A quiet, forest-backed stretch between Punta Uva and Manzanillo with little development.
Blue Flag beachProtected area
Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Playa Grande is a long, less developed beach between Punta Uva and Manzanillo village, backed by the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge forest. It sees more open surf and fewer facilities than the beaches closer to Puerto Viejo, drawing a mix of walkers and wildlife watchers rather than swimmers. Two sections of this beach were awarded Bandera Azul Ecológica stars in 2025. Note this is a different beach from the more famous Playa Grande near Tamarindo in Guanacaste.
SwimmingRough water, take care
SurfIntermediate surf
Good for
Walking
Wildlife
Sunsets
Getting there
From Puerto Viejo, follow the coastal road southeast past Punta Uva toward Manzanillo; the beach runs alongside the road for several kilometers before the village.
A grassroots nonprofit founded by sea turtle biologist Dr. Christine Figgener that runs nightly research patrols and beach protection on Gandoca and nearby South Caribbean nesting beaches. COASTS accepts visitors and volunteers to join patrols during leatherback (March-July) and green/hawksbill nesting, pairing conservation work with turtle encounters. Contact the organization directly to arrange a visit or volunteer stay.
A community-run guided night walk on Playa Gandoca inside the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, departing nightly from the Gandoca operations center between February and July. Park rangers patrol ahead and radio guides to active nests, mainly leatherback (peak April-May) with green and hawksbill also possible; cameras and white light are prohibited to protect the turtles.
The Costa Rica chapter of WIDECAST (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network), coordinated through Latin American Sea Turtles (LAST) and led by Didiher Chacon, has run sea turtle conservation and volunteer patrol programs on Gandoca beach since the 1990s. Volunteers and visitors join night patrols during leatherback nesting season (March-July) to monitor nests and protect hatchlings on the Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge coastline.