Playa Azul & Tárcoles River Mouth

Tip

Bring binoculars and come for the last hour of daylight, when the macaws fly over.

Be careful

Crocodiles live in the river mouth and the river water is polluted: don't swim or wade here.

Places nearby

• 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.
• 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.
• Vista Mar (Tárcoles)Food & CoffeeSeafood restaurant on a bluff above the Costanera with ocean views and a tunnel that leads down to the beach.
• Tiko Restaurante MiradorFood & CoffeeClifftop mirador restaurant on the edge of Carara National Park with Pacific views, serving local dishes, homemade Asian food and fresh seafood.
• 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.