Tamarindo is the name of a District on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, in the Santa Cruz Canton, in the Province of Guanacaste, on the Nicoya Peninsula. Tamarindo is also the name of a very famous beach town, inside of the Tamarindo District. Tamarindo is the largest and most developed beachside town in the Guanacaste province, and the whole district has a population of approximately 6,500 as of 2011. The other cities forming the district of Tamarindo are Villarreal, Santa Rosa, Garita Nueva, Hernández, and San José de Pinilla.

Surfing and eco-tourism, including dolphin and turtle watching, are the main attractions of the area. The weather in Tamarindo is, of course, hot. Still, it is warmer in the dry season, and especially in March and April, where the temperature during the day reach up to 40 degrees Celsius and sometimes more. The rainy season stretches from May to November, where the rainfall varies from a little bit in the morning and at night to all day torrential rains but with daily temperatures comfortably between 28-34 Celsius.

The closest international airport to Tamarindo is the Liberia International Airport (Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport). The average driving time between the Liberia international airport and Tamarindo is approximately 1 hour.

Playa Tamarindo is a crescent-shaped, 3km long sandy beach right in the heart of Tamarindo. Palm trees line the beach to provide shade, the ocean is warm and safe for families to swim and play in, and of course, the sun sets every single night in a beautiful display of colors. For the avid surfer, Tamarindo has many high-quality waves.

Playa Tamarindo was made world-famous by a popular surf movie from 1966 called “Endless Summer”. The flick included scenes filmed in Tamarindo, showcasing its world-class surf breaks. Since then, surfers from all over the world have traveled to this beautiful town to enjoy the pura vida lifestyle and surf its excellent waves. Tamarindo beach has two principal surf breaks for intermediate and advanced surfers: Pico Pequeño, a rocky point to the right of the Hotel Tamarindo Diriá and the river mouth break called El Estero, located across from Cabinas Tsunami. The beach also offers many smaller beach breaks that are ideal for those wanting to learn how to surf.

Some of the most popular family activities in Tamarindo include: ATV Tours, Estuary Safari, Horseback Riding, Zip Line & Canopy Tours, White Water Rafting or Tubing, Turtle Nesting Tours, Whale and Dolphins Watching, Scuba Diving, Kayak Tours, Snorkeling, Sport Fishing and Sailing.