explore other beaches

Exploring the surrounding coast

These activity is organized by

• Carrillo Tours

Explore the coast and spend some time visiting the beautiful beaches close to Samara. Driving is the easiest way to reach them but keep in mind that Carrillo and Buenavista are both at a walking distance from downtown Samara and a kayak, a bike, or a scooter, horseback riding, are also interesting options for you exploring tour.

Going North

Buena Vista

Playa Buena Vista is a large beach with moderate surf and lush vegetation. At its north end lies an estuary; to the south is the mouth of the Río Buena Vista. The beach is ideal for sunbathing and walking. Some parts of the shore feature slightly sharp drop-offs. Trips on ultra light planes are organized from this spot.

Barco Quebrado

This beach is set in a beautiful cove with moderate surf. Surrounded by tall, rocky cliffs that give it special appeal, Barco Quebrado is perfect for swimming and observing the surrounding landscape, which features a forested area. To the north lies another attractive beach called Barrigona.

Barrigona

Playa Barrigona is a rather wide beach of clear sands. If the tide is low you can wade to this beautiful wide white sandy beach. Don't get tempted to swim there, unless you know how to behave with strong riptides. People have drowned at this tempting beach.

Garza

Set in a beautiful bay with moderate surf, this beach features an estuary to the south, where the Río Garza empties to form a mangrove swamp. To the north, on the other side of Punta Garza, is a rocky beach called Playa Rosada (Pink Beach) due to the color of its sand. A small fishing community, Garza offers sunbathing, swimming, walking and sport-fishing tours.

Guiones

Long and wide, Playa Guiones is great for walking, horseback riding and sunbathing, and it has good waves for surfing. A wide variety of tourist services is available near this beach and those to the north.

Playa Pelada

At Pelada's north end is Punta Nosara, which separates this beach from Playa Nosara. Great for walks and relaxation, Pelada features a rocky point in the south that offers a gorgeous panoramic view of the beach and Playa Guiones stretching south. Visitors may enjoy horseback riding, sunbathing, sport-fishing and snorkeling at this beach.

Nosara

This beach features a lovely estuary and a large mangrove swamp (Río Nosara) that can be toured by boat or kayak to observe the vegetation and wildlife, especially birds. Nosara's town and outskirts offer all kinds of services for tourists, including horseback-riding and kayaking tours.

Ostional

Long and wide with strong surf, this beach joins Playa Nosara in the south, from which it is separated by Punta División. Ostional enjoys worldwide prestige, because it is here and in Nancite (in Santa Rosa National Park) that the largest number of Olive Ridley Turtles come to nest, especially from July to November. For this reason, Ostional and the entire coast southward to Punta Guiones are included in the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. The most scenic part of the beach is the rocky coast toward the north.

Going South

Carrillo

Located 8 kilometers from Sámara, this lovely bay features a beautiful beach with calm surf. Swimming is very safe, especially on the south end, where a large number of coconut palms parallel to the beach and street provide shade to visitors and beautify the coast. Carrillo is also great for sunbathing and walking along the beach. Its southern stretch features a rocky hill from which visitors can see the bay in all its splendor.

Camaronal

Some three kilometers long, this large, open beach has moderate to strong surf. Near its south end is the mouth of the Río Ora, which must be forded with caution to reach this and other beaches to the south (Islita, Bejuco, San Miguel) or north (Carrillo, Sámara). Known as a nesting site for giant leatherback and olive Ridley Turtles, Camaronal features a wildlife refuge that protects these magnificent reptiles. It's also great for camping and fishing.

Punta Islita

Shaped in a half-moon, this cove with little surf owes its name to the little rocky island next to Punta Islita at the northeast end of the bay. Two estuaries enhance the beauty of its landscape, which can be viewed in full from the heights of the road to the south that leads to Corozalito, where high cliffs can also be seen. Besides swimming and sunbathing, enjoyable activities include walking, horseback riding, four-by-four and ATV tours, mountain biking and boat trips for fishing and diving.

Playa Corozalito

This small beach features a wide estuary and a mangrove swamp, excellent for observing flora and fauna. Tourists frequent the beach on horseback.

Playa Bejuco

A very large beach with moderate to strong surf, Bejuco has an extensive mangrove swamp that stretches behind the beach to the mouth of the Río Bejuco. Near the south end lies Punta Bejuco, which lends even greater scenic beauty to this popular surfing beach.

Playas San Miguel and Coyote

The access road leading to these two beaches runs over San Miguel hill in the north, which offers an impressive view of the open coast. Though the two beaches make up the same stretch of coast, they are separated by the Jabilla mouth and estuary, home to a large mangrove swamp. The surf on these beaches is strong and continuous. San Miguel is three kilometers long, while Coyote stretches almost five kilometers to the estuary of the same name. This area is great for boat trips, relaxation, sea-gazing, walking and horseback riding, as well as observing the plant and animal life of the mangrove swamps.