Calm beaches for
swimming

How to use this guide

This selection is for anyone who wants an unhurried swim: families with children, steady swimmers and people who prefer snorkelling or paddle boarding to waves. These are sheltered bays in two parts of the coast, and none has permanent lifeguards, so look at the sea each day before you go in.

The Flamingo area fills a whole day. In the morning, leave the car at Playa Brasilito and walk 10 to 15 minutes along the sand to Conchal Beach, with its clear water, for snorkelling from the shore. In the afternoon head up to Playa Flamingo, to Playa Potrero, 5 minutes further, or to Playa Penca, where a path along the beach leads to Playa Prieta. Potrero is the handiest for kayaking and paddle boarding; Penca, the smallest, has turquoise water and almost no shade.

The second area is next to Playas del Coco. Playa Hermosa (Papagayo), about 2 km long, is the family bay for swimming and paddling, and Playa Ocotal, 5 to 10 minutes south of Coco, is a small cove with snorkelling among the rocks. Both fit into a morning. With only one day, keep to Brasilito and Conchal; with two, give the second to Hermosa and Ocotal. None charges admission, and parking is usually the only cost.

Tips

• Conchal Beach has no facilities: bring water and cash, snorkel at mid or low tide and leave the shells where they are.
• Crocodiles have been seen at Playa Hermosa: do not swim near river mouths or at dawn or dusk.
• At Playa Flamingo, do not touch the beach manchineel trees, which are toxic, and watch for days when the waves pick up.
• Playa Ocotal has little parking, about 15 spaces in one of the lots, and the attendants work for tips: bring coins.
• Potrero and Penca have hardly any shade, so bring a beach umbrella. At Penca the car park at the entrance is small.