Last week my friend told me she and her kids were headed to Tamarindo for a home-stay and Spanish classes - unfortunately we missed each other by a day. She asked for some suggestions and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make a list of some of our favorite things to eat, see, and do. If you find yourself in or around Tamarindo / Avellanas, here’s what I suggest 👇
Grab something (good) to eat after you land
We usually take a red eye, which means when we land in Liberia, we’re hungry! Depending on road conditions, it takes between an hour to an hour and a half to reach our place in Avellanas. After striking out on a few touristy restaurants near the airport, we found Cafe Raices. We love their salads, smoothies, and breakfast burritos as well as local dishes like patacones. It’s only a 10-15 minute drive from LIR and makes a great pit stop. They also have a phenomenally clean bathroom which is a plus.
What to do and eat in Tamarindo
We’re all vegetarian and I’m gluten free. Other than the occasional splurge, our tastes lean toward good, casual, and inexpensive. I’m much happier grabbing a taco on the side of the road than paying US prices for mediocre tourist food.
Breakfast, lunch, coffee, gelato
On our first trip we discovered Shaka Food, a family-owned Venezuelan cafe that's perfect for a leisurely breakfast or lunch. It's right next to Tamarindo Coffee Roasters. You can find their coffee all over town, but why not go right to the source?
Kids at Soulshine, hot sauce for sale at Santa Rita Cafe, Tahini Lime Buddha Bowl
It took us a few trips before we discovered El Mercadito which is an outdoor food court only much better. They have everything from crepes to arepas and excellent poke bowls. Sit outside on the covered patio shaded by trees; there’s even a play area for little ones. This is heaven for parents of kids can't agree on what to eat.
On the last full day of our most recent trip, we enjoyed a beach side brunch at Pico Bistro. Highly recommended for the gringo breakfast, passionfruit tea, and my favorite the ginger tahini lime Buddha Bowl. It’s beach side so if service is slow the surfers are a good distraction.
For dinner, don’t miss the tasty rolls and donburi vegetables at Bamboo Sushi Club and gelato from Venezia Gelato (my favorite flavor is the Avellana / hazelnut). The rest you can and should explore for yourself - after all, that's half the fun.
Surf & Snack
If you decide to try a surf lesson (which I highly recommend), you’ll be up early. We did two 7AM lessons, which lasted two hours each. Afraid to surf? I thought I was too old to learn but the instructors have a technique that can get pretty much anyone up and surfing in their first lesson - including me. Our teacher Juan has taught people from age three to seventy-nine. If you meet him, ask to see his pics.
For some après surf chow, check out Waffle Monkey. They have a vegan, gluten free option, toppings including honey, coconut, fresh fruit, Nutella of course, and great merch. After the second lesson with My Pura Surf, Juan told us about Santa Rita Cafe - a little place that sits above a small souvenir shop. Honestly I don’t know when we would have spotted it ourselves. They carry locally made, unsweetened almond butter and an array of hot sauces. I’d skip the mocha (a little bitter for my taste) but my daughter loved The Bomb which is a shake made with chocolate, coffee, bananas, and ice cream.
Beach breafast by Waffle Monkey
Beautiful Beaches
Tamarindo of course! It’s a beautiful beach with plenty of sand and surf, walking distance to shops, restaurants, and a couple small groceries. The downside - it can be crowded, and the vendors selling everything from coconuts to carved wooden bowls are there in droves. Full disclosure - I bought one and it makes a beautiful fruit bowl.
If you drive about 30 minutes south you'll reach Avellanas - a quieter beach where you can still rent chairs and umbrellas, or grab a surf lesson. There's no main “town” but there are two great beach restaurants - Lola’s and La Purruja. If you’re planning to spend any time in Avellanas and need to eat away from the beach, our favorite breakfast/lunch/brunch spot is Soulshine which was opened by an Israeli family who moved to CR in the heart of the pandemic. Their tropical juices including gaunabanana and cas are exotic and refreshing. Try the avocado toast, shakshuka, or if you have extra time order the Gypsy King (bourekas). If you see Yael, tell her we said hi!
Morning in Avellanas, Sid sunning, Simon & Kelly at sunset, Playa Negra
Ok I mentioned that we do like to splurge and at the foot of our road is the perfect place - an Italian restaurant called Il Rustico. Sit in the garden with a glass of wine and enjoy their pizza, pasta, or bruschetta. Don't miss the cats, and when you walk in take a look at their pizza oven which was imported from Italy. Ten minutes past that is Playa Negra. Hotel Playa Negra has a good, casual restaurant and a shop where you can book a massage or horse back ride.
Top Rated Activities:
We spend about three quarters of our time on the beach but when we're not sunning here are some things we enjoy.
Contact Andrey at Guti Tours for horseback riding at sunset on the beach and tell him Sid and Mikaela sent you. You can ride for up to three hours along the coast, starting in Avellanas then crossing Playa Negra all the way south to Junquillal.
If you're up for a day trip, we just did this 12 hour tour of Rio Celeste and the sloth sanctuary. The blue waterfall is possibly the most beautiful thing you'll see in your lifetime. It's a long day but since they make all the arrangements, feed you lunch, and handle the driving, I found it not only beautiful but also relaxing.
Top row: Rio Celeste day trip. Bottom from left: Sunset cruise, Playa Avellanas, Sid & Whiskey
Finally, we never visit without making time for a sunset cruise. Leave from Tamarindo in the afternoon, anchor and snorkel at Pirate’s Bay, then catch the sunset on the way back. Drinks are included (though it's not a booze cruise) and we love the beans and rice, fresh fruit, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. If you're lucky you'll see turtles and dolphins on the way.
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