Rica is noticeably more expensive than its neighbours.

ATMs & cards

Banco Nacional, BAC and Banco de Costa Rica machines dispense both colones and dollars. Fees run around $5 per withdrawal for foreign cards. Choose colones and decline conversion.

Machines dispense both colones and dollars — take colones, and expect around $5 per withdrawal for a foreign card.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

A relaxed and generally safe town. The real risks are the ocean and petty theft: rip currents are strong on this coast, and belongings left on the beach do disappear. Never leave anything visible in a parked car.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

• Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date

Getting treated

Among the best in Latin America. The public system (Caja) treats emergencies for everyone, and private hospitals in San José are excellent and inexpensive enough that people fly in for treatment. Clinics in tourist towns handle the everyday.

Tap water is safe in most of the country. Dengue is present on the coasts. Rip currents cause more tourist deaths here than anything else.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

A soda is a small family restaurant, and the casado — rice, beans, plantain, salad and a protein — is the best value meal in the country. Ceviche and fresh fish are excellent all along this coast.

Getting around

• Walking — Tamarindo itself is a few streets and a beach
• Rental car or 4x4 — essential for the surrounding Guanacaste beaches and river crossings
• Shuttle — tourist shuttles connect the main beach towns and Liberia airport
• ATV and scooter — common locally, though the dirt roads are rough in the wet season
• Airport: Liberia is about 1h15, San Jose about 4h30

Must-see

Things to do

• Take a surf lesson on the main beach
• Watch leatherback turtles at Playa Grande in season
• Kayak the Tamarindo estuary
• Sunset catamaran trip
• Day trip to Rincon de la Vieja volcano
• Snorkel at Playa Conchal

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Spanish (Latin American)

• HelloHolaOH-la
• PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
• Thank youGraciasGRA-syas
• Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no
• Excuse meDisculpedees-KOOL-peh
• How much is it?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta
• The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta
• Cheers!¡Salud!sa-LOOD

The c and z are said as an s here, not the Spanish "th" — gracias is GRA-syas.

Religion

Catholic

Catholicism is the official state religion, unusually for the Americas, though practice is relaxed.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Say pura vida — it works as hello, thanks, goodbye and everything is fine
• Greet before asking anything
• Respect wildlife distance rules; feeding animals carries fines
• Tip 5-10% on top of the 10% service already added by law

Don't

• Do not call Costa Ricans anything but Ticos, which they use themselves
• Do not swim where there are no flags or people; rip currents kill visitors every year
• Do not leave anything visible in a parked car, anywhere, ever
• Do not expect punctuality — tico time runs late and is not rudeness