What to Do in Tamarindo (Costa Rica): The Insider’s Version

After 30+ years of running Iguana Surf Camp, we find it easy to tell when a guest is here for a return visit by how they plan their first couple of days. First-timers tick off the usual: a catamaran cruise, plus the same handful of bars at sunset. Return guests skip all that and head straight for the spots they wish they’d known about the first time around.

We thought we’d save you some precious time and share our favorite insiders’ things to see, do and eat. If you’ve been wondering what is there to do in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, beyond the usual musts, this is the kind of day we’d plan for our return guests.

Start with Breakfast at Grinds (or Café Tico If You’re Wandering)

Breakfast is something most people skip in their usual daily grind back home. On your stay in Tamarindo, though, a filling and wholesome breakfast is a must. Our in-house cafe, Grinds, has been the unofficial meeting point for surfers for years, and the biggest reason is probably the breakfast burritos and pancakes. 

If you’ve stayed with us before, you probably already know the move. If not, here’s the deal: get there before 9am for a breakfast sandwich (or the French toast if you’re feeling extra indulgent), then grab a seat outside with a coffee. It’s probably the slowest you’ll move all day, and that’s the whole point.

Fancy stretching your legs early on? Then wander into town to Café Tico, one of our favorite local picks. It’s tucked next to the bookstore on the main road, and their gallo pinto with eggs can set you up for a whole surfing morning. FYI: Costa Rican coffee is good everywhere in this country, but it’s particularly good here.

Mid-Morning: An Estuary Tour Most Visitors Skip

Right next to the busy heart of town sits the Tamarindo Estuary, part of Las Baulas National Marine Park. The contrast between the noisy main strip and the absolute calm of the mangroves still surprises us, even after three decades of running tours through it.

A guided boat trip is the way to go here. You’ll drift through the channels watching herons fish in the shallows, with the occasional howler monkey visible high in the canopy above. We run our own estuary tour most mornings because the light’s softer at that hour and the amazing local wildlife is more active. You’re back in town in time for lunch.

Lunch: Tama Market (Best Done on a Wednesday or Saturday)

From 8am to 2pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Tama Market sets up next to the skate park downtown. It’s the most local-feels-meet-cosmopolitan-energy thing happening in town all week, and worth shaping your insider day around if you can.

Every stand has a specialty: organic vegetables, juices, wine, fresh breads and pastries, flowers, coffee, prepared food you can eat right there, plus art and jewelry from makers based all over Guanacaste. There’s usually a band playing something cool by mid-morning. Tama has the feel of a really good Saturday morning in your favorite small town, and the food alone makes it worth planning your week around.

If you’re in town on a different day, though, here’s our backup pick: Doña Rosa. She’s been serving traditional Costa Rican food out of the back of her station wagon on the main road for over a decade. The casado is around 3,500 colones (about $7 USD), and the portions are huge. The food is cooked fresh each morning in Cartagena before she drives in. It’s the most local lunch in town, and you almost certainly wouldn’t find it without someone pointing you there.

A Pipa Fría on the Walk Back

If there’s one Tamarindo character worthy of the local hall of fame, it’s the Pipa Guy. He walks the streets of town with a blue cooler full of fresh coconuts and a megaphone, and his “PIPA FRÍA!” call carries from one end of the strip to the other. Wave him down, and for a couple of bucks, he’ll machete the top off a fresh coconut for you on the spot.

And FYI: If you’ve never had cold coconut water straight from the source on a hot Costa Rican afternoon, you are in for an absolute treat. Locals know him by sight, and so do most long-time visitors. Now you do too.

Afternoon: Paddle Out to Isla Capitan

In the middle of Tamarindo Bay sits a small island called Isla Capitan, which most first-time visitors wouldn’t even consider paddling to. But you can! It only takes about half an hour to reach it by kayak, SUP or longboard if you’re doing it the smart local way. The insider’s hack is timing your outing with the tide. Paddle out as the tide is dropping (say, around an hour before low), and paddle back as it starts coming in. This way you’re moving with the current both ways, which makes it manageable even if you’ve never paddled that kind of distance before. Try the same route on a rising tide, and you’ll have a different conversation with us when you get back.

We rent boards from the surf shop right on the sand, so it’s an easy add to the day. From the island you get a different angle on Tamarindo proper. Playa Grande sits to the north, Langosta to the south. On a clear afternoon, the view back toward town is the kind that makes you want to stay another week.

If you love the sound of this outing but want to take it up a notch, then sign up for our e-foil adventure. One of our experienced guides will show you how easy it is to lift clean out of the water and fly across the bay at a fun speed. Best of all, there’s no surfing experience required at all.

Sunset on Our Rooftop (One of the Perks of Staying With Us)

Our 2026 upgrade brought a fourth floor to Iguana, and on it we built a rooftop with an infinity pool that looks straight out over the break. You finish your day, rinse off, head up, and find yourself floating in a pool watching the sets roll in below as the sky goes gold and then pink.

Sunset in Tamarindo Costa Rica is famous for a reason. It becomes a whole thing: the town slows down for it, beach bars fill up, and people drift down to the sand with their boards even if they’ve already surfed. The rooftop gives you the chance to soak it all up from above. 

Do note that the rooftop pool and lounge @ Iguana’s are guest-only spaces. They’re one of the perks reserved for people staying with us, and if you’ve been considering a stay, the views from up here at sunset in Tamarindo, Costa Rica make a strong case all on their own.

And P.S. We have two new additions coming soon, both worth booking around. The first is sunset yoga sessions on the rooftop (we ran a trial round recently and the response was fantastic), and a rooftop bar opening to a limited number of non-guests by reservation. Keep an eye on our channels for launch dates!

That just about wraps up our insiders’ day. If you’ve been wondering what is there to do in Tamarindo Costa Rica, beyond the catamaran cruise and the surf lesson, this is the version we’d want you to try first.

One tip before the Isla Capitan paddle: check our live Surf Cam & Surf Report and Forecast. Conditions in the bay change with the tide and swell.

FAQ

What is there to do in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, when you’ve already done the basics?

Our insider’s day looks something like this: breakfast at Grinds, a morning estuary tour, lunch at Tama Market (Wednesday or Saturday), a pipa fría from the Pipa Guy on the walk back, an afternoon paddle to Isla Capitan, and sunset cocktails on the rooftop.

When is Tama Market on?

Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8am to 2pm, next to the skate park downtown. If you’re not in town on those days, Doña Rosa’s casado out of her station wagon on the main road is the most local lunch in Tamarindo.

Where’s the best place to watch sunset in Tamarindo, Costa Rica?

The main beach is iconic for a reason, but our guests will tell you the rooftop infinity pool at Iguana is hard to beat. Sunset in Tamarindo Costa Rica really is everything people say it is.

Do I have to stay at Iguana to use the rooftop?

The rooftop pool and lounge are guest-only spaces, part of our 2026 upgrade and reserved for people staying at the camp. Every one of our surf camp packages includes access. One exception is on the way: a rooftop bar opening soon to a limited number of non-guests by reservation. We’ll announce the details through our social channels closer to launch, so keep an eye out.

Is the paddle to Isla Capitan beginner-friendly?

If you time it right with the tide, yes. The 25-minute paddle is manageable on a SUP or a longboard for most fitness levels, but we’d always recommend going with company. Drop into our surf shop, and we’ll set you up with the right board and timing.
→ Check out our surf camp packages and come find your insider day at Iguana!