Playa Naranjo (Santa Rosa National Park)
Beach · Guanacaste
A wild, wide beach inside Santa Rosa National Park with Witch's Rock (Roca Bruja) standing offshore, one of the world-famous surf breaks of Costa Rica. No town, no power, no drinking water: just dry forest, deer, monkeys, iguanas and a tiny campground.
Closed Tuesdays; entry Wed-Mon 8 am-2 pm. Pay by card only at the Santa Rosa booth. Capacity 100 day visitors and 60 campers. The sector has closed for weeks in the rainy season (e.g. Sep 27-Dec 6, 2023), so check the ACG site.
- Time there
- 5 h
- Best time
- dry season, low tide on arrival
- Kids
- 3 / 10
- View
- 10 / 10
- Crowds
- 2 / 10
- Swimming
- 5 / 10
- Effort
- 7 / 10
- Location
- 10.7793, -85.66649 — Google Maps
- Ratings
- 4.6 on Google (131)
Before you go
- Payment
- card
- Tickets
- Online only, book ahead
- Road
- 4×4 needed
- Walk
- 180 min
- Swimming
- Only when the water is calm
- Kids
- Not for small kids
- Dogs
- Not allowed
- Bring
- all drinking water, electrolytes, food, power bank, sunscreen, trash bag
- Season
- Best in the dry season (Dec-Apr); in the rains the road can be impassable.
- Checked
- 2026-10
Tip
Reserve online with the ACG first, and plan your drive in with the low tide: parts of the road near the ranger station flood with seawater.
Be careful
Strong currents and wind can pull swimmers offshore. Don't swim in or cross the estuary or lagoon: large crocodiles live there. Carry plenty of water and electrolytes; there is no cell signal.
Getting there
From the Santa Rosa entrance on the Interamericana, a rough dirt road (4x4 or very high-clearance vehicle) runs down to the coast; on foot it takes about 3 hours. Report your departure at the ranger station.
Sources: OpenStreetMap node/2684889831 · https://reservaciones.acguanacaste.ac.cr/en/naranjo · https://wanderlog.com/place/details/1586841/naranjo-beach · https://www.ict.go.cr/flipbook/guias/flip-en/GUIA_GUANACASTE_NORTE/files/basic-html/page42.html