Playa Hermosa

Playa Hermosa is the easy one, the beach you choose when you want calm water and a quiet, comfortable day rather than surf or scene. Tucked into the sheltered Gulf of Papagayo just north of the lively town of Playas del Coco, it is a soft crescent of grey gold sand about a mile long, with some of the gentlest swimming in Guanacaste. For families with small children and for anyone who simply wants to float and read, it is hard to better.

Be clear about two honest things. First, the sand here is grey gold volcanic rather than postcard white, which puts off some visitors and delights others who like a darker, cooler looking shore. Second, this is the calm northern Playa Hermosa in Guanacaste, not the famous surf beach of the same name near Jaco much further south, a confusion that catches people out every season. If you came for waves, you are in the wrong Hermosa.

What makes Hermosa lovely is the rhythm. Because it is sheltered, it feels the strong early season wind far less than the open beaches, so the water often stays calm when others chop up. A handful of small hotels and restaurants sit right on the sand, so you can swim, then walk a few steps to a shaded table for a casado or a plate of fish. The food and culture traveller does well to base here for the calm and drive into Coco for the markets, the dive shops and the busier evening scene.

Stay for the sunset, which over the gulf is among the best on the coast. For brilliant white shell sand and the clearest water drive south to Playa Conchal, for a polished white sand bay try Playa Flamingo, and for surf and nightlife head to Playa Tamarindo. To compare verified beachfront stays and venues, use our Guanacaste beach clubs directory.