Tamarindo is a town and distrito located on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Province of Guanacaste at 110° 17.908'N and 85° 50.674'W. The district has a population of 3,525,[1] and can swell to 5,000 people during the tourist season. The main attractions are surfing and eco-tourism.
Playa Tamarindo is a long beach, with excellent waves near the mouth of the estuary. Currents can be strong, especially on a falling tide. Tamarindo has two main breaks for advanced surfers: Pico Pequeño a rocky point in front of the Hotel Tamarindo Diriá and the excellent river mouth break called El Estero. The rest of the beach breaks are perfect for learning. The biggest waves can get up to 12 feet, although only during November and December.
Playa Grande beach is also where the Leatherback Turtle comes to lay its eggs. The leatherbacks take over the beach from November to April, digging their nests up to one meter deep, lay their eggs and cover the pit with sand, and return once again to the sea. After 60 to 90 days, the hatchlings emerge and immediately make their way to the water.
There are other eco-friendly activities including watching turtles during their nesting season at night, diving, snorkeling, body surfing, zip-lining, estuary trips, horseback riding and fishing. During the December to April period when the water turbidity is low, fishing may be done from the shore.
The beaches in the area are generally clean and recent efforts by the government and local business organizations are proving themselves. Unfortunately, the area has become a boon to developers who have cut corners and not installed proper infrastructure including black water treatment. While the beach has not regained its Blue Flag Status[2], in September 2008, it did get a clean bill of health from the Costa Rican Government.[3]
Tamarindo Beach, Guanacaste is the most accessible location along the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica with an airstrip. Scheduled daily bus service to and from San José, as well as surrounding communities, is available. There is also a paved highway from San José. The average time from San Jose to Tamarindo is 5 to 6 hours depending on traffic.
Nightlife and features local musicians on a semi-regular basis.
Disappearances
In 2009 alone, three foreigners have disappeared in or around Tamarindo without explanation[4].
American Craig Snell, who went missing in February, was last seen walking along the beach to Boca Nosara, while the last confirmed sighting of American David Gimelfarb was in the Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja area last August. Most recently, Briton Michael Dixon went missing on October 18 or 19.
References
External links
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