5 Things To Do in Tamarindo, Guanacaste and Alajuela, Costa Rica

My favorite must-see spots, attractions and beaches from my 2015 trip to Costa Rica. From the beautiful surf towns and beaches to heading to lush, inland jungle territories, this is a country I have to keep coming back to to see it all. 

1. Eat local food. 

Obvious right? Here's a spot worth revolving your day around. 

Pangas Beach Club : Go to for lunch or dinner - you want to be there before the sun sets. It's about a 10 minute walk out of the main downtown. A little more pricey than the touristy, central restaurants but I kid you not, it was the best meal I had on our trip. Great music, wonderful staff, incredible fresh-off-the-boat seafood dishes, drinks and local flavors. Ask your server for what they recommend and they will not steer you wrong.

Sit out by the water and watch the boats go by. They have fire pits, lighting strung through the trees and a great full bar that looks out on the beach. If you're lucky, like us, you will even get a visit by a monkey and it's baby! We came back here twice. 

Other spots we loved: Latitude Blue, Patagonia and Bamboo Sushi Club. 

2. Get out on the water!

We asked the owner of Pangas to set us guys up with a boat ride down the Estero de Playa Grande. This is the canal that runs just in front of the restaurant and from the ocean into beautiful marshlands. It was under $20 for the 5 of us for a one hour tour. We saw gorgeous wildlife: birds, crocodiles and iguanas and absolutely loved our tour guide.

3. Beach hop. 

A few of our favorites: Playa Tamarindo, Playa Conchal, Playa Grande. The beaches are beautiful, low key, and lined with bars and shops to pop in and out of. Rent kayaks, surfboards, body boards or get up in the air and parasail. There are parasail vendors all along the beach. Bargain around and find one you trust - we had a very safe and fun parasailing experience. 

4. Zip-line. 

Can you go to Costa Rica and not zipline? I don't think so. We spent one day on the Canopy Monkey Jungle tour, where you zipline through gorgeous lush inland landscapes, see wildlife in their natural habitat and visit their on-site monkey park. 

5. Hike to a waterfall.

a) If you are in the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica, don't miss Llanos de Cortez. 

This spot is gorgeous. It's not a long hike from the parking lot, it's about a 10 minute trail down to the Llanos de Cortez falls. The water runs wide and wispy, with clear trains of water tumbling along gorgeous, moss covered rocks. You can see the cliffs through the thin falls, and with proper water shoes, climb behind them to look out through the water. 

At the base of the falls is a large, natural pool that is good for swimming or wading, with a sandy area to lounge on. When we went, there were vendors selling intertubes, towels, cold beers, snacks and food at the base of the swimming hole. 

b) Rio Celeste. This place is one of the wonders of Costa Rica and is not to be missed if you are in the Alajuela jungle province or Rincon de la Vieja area. 

It is a large waterfall that fills into a bright, teal blue pool at the bottom. The color appears only at certain times of the year, when two separate rivers fuse and a special mineral covered in oxygen and aluminum reacts with the splashing water. Visitors aren't allowed to swim in this pool, to protect the natural reaction, but there is a place to rest on benches and take photos at the base of the pool.