Wondering where to stay in Tamarindo, Costa Rica? Tama is a pretty small town, but there are a ton (ahem, overwhelming amount) of places to stay.
Hotels, villas, hostels, surf camps; whatever your flavor, Tamarindo has it. But that doesn’t mean that all places are made equal.
I recently did 2 weeks of on-the-ground research in Tama so I can give you the best advice for where to stay. Overall, Tamarindo is pretty safe, so I wouldn’t worry too much about location for safety. Where to stay does matter, though, in terms of what you want out of your experience.
For example, some of the top-rated hotels are actually not within walking distance of Tamarindo Beach. Stuff like that matters!
Overall, I recommend the Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort as the best place to stay. It’s mere steps from the beach and is highly rated for its gorgeous grounds and friendly staff. However, I stayed at two other hotels in Tamarindo and recommend them for different types of travelers: In the Shade Hotel – Coworking for coworkers & business travelers, and Hotel Pasatiempo for couples on a mid-range budget.
In this post, I’ve detailed where I think travelers should stay based on 1) area, 2) budget, 3) travel style, and 4) the actual best-rated hotels.
So, ready to finalize your accommodation plans?
👉Jump to: Best Hotels | Tamarindo Areas | Tips
Where to Stay in Tamarindo, Costa Rica
To start us off, here’s a quick list of the best hotels in Tamarindo:
- 👑 Best Overall – Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort
- 🏖️Best Beachfront – Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort
- 💻 Best for Digital Nomads – In the Shade Hotel – Coworking
- 💎 Best Luxury – JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa
- 🛎️ Best Boutique – Epic Tamarindo Boutique Hotel
- 💑 Best for Couples – Hotel Pasatiempo
- 💸 Best Mid-Budget – Hotel Pasatiempo
- 👪 Best for Families – Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort
- 🌴 Best All-Inclusive Resort – Occidental Tamarindo
- 🛏️ Best Hostel – Casa Aura
- 🌊 Best Views – Wyndham Tamarindo
Now, let’s look at the Tamarindo areas and why you should consider staying in each:
3 Best Areas in Tamarindo
Downtown Tamarindo
👉 Best for budget & nightlife | 📍 Google Map | 🏨 Best Hotels: In the Shade Hotel – Coworking, Hotel Pasatiempo, Jardin del Eden Boutique Hotel
Downtown Tamarindo is a maze of bars, restaurants, hotels, and shops. It’s bustling, there are only a few sidewalks, and there are definitely more tourists than locals.
So, here’s the thing if you’re considering a beachfront hotel vs staying in the town itself. Staying in downtown Tamarindo is still super accessible to the beach. From either hotel I stayed at in Downtown Tamarindo (Hotel Pasatiempo and In the Shade Hotel – Coworking), the beach was maybe a ten-minute walk away.
HOWEVER. Staying downtown Tamarindo is one of the best budget-friendly moves you can make.
Tamarindo is expensive. There’s really no way to shake it or to get away from that fact. However, staying downtown, as opposed to directly on the beach, will be your best bet in saving some money.
I recommend Hotel Pasatiempo for couples. The rooms were spotless, modern, and they had beautiful grounds (including howler monkeys in the trees above our room!) I especially loved that breakfast was included here; they even had Gallo Pinto on the menu, which is a really good regional dish (my partner Brian had this every single morning. I mixed it up a bit).
However, business travelers and coworkers should stay at In the Shade Hotel – Coworking. We stayed here during our second week in Tamarindo, when we were working remotely, mainly for the absolutely top-notch internet. But there’s more to this place than just WiFi. The rooms are clean, the staff is friendly, the food is SO GOOD, and they have a social every Thursday. We met a bunch of people at the social and then had a night on the town.
Tamarindo Beachfront
👉 Best for luxury & views | 📍 Google Map | 🏨 Best Hotels: Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort, The Coast Beachfront Hotel, Perla de la Playa Beachfront Hotel
Tamarindo Beach is fabulous, and you’ll likely spend a solid chunk of time there regardless of where you stay in Tamarindo.
This beach is more of a packed sand than fine sand, but it’s easy to walk on and wonderful for surfing.
If staying right on the beach is top of mind, then you have quite a few really good options. Tamarindo Diria Beach Resort is by far the crown jewel of the beachfront hotels. This 4-star beachfront hotel is smack-dab in the middle of the Tamarindo action and has 4 restaurants, 4 bars, a spa, and a casino. Every time we stopped in, it was bumpin’.
The Coast Beachfront Hotel is another wonderful 4-star option. It’s located at the southern end of Tamarindo Beach (not far from Playa Langosta) and is best for a quieter escape.
Playa Langosta
👉 Best for relaxation | 📍 Google Map | 🏨 Best Hotels: Occidental Tamarindo, JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa
If you look at a map, Playa Langosta is just a smidge southwest of Tamarindo. To walk to Tamarindo Beach, you’re looking at about 20 minutes or so.
BUT, if you’re looking for a more luxurious & private stay, then it’s a good option. Especially if you have a car (I recommend comparing car rental prices via Discover Cars before you confirm a booking).
Tamarindo can be busy and loud, so I’d stay in Playa Langosta if I were specifically looking for a relaxing vacation a little out of the hustle and bustle.
Specifically, Playa Langosta has two of the best 5-star resorts in Tamarindo, Occidental Tamarindo and JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa.
Tips for Staying in Tamarindo
(Almost) Everywhere is Walkable to the Beach
If you’re fretting about picking a hotel close to the beach, then you can safely relax. Most hotels in Tamarindo are really close to the beach. I don’t think it ever took us more than 20 minutes of walking to get where we needed to go.
However, day trips really are the best part of Tamarindo, so in my professional opinion I recommend to…
Rent a Car
Can you get around Tamarindo entirely on foot and by cab? Yes, absolutely. It takes about 40 minutes to fully walk from one end of Tamarindo to the other (and this is stretching from Tamarindo Estuary Tours all the way to Playa Langosta, so I’m being generous).
But (and this is a big but), I truly think the best things to do in Tamarindo are the day trips. Yes, Tamarindo has everything you need for a fun vacation, and yes, there are a lot of attractions within the town itself. Still, the day trips – like Tio Leo’s Coffee Farm, Diamante Adventure Park, and Turtle Watching Tours – are essential if you really want to get to know Costa Rica.
All in all, I recommend renting a car. I personally use Discover Cars to stack up the best rates before I commit to renting anything. For this particular trip, Brian & I rented from Avis and had zero issues!
Don’t Stay in Liberia Unless You Have to
Before I fully understood the tourist landscape of Costa Rica, I thought it would have been a good idea to spend a night in Liberia upon landing from Toronto. In hindsight, I’m SO GLAD I didn’t do this.
For visitors, the best part of Liberia is pretty much the airport.
Plus, it’s super easy to get a shuttle from the Liberia Airport straight to your hotel in Tamarindo. Just ask your hotel to book this for you (Hotel Pasatiempo booked our shuttle from Liberia to Tamarindo, and In the Shade Hotel – Coworking booked it back).
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Thanks for reading my guide to where to stay in Tamarindo, Costa Rica! Leave any questions in the comments, and i’ll get back to you ASAP!
