This was the first stop on my backpacking trip through Costa Rica. Although I only spend two nights here, I had the BEST time. I wanted to share my exact itinerary with you all in hopes to inspire your trip to Tamarindo!

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Day 1

• Arriving in Tamarindo ($2.50-$52)
  • When arriving in Costa Rica, there are two main airports: SJO and LIR. You will most likely fly into one of these airports and proceed to other transportation methods to get to Tamarindo. I did not fully understand how easy and cheap public transportation is when I arrived at SJO. We wound up booking a private shuttle which was $52.50 a person, and the service was terrible. I would 100% recommend taking a public bus, especially if you are on a budget. From San Jose to Tamarindo, it will take 6-7 hours and cost about $10. From Liberia to Tamarindo, it will take about 2 hours and cost about $2.50. I would recommend trying to fly into Liberia instead of San Jose for this reason. 
• Lunch: Mandarina Tropical Juice Bar ($6-7)
  • Acai is one of my favorite meals, so it was my first stop in Tamarindo. This spot was downtown in a central location and had fantastic acai bowls. No better way to start off my trip!
• Chill at the beach
  • Tamarindo is best known for its beautiful beaches. Here you can spend the day relaxing, surfing, or working on that tan. Tamarindo beach really does have something for everyone. We sat and rested on the warm sand before spontaneously going for a swim.
• Dinner: Playa Grande Market
  • Our hostel was on Playa Grande, so we had dinner on that side. Unfortunately, there are not very many options for food on that side of town. We bought some food at the local Palm Beach Market & Inn and feasted on tacos. 
• Hostel: Pipe House Playa
  • Pipe House was a unique way to experience the hostel lifestyle. There are about 12 rooms, stacked into sets of three. Each room is a large pipe with a wooden door on the outside. Although just a pipe, it was plenty spacious for both my friend and me. There is a full-size bed and built-in shelves and outlets. This hostel was right on the beach which was great, but it was Playa Grande, not Tamarindo, which meant we had to cross the Alligators every time we wanted to go over to the main town. The man who runs this hostel is named Felipe. He is a super kind tico who lives next door. He can help arrange excursions, rent surfboards and help you navigate the town. 

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Day 2

• Breakfast: Breaking Bread ($10)
  • Before our big day, we set out to get breakfast in downtown Tamarindo. They had good food and I loved their wordplay on the show Breaking Bad. We got smoothies and I got bread with a variety of dipping sauces traditional to Costa Rica.  
• Catamaran ($85)
  • This was by far one of the most fun experiences of the trip. We took the Blue Dolphin Catamaran sunset cruise. We sailed out to a private beach which is only accessible by boat. The boat anchored allowing us all to snorkel, kayak, and paddle board. After everyone was worn out from swimming, the cooks prepared fajitas and continued handing out the unlimited run punch. There were only about 25 people on our boat, making it the perfect size to get to know everyone.
• Drinks at El Chiringuito
  • After meeting some new friends on our catamaran tour, we ordered some Pina Coladas and hung out. This is a super cute beachfront restaurant.

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Day 3

• Waffle Monkey
  • This is a must-try for breakfast! This is one of the most recommended waffle places in Tamarindo. I ordered the chicken and waffle plate. The tables are out on the sand so you can watch the ocean as you munch on your delicious breakfast. 
• Massages on Beach
  • One of my favorite perks of Tamarindo is the beach massages. There are massage tables all along the sand with treatments as cheap as $20 an hour. Be sure to negotiate down your price for the best deals! We took a relaxing 30-minute massage before leaving the town. I even got a coconut to drink out of for $1 more.

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