Top pick · Catamaran sailFrom $95
Playa Flamingo,
done properly.
The independent local guide to Playa Flamingo and Costa Rica’s Gold Coast: beaches, boat days, dinners, and day trips.
Photo: Shiva Shenoy, CC BY 2.0
Tours from Flamingo
Boat days from the bay, big days inland.
Flamingo has its own marina, so sails, charters and fishing trips start close to where you sleep. ATV trails, waterfalls, volcanoes and wildlife are an easy drive. What do you want to do?
From the marinaSunset sails & catamarans12 shared sails · drinks, snorkel stop, sunset
Private boat15 charters
Sport fishing7 charters
ATV & adventure30 tours
Volcano & waterfall day22 day trips
Wildlife & sloths51 tours
With kidsShorter, easier picks
Fishing charter helpTell us about your group
Browse everything230 toursTravelers’ favorites right now
Picked by traveler rating weighted by number of reviews (minimum 25), from live Viator listings. Nobody pays to be here.
- Top pick · Catamaran sailFrom $95
- Top pick · ATV & off-roadFrom $95
ATV or Buggy Guided Tour from Tamarindo, Conchal or RIU Hotels
4.9(928)2 hoursTamarindo listing
Free cancellation
Top pick · Volcano dayFrom $145Guachipelin Volcano Combo: Zipline, River Tubing & Hot Springs
4.8(1,571)8–12 hoursTamarindo listing
Free cancellation
Top pick · WildlifeFrom $160Sloth Watching, Coffee, Chocolate & Waterfall Experience
4.9(984)6–8 hoursLiberia listing
Free cancellation
Three decisions make a good week here.
Get out on the water
Sport fishing, sailing and private boat days
Flamingo is one of Costa Rica’s best-known sport fishing bases, and the bay is made for sunset sails. Compare charters, or tell us about your group and we’ll help you find a fishing boat that fits.
Within reach of the bay
Real drive times from Flamingo. Swipe through, pick a day.
15 min from Flamingo, then a short walkPlaya Conchal
A beach made of crushed shells with unusually clear, calm water. The best snorkel-from-shore spot near Flamingo.
5 to 10 min from FlamingoPotrero & Surfside
A calm, dark-sand bay with seafood shacks, casual bars, and most of the area’s weekly nights: karaoke, live music, and trivia.
15 min from FlamingoLas Catalinas
A walkable, car-free planned town on Playa Danta, with restaurants, swimmable coves, and miles of hiking and mountain-bike trails in the hills behind.
10 min from FlamingoBrasilito
A small, unpolished beach village with a sandy plaza, local restaurants, and Playa Conchal a short walk down the sand.
30 to 40 min from FlamingoTamarindo
Costa Rica’s best-known surf town: surf schools on the sand, the region’s widest choice of restaurants, and actual nightlife.
35 to 45 min from FlamingoPlaya Grande
A long, wild beach inside Las Baulas National Marine Park: consistent surf, few buildings, and guided leatherback turtle tours on season nights.
About 1 h 45 min from FlamingoRincón de la Vieja
An active volcano and national park northeast of Liberia: boiling mud pots on the Las Pailas loop, waterfall hikes, and adventure lodges with hot springs.
45 to 60 min from FlamingoPlayas del Coco
A lively Tico beach town and the base for most scuba trips to the Catalina Islands and Bat Islands.
Getting here, and getting around
Flamingo is about an hour from Liberia’s LIR airport on paved road the whole way. Book a shared or private shuttle, or pick up a rental car at the airport.
Shared & private shuttles
Fixed routes via BookShuttles, priced per seat.
Heading to Flamingo
The lay of the land
Tap a place for real distances from Flamingo. Everything north of Tamarindo is a casual outing; everything past Liberia is a day.
Click any chip or marker for details.
Independent, local, and kept current.
PlayaFlamingo.com covers one stretch of coast properly instead of all of Costa Rica thinly. Listings are checked by hand; tours and prices load live with real traveler reviews.