One of the most exotic beaches on the Costa Rican Gold Coast, Playa Conchal is located in the north of Guanacaste province on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. This splendid beach is a stone’s throw away from the famous Playa Flamingo and Tamarindo. It is separated by a rocky headland known as Punta Conchal, which gets its name from the sand found here that is composed of hundreds of millions of tiny crushed shells.

This beach stretch is accessible by air from San Jose to Tamarindo Domestic Airport, from where you can take a 10-minute taxi ride into town. But you may also get here by taxi from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, but it is around a 45-minute drive. Or you can enjoy a lovely scenic drive from San Jose to Playa Conchal, which takes around 4 hours.

This beach has near perfect weather all year long. Playa Conchal is bathed in sunshine most of the time, with over 12 hours of daylight from December to April. The water here is ideal for swimming or snorkeling.

Snorkeling is a must-indulge activity for anyone who knows how to swim. The place boasts a fantastic array of marine life on display. You can swim with the many tropical fish that dwell here, and even catch a glimpse of stingrays that swim in the area. Deep seas fishing, scuba diving, and other water sports are offered as well. Also Playa Conchal is nearby a few national parks and nature reserves. There is a small estuary close to the beach as well. Enclosed by a number of cattle ranches, Playa Conchal boasts of quite a few areas where one can camp out and sleep under the stars.

The ‘Garra de Leon’ Golf Course is just a few paces away from the beach. This championship course is regarded as one of the best golf courses in Central America with its breathtaking scenic beauty of the Pacific coast.