Ballin’ on a Budget: Costa Rica Edition

Tamarindo, Costa Rica has all the beautiful beaches and exotic feel you would want out of a tropical vacation, but at a fraction of the cost. In part, this is due to the fact that it isn’t a “big name” in the tropical tourism sector, so it isn’t completely overrun by overpriced resorts and upper-class visitors. For this reason, I thought it would be perfect for those looking for a tropical adventure while still ballin’ on a budget.

As with most tropical destinations, Tamarindo has a dry season that runs November to April, and a wet season May to October. However, Tamarindo is known as one of the driest towns in Costa Rica, so even during the wet season it will generally only rain for about two hours a day. The wet season also brings some of the best sunsets, so any time of year you visit this beautiful town you really can’t go wrong!

 TRANSPORTATION

             There are two main airports in Costa Rica, San Jose International Airport and Liberia International Airport. It will generally be cheaper to fly to San Jose, since more commercial flights will go there rather than Liberia. Flights can drop as low as $300 round trip, which is crazy cheap for an international flight. From San Jose, you can either rent a car and drive a beautiful, scenic route through the Costa Rican countryside to Tamarindo (4 hours), or you can hop on a connecting flight to Tamarindo’s own local airport (50 minutes). I would personally suggest renting the car, because then you would be able to easily travel to different activities around Tamarindo itself without having to pay for cabs each time.

LODGING

There are a variety of different lodging options in terms of price and accommodation. Large-scale chain resorts can hit upwards of $200 a night, but for those looking to ball on a budget, there are plenty of places for under $50. At this price point, you’ll get your own room.  The cheapest option is going to be hostels, where you’ll stay in a communal room with other visitors. Prices can drop as low as $9 a night, but this price will be for rooms that sleep between 6-10 people.

Hostels ($9-$20 per night)

• Pura Vida Hostel – each room has different classic rock band theme with a different number of people it sleeps
• Hostel La Botella de Leche – sleeps 2-8 people depending on the room, and offers surf, yoga, and dive camp packages for reasonable cost

 Hotels ($40-$50 per night)

• Villas Macondo – private air-conditioned room and bath, personal terrace, communal kitchen, about a two-minute walk to the beach
• Vida Verde – instead of rooms, this guesthouse offers individual bungalows that sleep four people, and have a bathroom and terrace. This lodging is actually located about 20 min south of Tamarindo, in the town of Playa Avellanas, but is surrounded by jungle and beautiful close by beaches, so it would be worth visiting.

 

FOOD

The cheapest option when eating in Costa Rica would be to shop at local markets and cook your own meals in the communal kitchens found in your lodging, but I’ve compiled a list of reasonably priced dining options in order to try the local cuisine.

• Black Stallion Café & Surf Saloon
• Santa Rita Café
• El Sapo Ristopizza Cocktail Bar
• Waffle Monkey
• Green Papaya Taco Bar
• Little Lucha
• Café Tico Tamarindo

ACTIVITIES

 All the fun that is unique to Tamarino comes from the outdoors. Whether it be lounging on the white sand by the crystal-clear ocean or zip lining through the jungle, you’ll be sure to have a blast!

Beaches

You can relax on the sand, splash around in the water, go snorkeling, or even take surfing lessons from locals.

• Tamarindo Beach
• Playa Langosta
• Playa Avellanas
• Playa Conchal (Shell beach!)

Outdoor Recreation

• Marino Las Baulas National Park – go bird watching to see over 150 species of birds and spot leatherback sea turtles, as this park was made in order to protect this endangered species by allowing them a safe place to nest. As a bonus, this is completely free!
• Hilltop Adventure Park Tamarindo – ziplining, rope bridges, tree climbing, all within the beautiful, lush jungles of Tamarindo. (keep your eyes out for monkeys!)