The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Samara, Costa Rica

Why Visit Samara, Costa Rica

Samara, Costa Rica is a small beach town on the Pacific Cost of Costa Rica in Nicoya Peninsula. It is known for having a relaxed vibe and being a great place for beginners to learn to surf. You will find a variety of tours available, diverse wildlife and a welcoming atmosphere. Here you will find a slower-paced Costa Rican experience.

What Makes Samara Special?

Samara is a slow paced and very walkable town. It is great for spotting a variety of wildlife and relaxing on the beach. Here you can step away from the busy tourist areas in Costa Rica in this small hidden gem.

How to Get To Samara From Liberia

By Rental Car

All of the roads from Liberia to Samara are paved and easy to drive on. You will head down highway 21 until you reach Santa Cruz. You will then continue on highway 21 until you reach Nicoya. Next you will head down highway 150 and turn left onto highway 160. This road will take you straight to Playa Samara.

Private Transportation or Shuttles

There are hundreds of private transportation companies in Costa Rica. You can easily book private transportation that will pick you up at the airport or wherever you are staying and then drop you off in Samara.

Public Bus

To get from Liberia, Costa Rica to Samara, Costa Rica you will need to take 2 different buses. An easy way to track this bus route is through the Moovit app. The times are not always perfect on this app but it will let you know which busses you need to go on and how long the trip will take. The trip takes about 3 hours in total. Make sure to have Colones (the local currency) when taking the bus because it is one of the few places in Costa Rica that does not accept USD.

Nicoya Bus

You will begin at the Terminal de Buses Municipal Liberia (if you are coming from the airport the bus stops at the airport on the way to Nicoya) and hop on the bus to Nicoya. This bus costs 1,950 Colones which is about $4. It is a white bus with a light up red sign saying Nicoya RTA 550. This bus gets a long line and fills up so make sure to get in line as soon as it starts forming. This bus leaves at 9:05am and it will take about 2.5 hours to get to Nicoya.

Samara Bus

Once arriving at the bus station in Nicoya you will walk about 5 minutes down the road to the other bus terminal. This bus terminal is called —–. When you get here you will need to go to the blue box office and get a ticket for the bus to Samara. You will be getting on the 12:30pm bus. The ticket costs 1,535 Colones and the bus that you will be getting on says Samara on the front RTA 548. The bus to Samara beach takes about 1 hours. You will get off at the stop outside of Zilu’s Coffee Bar, there will most likely be quite a few people getting off at this stop.

Where to Stay in Samara

Hostel / Hostel

There are a variety of hostels available in Samara, Costa Rica. Each has their own benefits and all are just walking distance to the beach.

Hostel Samara

This hostel was the one that I stayed at and it was super nice. The staff was very friendly and the dorms were great. There were only a few people staying there when I was there but the kitchen is well equipped and there are 2 different common areas you can hang out in. I would highly recommend this hostel.

Blue Iguana Hostel

If I go back to Samara this is the next hostel I will try out. I walked past it several times while wandering around the town and the staff was so nice and welcoming. It is a very cute hostel and has a bar and restaurant inside. They always had fun music playing and it appeared to be a very positive atmosphere.

Airbnb

There are multiple Airbnb’s available just walking distance from the beach is Samara. This option offers for you to have your own space while visiting Costa Rica.

Best Things To Do

Samara Beach

It is a great place for relaxing on the beach and swimming in the water. Here the waves are not too big so you can easily hang out in the water. Three are also chares along the beach that you can pay to use.

Turtle Watching Tours

If you come during the right time of year, you don’t want to miss out on the turtle watching tours. Here you can watch the turtles come up from the water, lay their eggs and go back to the water. You do need to do a guided tour because they have very strict rules on the beach and it is heavily monitored to ensure that you are not causing stress to the turtles or disrupting them during this process.

I did this tour through Samara Tours and the tour included transportation to the beach (about 45 minutes away). It was the highlight of my trip and you don’t want to miss this tour if you are in the area during the right time of year.

Dolphin and Whale Watching

All year long there are dolphin watching tours. If you do the tour during the rainy season you also have a chance of seeing whales since they are in the process of migrating. I did the tour through Samara Adventure tours and we saw a large group of dolphins, a sea turtle and 4 hump back whales. The tour takes about 3-4 hours and includes transportation from where you are staying to the boat. You also get to go snorkeling during the tour but since it was raining the water was too cloudy for snorkeling so we could only go swimming in the ocean after. Its important to note that you will not be swimming with the dolphins because in Costa Rica it is illegal to swim with dolphins.

Macaw Breeding and Wildlife Reserve

About 30 minutes outside of Samara is a macaw wildlife reserve. Here they are breeding these endangered birds and then releasing them into the wild. This is a place that you defiantly want to check out if you have your own vehicle or have a way to get to the reserve. Here twice a day all of the birds that they have bread come back to the sanctuary to eat.

Places for Food and Drinks

Casa Maxou

if your looking for a very cute, delicious and budget friendly options don’t miss out on Casa Maxou. Tucked away next to the beach is a small center with several restaurants, a store and a cute area to eat. Here you can get a variety of different great options.

Restaurante Maná

Right next to Hostel Samara is a small pizza place with great pizza and super kind staff. If you looking for pizza this is the pace to go in Samara.

2 Gringos Brewery

Here you will find a variety of different craft beers. If you like trying out something new you should stop by Gringos Brewery and grab a drink.

Seasonal Considerations

Dry Season

Pros

When visiting during the dry season you will have the beast weather for the beach and little to know rain. If you are looking to relax on the beach and swim in the water this is the best time to come for lots of sunshine.

Cons

There are a few cons to the dry season. First, is that some of the tours may be unavailable, such as the turtle tour or seeing whales on the dolphin tours. Also this is the busiest time of year for tourists so you can expect to see more people and need to make any reservations for tours, accommodations, etc. further in advance.

Rainy Season

Pros

The biggest pro to the rainy season is the wildlife. This is the one time of year where you have the chance to see whales and watch the turtles lay their eggs. Both of these tours are unforgettable tours you don’t want to miss out on. Another pro is that there are not many tourists this time of year so the town is very empty.

Cons

As you would expect the biggest con is the rain. You will not see much sun so if you are wanting to lay on the beach and tan this is not the time for you to visit. It is recommended that you book your tours in the morning this time of year to avoid the rain as much as possible (the rain usually comes in the afternoon). During this time of year there is a higher chance of tours getting canceled but most places try to continue tours as long as it is still safe to do so.

Additional Tips

Packing Essentials

• If you are there in the rainy season its a great idea to bring a rain jacket, umbrella and a dry bag. This makes it so you can continue your adventures despite the rain.
• also make sure to bring all of your typical beach essential
• If you plan to do any night tours such as the turtle tour make sure to bring dark clothes, pants, and a jacket
• Make sure to bring bug spray because there are a lot of mosquitoes at night

Safety

Samara is a very small and safe town. You can comfortably walk around the town at night with little concern about your safety. Everyone there is very friendly and welcoming.

Language

Having some Spanish will be helpful like all traveling in Latin America. This is an that gets quite a few tourists so most places will know at least some English and will work with you to order, schedule tours, etc.

Currency

You can use both USD and the local currency Colones in Samara. Also pretty much everywhere here also takes card as well.

How Much Time Do You Need Here?

Samara is a small town and can be more expensive than a lot of other towns in Costa Rica. I think that you can have time to relax and easily see everything here in about 3-4 full days. Other than spending time on the beach you do have to do tours in order to truly see all the amazing things this town has to offer.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a trendy little beach town look no further than Samara, Costa Rica. As a lover of sea animals, being here during the rainy season has made this my favorite place I have visited. If you are ok with a little bit of rain I would absolutely recommend Samara especially during the rainy season.

This town is also super nice because it is super walkable and you can get anywhere in the town on foot. With it being a small town, it does mean everything goes at a slower pace and its the perfect spot for relaxation.

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