Playa Grande Costa Rica

Costa Rica turtlePlaya Grande Costa Rica lies in the same bay as Playa Tamarindo but on the other side of the river mouth that splits the two beaches. Traveling by water taxi will cost you around five minutes to reach Tamarindo for you shopping or nightlife adventure. Playa Grande offers the same waves as Tamarindo but is slighty bigger and more deserted. You can find luxury homes, hotels like Hotel Bula Bula, Hotel Manglar, Villa Baula, Playa Grande Surf Camp and La Catarana. Top activities to do are surfing on the waves of Playa Grande and viewing Leatherback Turtles. Playa Grande is internationally famous for being the nesting ground of the largest turtle in the world; the Leatherback Turtle. Other activities you can practice are sportfishing, stand up paddleboarding, hiking, sailing, horseback riding, diving, snorkeling, and canopy tours.

Leatherback turtle Playa Grande Costa RicaPlaya Grande and Leatherback Turtles

The Leatherback Turtle is the biggest reptile in the world! It can reach weights of of 700 kg (1,500 lb) and grow to sizes around 3 m (9,8 ft) from head to tail. These poor turtles are endangered but on the rise again because of new laws that make importing/exporting of the turtles illegal. On Playa Grande in Costa Rica you will find the second largest nesting ground in the world of The Leatherback Turtle! The nesting ground is located in Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas where they are protected by law. To see this amazing activity you can book tours and daytrips from Playa Tamarindo and Playa Grande. To see the Leatherback Turtle nesting you should go on a night trip as this gives more success and only in the nesting season from October to March, beware there could be more than 100 turtles nesting at the same time! Next to the big Leatherback Turtle the much smaller cousin Ridley Turtles can be seen here.

Travel to Playa Grande Costa Rica

Getting to Playa Grande from Tamarindo is verry easy. You just walk to the northern end of the beach and from there you will be able to rent a transfer boat. This transfer can be used for daytrips to Playa Grande but and will cost you around ₡600-700.