Tamarindo is a pretty small beach town in Costa Rica’s north pacific shore, and although most of the commercial activity is pretty close together and -for the most part- walking distance, sometimes you need some wheels to get you around. Here are a few options to improve your mobility:
Golf carts
Perhaps tourists and expats favorites; you’ll see them a lot in town, specially during the dry season. They’re definitively fun to drive, and you can choose to rent a gas or an electric cart. Now, there are a few things to consider:
- Golf carts can be used only in the Tamarindo area, you can’t go to the main road on these. This means you can’t use them to explore other surrounding beaches, but if you just need it to go grocery shopping or to visit your favorite restaurant in town you’re good.
- If you get an electric cart, make sure your hotel -or lodging- allows you to park and charge it overnight. Some hotels won’t allow this and some golf cart rental companies might charge you a fee if the cart battery is not fully charged when you return it.
- During the rainy season it’s good to remember that these don’t have doors, so if it rains you better be wearing your swimsuit and have a dry bag for your valuables.
- Prices are around $60 - $80 per day
Rent-a-car
A proper car is perhaps the best value for money as -depending on the type of car- prices start around $80 per day. A car will allow you to run all your errands and bring your whole family to explore the area. That said, here’s a couple of things to consider:
- Parking is somewhat of a limited resource in Tamarindo, so make sure your hotel or condo offers free parking.
- Tamarindo and a lot of the surrounding beaches (Langosta, Grande, Conchal or Flamingo) are fully paved all the way to the beach. However, Costarican streets are infamous for being in bad shape and usually the most beautiful beaches have also the most difficult access. So, if adventure is your middle name and want to go explore around, fearless about what the long winding road will bring, we recommend you get a 4x4 or at least a high ground clearance SUV.
- Most importantly: availability is limited. Plan ahead, we know that planning too much might be boring to some and can feel like it kills a bit of the adventure, but trust us, during high season its hard to get a car so don’t wait until the last minute. Just think ahead on which dates you’d like to have the car, and you can plan your trip later (or not) but remember that “hope is not a strategy” ;)
You can also get your rental in Tamarindo, use it to drive around Costa Rica and return it at a different location like San José, Arenal or Monteverde, if that suits your travel plans better.
MTBs
If you’re more of the sporty and adventurous type, you can pedal your way around town and explore some amazing scenery off the beaten path. Bicycle rentals in Tamarindo can go from $20 to $90 for a full day, depending on the type of bike. You could also rent for a few hours.
Where to rent a bicycle?
A couple of recommendations:
Handlebar - beer and bikes is a gorgeous little craft beer bar that also repairs, sells and rent bicycles. And you can have a pint of a local brew when you return it :)
TamaVibes if you don’t feel like pedaling a whole lot, TamaVibes offers fat tire e-bikes. Note: you can’t use this in mud or on the beach.
From us :)
If you’re in Tamarindo as part of our Spanish Summer Camps, you can even rent one of our MTBs at a preferred price. *This service is exclusive to our Summer Camp families.
Where to ride my bike rental?
Well, that pretty much depends on what’s your vibe. You want an easy flat ride to the beach or you want some mud and adrenaline in your life? Here are a few trail lists you can choose routes from:
wikiloc.com
Mtbproject.com
ATVs
These are mostly used in tours, but you could rent an ATV in Tamarindo for about $85 / day. Definitively fun tu drive, but consider the weather and the fact that it’s not so easy to carry things (ie. groceries, surf boards, etc).
Shuttles
Perhaps you don’t even want to drive to go visit Arenal or Rincon de la Vieja volcanoes, or just need a ride to/from the airport; for that a shuttle is the right solution for you.
Summary:
- Plan ahead
- Mix your transportation options as you find fit
- Have fun!
We hope you find this information useful. If you’d like us to help you a little bit more and check availability, get price quotes or even help you plan your trip, please contact us
