Hostels in Playa Grande, Costa Rica

Conservationists, surfers, and beach-goers alike flock to Playa Grande to enjoy the gorgeous, expansive beach, excellent wildlife, and powerful waves in this part of Costa Rica. This internationally renowned beach town along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast has remained virtually unchanged, despite the development that has continued up and down the rest of Costa Rica’s “Gold Coast.”

Tourists can find resorts and hotels here, but the hostels are a more popular choice for most of the conservationists and surfers that generally frequent the area. A hostel here gives you the perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy the laidback lifestyle of the beach – without the shopping and tourist attractions of many other destinations in Costa Rica.

While there isn’t much here beyond some surf shops and a small grocery store, there are a few restaurants that serve both local and international cuisine. There’s also one bar, so tourists looking for a hopping nightlife will have to find that elsewhere on the Gold Coast.

There are a couple different estuaries to visit here, including the Rio Matapalo and the Tamarindo Estuary, which are popular spots for tourists to see some of the Costa Rican wildlife. Jungle boat tours are available to take visitors through these areas to see crocodiles, birds, and even monkeys. However, Playa Grande is most famous for its leatherback turtles.

This area is part of Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas – a frequent nesting ground for the leatherback turtle, the world’s largest marine reptile. Visitors staying at hostels and hotels here can only visit the beach at night as part of a guided tour, to ensure that the turtles venturing to the beach with their clutches of eggs can continue their nesting cycles without human intrusion.

Liberia Airport is only an hour away, and visitors can reach Playa Grande by catching a bus or a taxi from there. Bicycles can be rented in Playa Grande to get around the area.