15 Best Things to Do in Playas del Coco

Playas del Coco is the beach town Costa Rica regulars pick when they want real life alongside their vacation — a working town with a gorgeous bay, 25 minutes from an international airport, where you can walk to dinner every night. Here's what we send our guests to do.

On and under the water

• Snorkel or dive the Catalinas Islands — mantas, white-tip sharks and rays; boats leave straight from Coco beach.
• Sunset sailing — catamaran trips with snorkeling stops and open bar; book a day ahead in high season.
• Sport fishing — Coco is one of Guanacaste's main charter ports for mahi, tuna, roosterfish and sailfish.
• Surf trips to Witch's Rock and Ollie's Point — legendary breaks reachable by boat from Coco.
• Diving the Bat Islands — advanced divers come for the bull sharks (seasonal).

Beach hopping (10–20 minutes by car)

• Playa Hermosa — calm, family-perfect crescent one bay north.
• Playa Ocotal — quiet dark-sand cove with great snorkeling at the rocks.
• Playa Danta / Las Catalinas — car-free beach town with hiking and mountain-bike trails.

Adventure days

• Rincón de la Vieja National Park (~1.5 hrs) — volcano hikes, waterfalls, hot springs and mud baths.
• Palo Verde river safari — crocodiles, monkeys and hundreds of bird species.
• Zip-lining & canyoning — several parks within 45 minutes.
• Diamante Eco Adventure Park — Costa Rica's longest ocean-view zip-line plus an animal sanctuary.

In town

• Coco's main strip — sodas (local kitchens), gelato, beach bars, artisan stands and people-watching.
• Sunset at the beach promenade — every single night is different, every one worth it.
• The Saturday feria — fruit you've never heard of; buy the mangosteen.

Our management team at Oceanside Properties arranges tours, transfers, chefs and boat days for our guests — just ask when you book.