The best beaches near San Isidro, Costa Rica
As a student of Spanish, your new home will be San Isidro. This city is located in a lush, green valley at an altitude of about 700 meters. That means it's much more comfortable to live here than along the coast, where it's warmer and more humid. And: you can get to the beach in less than an hour by bus.
This text is translated using AI.
View the original article here.The nearest beaches are Playa Dominical, Playa Dominicalito, and Playa Uvita. The other beaches mentioned below are better to visit on weekends when you have the whole day available.
Dominical Beach
About an hour's drive from San Isidro de El General, you will find the two-kilometer-long Dominical beach. This is a surfing beach for the advanced, although you can also find surfing lessons for beginners throughout the year.
100 meters from the beach, you'll find plenty of restaurants and kiosks. On weekends, there's a market in the streets where you can buy all sorts of towels, beach blankets, and swimwear, as well as wooden tourist items.
There are lifeguards on the beach, but be aware of strong currents and stick to dipping in, don't go swimming.
Dominicalito Beach
A five-minute drive south of Dominical, you'll find the smaller (but much more charming) beach of Dominicalito. Here too, the beach fills up with surfers when the waves are big enough, while the rest of the day it's nice to swim.
Unlike Dominical, there is no more than one small restaurant here, so bring water, a packed lunch, and snacks. There is also a waterfall a fifteen-minute walk from the beach.
Grape
15 kilometers further south lies the beautiful beach Uvita within the nature reserve Parque Nacional Marino Ballena. This means that the beach and the jungle are free of houses and trash cans, and you have to pay around 50 Norwegian kroner to enter.
Restaurants, kiosks, and shops that rent out kayaks, surfboards, and SUPs are found right outside regardless. The national park is best known for a phenomenon that occurs at low tide where two of the beaches meet: A 600-meter-long whale tail fin appears in the sand.
The water is also calm, so this beach is much better if you want to lie and float at the water's edge. The village outside is also the starting point if you book a whale watching tour.
Manuel Antonio Beach
One of Costa Rica's most beautiful beaches is located inside Manuel Antonio National Park. When you reach the coast from San Isidro and turn right onto Costanera Sur road, you will arrive at Manuel Antonio after a 50-minute drive.
The village, with all its restaurants and incredible views down into the sea gap, is in itself worth at least one overnight stay. Since you have to pay to enter the Manuel Antonio National Park right next to it, it's best to start early.
Do not be deceived by people who claim to sell entrance tickets and guided tours along the way (before the entrance). You will definitely get the best price inside the national park itself. Once inside the park, you will be able to follow paths and platform roads leading to the incredibly beautiful Manuel Antonio beach, which is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in Costa Rica.
Since it's a national park, you are not allowed to bring food in, but there is a restaurant inside the park.
Cutlass
Espadilla Beach is free and located right outside Manuel Antonio National Park. Along it, there are many restaurants serving the catch of the day and sweet fruit juices.
The beach is nice for relaxing if you have already visited the national park and need a little dip in the sea.
