beaches

The white, crushed-shell Playa Conchal, with low-angled trees offering dappled shade and clear, calm water, is a nearly perfect family beach.

Costa Rica has a high number of beach drownings for its size. That's due, in part, to the lack of lifeguards and vacationers letting their guard down at the beach, experts say. Here we provide tips for staying safe and a downloadable fact sheet on rip currents.

A total of 110 beaches along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts are displaying blue flags this week to let visitors know that their sands and waters are among the country's cleanest.

MARBELLA, Guanacaste – When the organizers of the Circuito Guanacasteco de Surf (CGS) conceived of a province-wide contest three years ago, their intention was to create an environment that would promote talent that could continue on to the more established Circuito Nacional de Surf of Costa Rica.

Motivated by increased drownings that they perceived as preventable, a group of passionate people in this small, yet increasingly popular beach town have started their own nonprofit lifeguard program, Santa Teresa Lifeguards. They hope to not just save lives, but also to prevent dangerous situations by educating the public on water safety.

After five years researching his book "Costa Rica: The Complete Guide," James Kaiser presents his list of Costa Rica's greatest beaches, with his spectacular photos.

The Ecological Blue Flag program this year awarded three Pacific beaches with flags portraying the maximum five stars. Four beaches will display the blue flag for the first time this year, including two at Cocos Island.

With nearly 300 beaches to choose from, finding a beautiful beach in Costa Rica is easy. Here are five of our favorites.   Punta Uva –...

Rip currents (more commonly known as rip tides or undertows) are one of the most dangerous and ubiquitous members of Costa Rica’s beach communities. While...

Flowers and corals and fish like in Dalí paintings… life underwater in Costa Rica can be just as colorful as the urban havoc of...