Playa Tárcoles
Beach · Jacó & Herradura · hidden gem
The beach of Tárcoles village, a short drive from the crocodile bridge and the river mouth. Scarlet macaws from nearby Carara National Park are often seen in the area around dawn and dusk.
- Cost
- Free
- Time there
- 1 h
- Best time
- sunset
- Kids
- 3 / 10
- View
- 5 / 10
- Crowds
- 1 / 10
- Swimming
- 2 / 10
- Effort
- 1 / 10
- Location
- 9.76189, -84.63115 — Google Maps
Tip
Come near sunset and look up for macaws. It combines well with the Tárcoles bridge and river-mouth stop.
Be careful
Rip currents and shore break: wade only. Keep away from the river mouth, which is crocodile habitat, and don't leave valuables in the car.
Places nearby
- Jungle Crocodile SafariParks & Wildlife · takes 1.5 h · from $40A relaxed boat ride on the Tarcoles River, home to one of Costa Rica's largest crocodile populations, out through the mangroves to the river mouth.
- Crocodile Man TourParks & Wildlife · takes 2 h · from $39.55A long-established boat tour on the Tarcoles River, where big American crocodiles bask on the banks a short drive from Jacó.
- Jose's Crocodile River TourParks & WildlifeBoat tours on the Tárcoles River to see big American crocodiles up close, plus scarlet macaws, roseate spoonbills, ospreys and mangrove channels.
- Vista Mar (Tárcoles)Food & CoffeeSeafood restaurant on a bluff above the Costanera with ocean views and a tunnel that leads down to the beach.
- Marisquería RestauranticosFood & CoffeeRoadside seafood restaurant on the coastal highway at Pógeres, between Tárcoles and Punta Leona, with surf-and-turf plates and fresh fruit juices.
- Steven Lisa'sFood & CoffeeGarden restaurant by the Tárcoles turn-off on the Costanera, with flowers around the tables and a tree where wildlife shows up.
Sources: OpenStreetMap way/896762630 · https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/896762630 · https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_nacional_Carara