The bay faces more directly west than Samara, giving it a wider open view for sunsets.
Turtle nesting
Playa Buena Vista is a dark-sand beach about 2 miles north of Samara, reached by crossing the shallow Buena Vista River at low tide. Unlike Samara's reef-protected cove, it is fully exposed to Pacific swell, which creates strong rip currents and surf better suited to intermediate and advanced surfers than swimmers.
From Samara, walk (about 40 minutes), bike, or drive north and cross the Buena Vista River at low tide; a high-clearance vehicle is recommended for the dirt entrance road, especially in rainy season.
Species: Olive ridley
Nesting season: July to December, peak September-October
A volunteer-run conservation camp patrols this beach nightly in season, relocating olive ridley nests to a protected hatchery.
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.