Tabanuco Beachfront Bar

The most traditional Tico beach experience in Samara, El Ancla looks straight at Isla Chora and pours cold Imperial for the crowd that wants authentic over trendy.

Locals point every visitor here first, and Las Olas backs up the recommendation with beach volleyball, a sushi bar, and 2-for-1 happy hour that keeps the place packed nearly every night.

Steps from one of the world’s best surf breaks and sitting inside an actual Blue Zone, the Gilded Iguana has been Nosara’s post-surf hangout since the 1980s and shows zero signs of slowing down.

The only true beach bar on quiet Playa Pelada, La Luna turns the Pacific sky pink and orange every evening and somehow makes Mediterranean wood-fired pizza feel completely at home in Costa Rica.

Swings and daybeds right on the sand make the transition from sunset cocktail to full nighttime vibe feel completely seamless at Rocamar.