The small town of samara is a great place where you will find the most beautiful beaches, where you can see sea turtles, take surf lessons, do water sports. The natural beauty of the surrounding areas make it a popular destination worth visiting and a good option for your holidays . At the end of the day, enjoy a sunset drink in one of the beach bars, and feel the amazing vibe of this marvelous Costa Rican town !

Samara embodies the features of a small local town without being less diverse or entertaining than any other larger city. Finding yourself on the list of top Samara Costa Rica sights is inevitable while snorkeling in the transparent ocean or trotting on the magnificent coast on horseback. Discover the life and authentic culture firsthand at colorful markets, and let your nose and taste buds lead you to superb seafood restaurants by the seaside. Samara blends in all the pretty things regarding relaxation and authentic Costa Rican experiences, making it an irresistible place to do something different yet relish it.

Like they say over there : Pura Vida !

Things to do in Samara Costa Rica

When should you go to Samara, Costa Rica?

Playing Samara is most delightful in March and April. This period strikes a perfect balance: in addition, the occurrence of the school holidays is no longer in the situation, and you are at the edge of the dry season before the rainy season begins again. Samara Beach is more mesmerizing than ever as one wades in soft sands, brushes palms that sweep the sides of the beach, and the crystal clear turquoise waters. Being close to the beach, it’s evident that Samara town can get pretty busy during the high season, especially from December to February. In that case, avoiding them is a good idea if you’re more of a peace-and-quiet person.

While Costa Rica’s rainy season (May to November) has its charm, it is also difficult to enjoy as there is always an unpleasant severe rainstorm with a flood. Still, Alserth is a beautiful place to visit in the rainy seasons. And while outside the beaches, you can undertake excursions to nearby places like Playa Carrillo for a peaceful beach moment and Isla Chora for snorkelling perfection. The town also has a vibrant expatriate community, making it unique among other towns that offer a mix of local and international cultures. Whether you are on the beach to relax or making moves on various activities, Samara guarantees your ears a pleated hinge all year round.

Activities in Samara

While most people visiting Samara laze their time away at the relaxing beaches, you can do many other things. This is what the activities we have scheduled for you will show -discoveries of hidden waterfalls, beaches, and some forests with beautiful nature.

✔️ Beaches

Samara is Costa Rica’s overly-known exotic coastline. Every beach renders a different experience and beauty.

✔️ Playa Samara: Family-Friendly Haven

Samara Beach, as it exemplifies where to relax and sunbathe, is well known due to the extension of the cove, the tranquil waters, and the coral reef located just outshore. Families enjoy the water here because they can swim, snorkel or practise various sports in quiet but beautiful surroundings. The hotel and restaurant facilities are just along the coastline for the convenience of the visitors who also enjoy their stay in the sun and pool. You can also learn to surf the waves here because higher tide waves perfectly correspond to beginners’ skills.

✔️ Playa Carrillo: Secluded Beauty

A short drive towards Samara beaches, situated on the city’s southern side, will take you to Playa Carrillo – a local treasury everyone is fond of. It is the most lovely beach I have ever seen. It consists of gentle, soft sand, and farther away, it is lined with palms in the calm rhythmic waves ideal for swimming and relaxation. Instead of Playa Samara, Carrillo provides a more remote feel and has less commercial existence, so bring anything on your list for a day at the beach.

✔️ Playa Barrigona: Mel Gibson’s Oasis

There is no better place to go if you are looking for a genuinely unique experience than Playa Barrigona, the location of the beach house that was made famous due to the Mel Gibson Shores movie. This wild part of a beach is accessible only through a curvy road – and it is undoubtedly worthwhile to drive all the way there as the sand and water are as white and blue as they can get. It is a good comparison of detachment from civilization, recommendable to those who love solitude and still prefer nature.

However, ensure you do not forget everything, and go with an all-terrain 4X4 vehicle, which may be pretty challenging to transport during the rainy season. Walking along these shores of pearl-like sands is another exciting thing to do in Samara. As you relish in the family fare of Playa Samara, discover the tranquillity of Playa Carrillo, or venture a little off-the-beaten-track to Playa Barrigona, each beach will show you its unique slice of heart-warming feeling that you will have to experience for you to see what the Pacific coast of Costa Rica is all about.

✔️ Hiking at Werner-Sauter Biological Reserve

Here’s a detailed guide to hiking at the Werner-Sauter Biological Reserve near Samara:

1. Choosing the Best Option: If you search for a history-influenced hiking option near Samara, you can not beat Werner-Sauter Biological Reserve. Apart from this, the private reserve covers 140 hectares, which provides a perfect platform to see tropical dry forests on an exploration tour supervised by experts.

2. Discovering the Ecosystem: During your hike, you’ll uncover the hidden treasures of this often-overlooked ecosystem. Learn from knowledgeable guides about the importance of the tropical dry forest and its diverse wildlife.

3. Abundant Wildlife: Get ready to meet a lot of wildlife species, swing through the beautiful and dazzling trees, and see an owl who is hard to be seen, as well as porcupines. Get ready for some fantastic views; this is a dream destination for an animal lover!

4. Scenic Lookout: Make your way to the highest part of the hill, providing stunning viewpoints of the beautiful beach and quiet nature. I can always remember this view, which looks like a fairy-tale landscape.

5. Moderate Difficulty: Are ready for a light-to-moderately hike. Tour guides improve the experience by giving essential tips to players so that encounters with all creatures on the journey will be a joy. However, a guide is one of the components one cannot miss when venturing into this sanctuary.

6. Facilities and Entertainment: The reserve, notwithstanding its facilities, offers the visitors an exceptional experience. Tramp up the deliciousness of your trip by visiting Samara’s heart of the town for dining options and rest. Take a walk to the National Wildlife Refuge, the next worthy place to visit, or try a boat ride amidst clear seawater. In dit toe, laat ook geen kans weg om het rustig leven te ervaren te Samara Beach, dat bekend is voor blanke strand en hun stimulante atmosfeer.

✔️ Water Activities

Surfing at Playa Samara

The calming vibrations of the tides in Playa Samara create a perfect spot for amateur surfers and their children to experience the sport on the ocean. The peninsula has many surf companies situated on the main beach. The lessons are typically offered for around $60-$80 per person. Whether you join group lessons or want to learn alone, the necessary sheets show that the instructors are well-mannered and friendly. Don’missng is riding the waves and enjoying these picturesque and inviting views of the beaches with palm trees swaying along the coast. Check my full guide Best surfing beaches Costa Rica

Diving and Snorkeling Adventures

Discover the treasures of Samara’s waters, and go diving and snorkelling, which are available for everyone. Gulf areas and the sunken barges are the breeding home of rare individuals, including the white-tip reef sharks and Snapper. The rainy season (May – November) provides diving lovers with enchanting visibility and much calmer waters. For those who prefer more relaxed travelling, kayaking can be combined with snorkelling at Isla Chora, where turquoise waters allow the adventurous to enjoy the clear waters. The prices would be $50 for snorkelling combined with kayaking or $120 for two-tank (dive) trips.

Dolphin Watching Boat Tours

Observe how bonteboks frolic in the water throughout the year by cruising through Samara’s tasty shoreline onboarding powerful trams. Han dolphins are a spot leaping out in abundance, and I wish you were lucky. You might see the humpback whales in some seasons. Aside from being time, such tours go through the lean and fascinating marines who live in the area. Depending on the unit, though, expect to pay at least $50 to $80 for a genuinely satisfying dolphin-watching adventure.

Belen Waterfall Adventure

Belen Waterfall’s Miracle Unveiled. A Hidden Gem Close By. Not only is this quaint cascade remarkable and private for locals who used to swim here, but Facilities are still fundamental, and the way to the waterfall via this wacky, rugged trail adds to the allure. In the case of hiking, visit it during the dry season (December to April) to make your hiking much safer. In this sense, it would be better to go for a guided tour if you don’t still need to get a car or to prepare a good route if you rent a car. Embrace the raw nature of the Costa Rican countryside without being in the thick of the city crowd that is characteristic of such areas.

✔️ Horseback Riding Adventure in Samara

Riding on the beach is one of the most majestic and peace-imbuing experiences I have experienced. Let yourself appreciate the brilliance of nature that Samara offers you with a gorgeous riding tour on a horse. Through these excursions, tourists will have a privileged and unusual perspective of the area, combining jungle discovery with a calmer ride on the seashore.

Exploring Nature on Horseback

Ride an excursion with Samara Adventures, coming ready to see the light forest. Listen to the birdsong as you slot through the thick foliage and meandering paths and look for home-grown wildlife in their original settings. The guides are knowledgeable and keep us glued to our seats with informative comments on the ecosystem.

Beachside Trotting

Take your friends or family for a thrilling canter through the jungle and end it with a relaxing ride along Samara’s scenic beach. The tropical scent of palms emphasizes the magic of this landscape and becomes an inseparable constituent of the memory of this unforgettable horse ride. Taste the saltiness of the ocean breeze and experience the serene atmosphere of this tropical destination.

Tour Details and Facilities

In most instances, horseback riding tours in Samara offer you a chance to enjoy a fantastic adventure that will only clip you to around $50 per person, irrespective of the size of your pocket. Horses will be of proper quality and condition, and guides will be knowledgeable, too, with these points varying from one tour operator to another.

Another activity could be fishing ! You can go for half a day or full day : Fishing trip to Costa Rica

Check my guide about areas and hotels here : Coolest places to stay in Costa Rica

Restaurants in Samara

✔️ Cantina de Baco

Ah, Cantina de Baco! It was a rare and precious discovery for us, right next to the down-home soccer field. The atmosphere at the market is contagious: vendors from different parts of the world serve their dishes, and the art by local artists is perfect for this event. Picture this: joining areas on the menu for every country, all as a diverse trip through the relation between your mind to your taste. The enyucados, including the Yucca and Cheese patties, should be on your must-try croquette list. In addition to these, Gallo Duo’s homemade chorizo should also be there on your priority croquette list. Lastly, keep your eyes peeled for the Mediterranean prawns because it’ll blow your mind away with how delicious they are.

Beyond the food aspect, it is also a place where the community is being done, giving good reasons to visit the spot after exploring the nearby wonders. Actually, it is from kicking back on Playa Barrigona to swimming in the colourful forests; to touching the ground on Chora Island or catching your sunset at Playa Buena Vista and Ostional- this is where the gateway to adventure is. Go ahead choosing ICO as your lodging or Playas del Coco, and you will have no regrets; they are within your reach. Embrace the rupture and the flavours of this little corner of heaven, for Cantina de Baco will be your base and take you to this part of the world’s fun moments.

Website and contact HERE

✔️ Teca Beach

A surprising Latin-American delicatessen and artwork titled ‘Teca Beach’ situated in Samara will offer you an extraordinary evening meal, and it will undoubtedly delight you with its French cuisine and the original atmosphere. I was utterly charmed by the cute coffee bags from Costa Rica flown in those high ceilings and the lovely soft blurry light illuminating those cosy corners.

The menu is appealing, having a variety of tapas, fresh fish and meat recipes, and delectable burgers. If you can do so, you must go there, it is unbelievable. An approach to the motel could be walking, driving, or calling for a private shuttle service. If you are ready for a great meal, try going to Playa Buena Vista or Ostional. If you need to go for more adventure, you will find ICO Adventure Lodge and Playas del Coco right in front. Take this opportunity to enjoy the whole experience of the “Pura Vida” lifestyle embraced by this land, which includes regularly listening to music and active sports.

Contact and details HERE

✔️ El Lagarto

The journey through Guanaquaste was fabulous, and El Lagarto is a place that I will still remember and visit again. The uniqueness of their style with only one cooking method (a wood-fired grill) created some of the tastiest meals we had during our trip. It was unbelievable how the cooks made a smoky, charred flavour for their meats, fish, and vegetables, which was preposterously delicious.

Prices were high, but natural foods and organic vegetables were good. If you are planning a tour in the neighbourhood, the perfect time is the dry season to enjoy these nearby play areas like Playa Carrillo and Samara Beach, with the palms whispering and the sea with calm waves. Visit Isla Chora or Nicoya Peninsula coastal beaches to learn about this island. Losing oneself to the wonderful flavours of El Lagarto is the ultimate way of relaxing, either after a day of sea turtle watching or thirsty adventures through Santa Monica.

Website HERE

✔️ Boulangerie

The bakery in Samara is the pearl of butter for fans of real French viennoiserie and bakers. It’s easy to find because it’s on a slightly off-main street coupled with a “Boulangerie” sign large enough to be seen without much difficulty. The smell of freshly baked bread and pastries offered at the bakery’s entrance is interesting. There are two ways to Samara if you are a tourist: via Liberia International Airport in Guanacaste Province or by land passing through Nicoya Province. Spend a night in the small hotel downtown and have a surfing trip on the Pacific coast. While staying in the resort, visit the nearby tropical dry forest or have a peaceful time in the secluded rooms by the beach after a shoot day.

Contact and location HERE

I understand that you might want more ideas of things to do : Actually most of the activities are doable all year long . check my full guide of the Best itinerary in Costa Rica

Conclusion

In conclusion, Samara, Costa Rica, is not just simply one of the ordinary destinations, but it stands out as a beautiful spot that will enable the tourists to step away from the expected. The town has the advantage of being a quaint area of a small local community that provides a broad scale of activities and experiences that could broadly be seen as predominant features of a major metropolis. Samara’s diversity is what makes it a must-see place. There is both relaxing and authentic cultural immersion.

During snorkelling or horseback riding in the beautiful ocean or coastline, you will relax and enjoy the cultural vibe. The best weather (before the rainy season) and fewer crowds can be options during March and April. The optimal option can be to visit in the middle of the season. Adopting the relaxed pace of life, “pura vida” style, let you go out and discover Playa Carrillo or Isla Chora and get a taste of French pastries at Boulangerie. Samara is utterly irresistible, so those looking for something unique but, at the same time, tremendously worthwhile will be satisfied here.

WHO AM I ?

Hello !

I am Eric, a French Australian citizen based between Australia, Asia and Bali and I love to travel and experience the world. I generally like outdoor activities, wellness, great food and venues , party and real local adventures ! I am a Yoga practitioner and fitness lover

I created this blog because I love to travel and I want to share my experiences with others. I’ve been traveling since I was a child, and I’ve been to over 50 countries. I’ve seen some amazing things and met some amazing people, and I want to help others experience the same things.

I believe that travel is one of the best ways to learn about the world and about yourself. When you travel, you’re forced to step outside of your comfort zone and experience new things. You learn about different cultures, different religions, and different ways of life. You also learn about yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses.

Travel can also be a great way to make new friends. When you’re traveling, you’re surrounded by people from all over the world, and you’re all in the same boat. You’re all there to explore and experience new things, and that can create a bond between people.

Let’s connect together !

I hope that my travel blog will inspire others to travel and to see the world. I also hope that it will help people to learn about different cultures and to become more open-minded.