A relaxed, family-friendly beach town on the southern Nicoya coast, known for a calm reef-protected bay that is one of the easier places in the country to learn to surf. Samara has a cluster of surf schools and Spanish-immersion programs, while palm-lined Playa Carrillo just south is quieter still, with little development behind the sand.
Sámara sits on a curved bay on the southern Nicoya coast, partly sheltered by a reef and an offshore island that knock down the swell before it reaches the sand. The result is calm, forgiving water that draws families and first-time surfers. The town stays low-key: a grid of sandy streets with sodas, surf schools, and Spanish-immersion programs rather than high-rise resorts. A few kilometers south, palm-backed Playa Carrillo is quieter still, with almost nothing built behind the beach.
Use Sámara as a relaxed base for learning to surf or studying Spanish over a week or more, with easy days swimming in the protected bay and short trips to Carrillo, the Barra Honda caves, or the Werner-Sauter wildlife refuge. The town is walkable, English is widely spoken in tourist businesses, and prices run lower than the more developed Guanacaste beaches to the north. Carrillo suits travelers who want sand and palms with fewer services nearby.
From San José the drive is about 4.5 to 5 hours via the Tempisque bridge and Nicoya. Sansa runs scheduled domestic flights between San José (SJO) and the airstrip near Sámara and Carrillo, which cuts the trip to well under an hour; book ahead and confirm the schedule, since flights are small and seasonal. Town itself is compact and walkable, with most lodgings, surf schools, and restaurants within a few blocks of the beach. To reach Playa Carrillo, Barra Honda, or beaches outside the bay you will want a car, or a taxi or shuttle.
The dry season runs roughly December through April, with reliable sun, calmer conditions, and the busiest weeks around the December holidays and Easter. The green season from May through November brings afternoon rain, lower prices, and greener hills; September and October are the wettest, and some businesses cut hours or close. Beginner surf conditions in the bay hold up year round.
A map and checklist of every beach along this coast. Beach guide.
Boutique hotels, jungle lodges, hostels, and private villas, verified and current. See all 13.
Samara
An adults only, all inclusive resort on Samara Beach with oceanfront suites, five dining venues and two pools. Rates cover meals, snacks and unlimited alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, plus a spa and a tour desk for paddleboarding, snorkeling and boat trips. Geared toward couples and honeymooners rather than families.
Samara
Five bedroom designer villa built into a hillside five minutes from Samara Beach, with ocean views, a saltwater pool and full-service staff including a private chef. Daily breakfast is included, and lunch, dinner and cocktails are available a la carte from the villa's own menu.
Samara
Small beachfront hotel on Playa Samara with six oceanfront rooms plus a larger casa, each with a full kitchen. Rooms sleep up to four and the casa up to six, and the property sits in a sheltered bay with a pool, about a 15-minute beach walk from the center of town.
Fine dining, beach bars, local sodas, and cafes worth your time. See all 10.
Playa Carrillo
A French-leaning restaurant set in the garden of La Tropicale Beach Lodge in Playa Carrillo. It is known for generous portions and reasonable prices, with dishes such as seafood pasta, lobster, and gambas. The garden setting and friendly service are frequently praised by visitors.
Playa Carrillo
Hillside steak house above Playa Carrillo specializing in Argentine-style grilled meats, open for dinner with seasonal lunch service. The property is also a small hotel with cabinas, two pools, and a jacuzzi. Catering and event menus are available.
Samara
Beachfront wood-fired grill on Playa Samara that started as a beach bar in 1996 and now serves steaks, fish, seafood, vegetarian plates, and wood-fired pizza. Beef comes from cattle raised in the Arenal foothills. The restaurant takes reservations daily from 3pm to 9pm.
Park guides, catamarans, sportfishing, ziplines, rafting, and more. See all 18.
Featured
Samara
Sportfishing charter based in Playa Samara running offshore, inshore, and shore trips aboard a 28-foot custom Super Panga. Captains Simone and Jonathan target marlin, sailfish, roosterfish, tuna, and dorado, and the operation is the only fly fishing guide service in town. Trips run in English, Spanish, and Italian.
Samara
ASVO (Asociación de Voluntarios para el Servicio en las Áreas Protegidas), a Costa Rican conservation NGO founded in 1989, runs a volunteer sea turtle station at Playa Buena Vista near Samara. Volunteers join nightly beach patrols, relocate nests to a protected hatchery, and monitor Olive Ridley and Green turtles as part of a national network of ASVO turtle stations.
Samara
Sportfishing charter based at Playa Buena Vista near Samara, running half day and full day inshore and offshore trips aboard a 30 foot center console boat. Captain Christian Chatard, previously a fisherman in France, guides trips for marlin, sailfish, tuna, mahi mahi and roosterfish.
Transport, property management, concierge, chefs, spas, and practical help. See all 15.
Samara
Real estate agency in the center of Samara, part of the Coldwell Banker network, specializing in beachfront and Samara-area property sales. The office works with buyers and sellers across the southern Nicoya coast.
Samara
Locally owned property management company managing a portfolio of vacation rental villas, casitas, and apartments in and around Samara. They book directly to avoid platform fees and coordinate extras like private chefs, cleaning, babysitting, and massages.
Samara
Economy Rent a Car runs a branch office facing the Samara soccer field, part of a long-established Costa Rican rental chain with over three decades in the country. The office rents cars and SUVs for exploring the Nicoya Peninsula and offers 24-hour roadside assistance during the rental period.
Yoga studios, spas, and wellness in Sámara.
Playa Carrillo
A yoga and wellness community on the beach at Playa Carrillo, established in 2010, offering yoga classes, retreats, and 200-hour teacher trainings alongside surf coaching and surf camps. It also runs stand-up paddleboard tours and lessons and surfboard rentals. The yoga shala sits above the Musmanni bakery in Playa Samara, with surf lessons held at Playa Carrillo.
Samara
A student massage clinic at the heart of Samara Beach on the Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy campus, offering affordable therapeutic treatments in air-conditioned private rooms. Sessions are given by supervised students working toward licensure hours, with occasional seasonal professional massages from CRSMT alumni. Booking is available online.
Banks, ATMs, and medical help in Sámara, checked against live sources.
Full-service branch with currency exchange and an ATM dispensing colones. Bring your passport for in-branch transactions; ATMs can run out on busy weekends.
Branch with banking services, currency exchange, and an ATM that dispenses colones and US dollars. Phone is the national call center.
Nearest hospital: the public CCSS regional referral hospital for the Nicoya peninsula. Call 911 first in an emergency.
Public CCSS primary-care clinic for basic consultations and vaccinations on weekday daytime hours only. For emergencies call 911 or go to Hospital La Anexión in Nicoya.
Private walk-in clinic run by Dr. Freddy Soto Arroyo, English and Spanish spoken; handles minor emergencies, lab tests, and can arrange ambulance or air evacuation. Secondary line +506 2656 0992.
In-town pharmacy stocking medicines, sunscreen, supplements, and basic personal-care items.
In an emergency, dial 911. See the full emergency numbers page.