Beaches and Surfing
Beaches
Playa Camaronal is a multi-colored sand beach. Very isolated but breathtaking views. This shrimp preserve is 20 minutes north of Islita Reserve toward the Rio Oro.
Playa Punta Islita is a Blue Flag Beach (granted by the Costa Rican government for meeting high environmental standards.) This is the public beach used by the exclusive Punta Islita Hotel. Tide pools with tropical fish are at the northern end of the bay, five minutes north of Islita Reserve.
Playa Islita Reserve is a small sandy cove reached by stairs from Islita Reserve. Breath-taking ocean views as you descend through sweet flowering ylang-ylang trees and huge green striped saba trees to arrive at a very secluded and seldom explored beach. At low tide find unusual rectangular tide pool formations with tropical fish. There is a natural wave-carved cave on the northern end of the beach cove.
Playa Bejuco is unpopulated and undeveloped. The whole beach has beautiful tide pools at low tide. It is 15 minutes from Islita Reserve. Turn right at the small down of Pilas.
Playa San Miguel has a small population of homes, restaurants and nearby condos and hotels. It is long with many palm trees along the beach. Large waves pound the surf. It is 30 minutes from Islita Reserve. Follow the sign to San Miguel restaurants.
Playa Coyote is just south of Playa San Miguel separated by an estuary. It is long and uncrowned. A few homes are back from the beach. Ten minutes past San Miguel and then follow the sign and turn right to the beach.
Surfing
(According to the Tico Times)Camaronal peels from both sides and can peak up to 20 feet during the season. seldom crowded, these clean lines hold their shape and never close out, no matter how big the wave.
At Punta Islita smaller waves break to the right just inside a cove. The best time to surf Punta Islita is during a south swell when the rights are peeling off the reef. During September and October the waves are best at high tide, when they average six feet and break off to the left.
The Playa San Miguel's long stretch of uncrowned beach break offers a punch wave peaking at eight feet during a swell.
