Best Beach Bars: Costa Rica

In Tamarindo, Nogui’s Beach Bar has been a beloved institution since 1974. Ocho Beach Club and Pangas Beach Club serve the international surf community. At Playa Avellanas, Lola’s is one of Costa Rica’s most famous bars — where the resident pig Lola has her own Instagram following. In Nosara, The Gilded Iguana has anchored the surf and yoga community for decades. In Samara, Las Olas and El Ancla serve one of the Peninsula’s most tranquil beach communities.

Jaco is Costa Rica’s most active Pacific party beach. Tiki Bar Jaco, Aloha Beach Front Bar, and Jacó Blu Beach Club keep things moving. At Playa Hermosa just south, Vida Hermosa delivers cold Imperials with front-row seats to the Rip Curl Pro. In Manuel Antonio, Marlin Restaurant & Bar and Buena Vista Beach Club serve one of Central America’s most biodiverse coastlines. In Dominical, Tortilla Flats is the raw authentic surf community bar.

Santa Teresa has emerged as one of the most fashionable surf destinations in the Americas. Kika Bar & Restaurant, Drift Bar, and Banana Beach serve an international creative community. On the Caribbean coast, Puerto Viejo’s Afro-Caribbean bar scene is unlike anything else in Central America. Lazy Mon delivers live reggae and cold rum cocktails, while KOKi Beach and Tasty Waves Cantina complete a Caribbean coast scene that rewards the journey over the mountains.