PLAYA CONCHAL / CONCHAL BEACH
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| playa conchal |
About:
Considered one of the most exotic and beautiful beaches on Costa Rica's Gold Coast, Playa Conchal, meaning "shell beach," is located on the Pacific Northwest coast of Guanacaste, about 25 minutes north of Tamarindo, Verde South of Ramingo. If you fly in, Liberia is less than an hour's drive from San Jose and about four hours away.
The mile-and-a-half beach is named Conchal because the sand is made up of finely ground shells that feel like sand but don't stick to wet skin like regular sand does. These white shells sparkle like diamonds in the sun. Compared with the white sandy beach, the water is The turquoise blue color tricks tourists into thinking they are on the Caribbean coast.
playa conchal activities:
Snorkel masks jet skis and kayaks are available on the beach at Playa Conchal. You can also rent tents and beach chairs for shade. For refreshments, there isn't much around, but the vendors make up for it. You can find them selling pipas frias (cold coconut) piña coladas grilled skewers and If you're thirsty for imperial beer, drink it cold.
Beaches are usually not too crowded, so there is plenty of room to drop your towels. If you don't rent a tent, the shade on the beach can be sparse as there isn't much vegetation, so keep that in mind.
Playa Conchal can be snorkeled from the shore. You can spot some colorful fish In the clear water near the rocks at the northern end. We've seen puffer fish, eels, needlefish and schools of grunt fish. Mid or low tide offers the best conditions.
Map of Playa Conchal
How to get to Playa Conchal:
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| Playa Conchal |
There are two entrances to Playa Conchal and you can park your car on the Brasilito side on the north side of the beach. Or if you're coming from the south, say from Tamarindo, you'll drive through the village of Puerto Viejo. Note that for the last mentioned you will need a car with higher clearance dirt road.
The two entrances are very different because from the south side with Puerto Viejo village as your parking location, you will have direct access to Playa Conchal. When coming from the Brasilito side, you first have to walk along Playa Brasilito for about 15–20 minutes to reach Playa conch. We came to Conchal Beach from Tamarindo for a day of relaxation, so our navigation took us down the dirt road to Puerto Viejo. We have a 4×4 car, but in the dry season you can also take a regular car to the car park.
Best time to go to Playa Conchal:
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| Playa Conchal |
Guanacaste is the driest part of the country, with the shortest rainy season. In fact, you can easily visit Conchal Beach every month of the year. The peak of the rainy season in Guanacaste is from September to November, but the surrounding hills around Playa Conchal will be greener This time it was after the rainy season.
As far as the best time of the week is concerned, you should consider that locals flock to beach areas on the weekends. Therefore, except, Costa Rica's beaches to be even more crowded with locals at that time. Especially in Conchal beach, it is one of the most famous and popular beach among locals and locals tourists.
If you want to avoid the hottest part of the day, head to Conchal Beach in the morning and leave around 1pm. However, along the nearby beach on the Puerto Viejo side, there are many trees that provide natural shade.
Things to do on playa Conchal:
- Relaxing on the beach and swimming in the beautiful waters is one of the best things to do in Conchal Beach, but there are a few other things you can do as well.
- Rent snorkel gear from one of the beach suppliers, or bring your own. Close to the volcanic rocks, you can see an abundance of marine life.
- Scuba diving in the Catalina Islands, one of the best dive sites in Costa Rica.
- Go horse riding along the beach.
- Play golf at Westin Reserva Conchal's golf course.
- Rent a jet ski and get the adrenaline pumping as you explore the bay of Conchal Beach.
- Go sailing, snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing, and kayaking during your tour. With any luck, depending on the season, you might even spot dolphins, turtles and even whales!
- In sport fishing? Book at some travel agencies along the beach.
- If you're up for more adventure, book an ATV tour.
- You can also sea kayak from the shores of Conchal Beach without booking a sailing trip.
playa conchal weather:
Since Conchal is located in Guanacaste, one of the hottest and driest provinces in Costa Rica, it is sunny and hot all year round. It follows a typical tropical pattern of dry and wet seasons, with a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to November.
March and April are the hottest months, with temperatures in the mid-90s (35C). The wettest months are October and November, and can get very wet during these months. During the dry season, the surrounding mountains turn yellow and are very dry. During the rainy season it turns a very dark green, It is beautiful to see the bright turquoise water and glistening white coast surrounded by lush forest.
Playa Conchal Hotels:
The only hotels actually on Conchal are the W Costa Rica Reserva Conchal and The Westin Conchal Resort & Spa. The Westin W among all-inclusive resorts is not. Reserva Conchal has houses and apartments for rent.
Here are a couple of other options:
Hotel Brasilito: Boutique hotel in Playa Brasilito, just a short walk away. Oceanfront rooms are available starting at $79.
Hotel Conchal: 12-room boutique hotel with garden and pool views, just a few steps from the beach. Rooms start at $60.
You might also consider staying in the towns of Potrero or Basilito, as there are more options for hotels, lodges and holiday homes.