Start at Playa Avellanas. Then branch out.
We're based right here on Playa Avellanas — our home beach, and the first stop on this list. Everything after it is ordered by distance from our door, so the closest local sand comes first and the long hauls sit at the bottom.
Closest first
Playa Avellanas, then everything nearby
Distances and drive times are measured from Playa Avellanas in one of our carts, taking it easy on the dirt. The farther down the list, the farther the ride. Roads change with the seasons — when in doubt, WhatsApp us before you commit to the long runs.
- 1
Playa Avellanas
our home beach · Little HawaiiWe're hereHome base · surf · Lola's
0 kmYou're already hereNo range needed. You're already here — walk down, and keep the cart on the charger for tomorrow's run.
This is where we live and where every cart starts its day. Nearly two miles of sand, a world-class point at Little Hawaii on the north end, a mellow beach break in the middle, and Lola's for lunch under the almond trees. The estuary at the south end backs up into a flat-water lagoon at high tide — the best paddle board session you can reach on foot from your villa. Sunrise here is the reason people come back.
- Best time
- Sunrise surf, high-tide lagoon paddle, sunset beers at Lola's
- Road / access
- Right out your front door — paved to the main access
Easy cart drive Great for a paddle boardSurfLola'sLagoonSunsetWalkable - 2
Playa Bonita
Pinilla beach breakWide open sand · beginner surf
~4 km north~12 minRound trip on one charge
Plenty of charge86% left when you get home8 km there and back
~14% of the battery used
Dashed line = our 20% floor — never go below it
Round trip on a full charge with room to spare.
The closest beach to us — the long sandy stretch along Hacienda Pinilla between Avellanas and Mansita. Soft beach-break peaks, plenty of room to spread out, and great shelling walks at low tide. Access roads run through the development, so stay on the marked public access.
- Best time
- Mid tide, morning offshore wind
- Road / access
- Gravel roads inside Pinilla
Easy cart driveBeginner surfLong walksShelling - 3
Playa Mansita
the Hacienda Pinilla secret beachSecret spotCalm · protected · nobody there
~6 km north~15 minRound trip on one charge
Plenty of charge79% left when you get home12 km there and back
~21% of the battery used
Dashed line = our 20% floor — never go below it
Round trip on a full charge with room to spare.
This is the one people mean when they say secret beach, and it's barely fifteen minutes from our door. Tucked inside Hacienda Pinilla, Mansita is a small protected cove with the calmest water on this coastline — no shore break, no crowd, and a reef that keeps it glassy. Our number-one pick for first-time paddle boarders and families with little kids.
- Best time
- Morning, high tide, dead calm water
- Road / access
- Good gravel/paved inside Pinilla — easy cart drive
Easy cart drive Great for a paddle boardCalm waterFamiliesSnorkel - 4
Playa Negra
Reef break · tide pools · legendary
~7 km south~20 minRound trip on one charge
Plenty of charge71% left when you get home14 km there and back
~29% of the battery used
Dashed line = our 20% floor — never go below it
Round trip on a full charge with room to spare.
Our famous neighbor — the Endless Summer II wave. A hollow right-hand reef break that draws surfers from everywhere, plus tide pools that turn into natural bathtubs at low water. Not a swimming beach — rock and reef, sharp underfoot — but hard to beat for photos and a cold drink at one of the little beach bars.
- Best time
- Low-to-mid tide for pools, mid-to-high for surf
- Road / access
- Dirt road with washboard sections — go slow
Moderate — take it slowReef surfTide poolsPhotos - 5
Playa Los Pargos
CallejonesRocky coves · quiet · local
~9 km south~25 minRound trip on one charge
Plenty of charge63% left when you get home18 km there and back
~37% of the battery used
Dashed line = our 20% floor — never go below it
Round trip on a full charge with room to spare.
A string of small rocky coves just south of Negra. Almost never busy. Come for the tide-pool poking and the sense that you found something the guidebooks skipped. Reef shoes are a genuinely good idea here.
- Best time
- Low tide
- Road / access
- Dirt, a few rutted spots
Moderate — take it slowQuietTide poolsReef shoes - 6
Playa Lagartillo
Tiny · shaded · swimmable
~13 km south~35 minRound trip on one charge
Plenty of charge47% left when you get home26 km there and back
~53% of the battery used
Dashed line = our 20% floor — never go below it
Round trip on a full charge with room to spare.
A pocket beach with actual shade trees and calmer water than its neighbors — a nice mid-route stop to cool off if you're making the full run south. Small enough that three families feels like a crowd.
- Best time
- Midday, when you want shade
- Road / access
- Dirt, generally decent
Moderate — take it slowShadeSwimmableQuick stop - 7
Playa Langosta
River mouth · surf · sunsets
~17 km north~35 minRound trip on one charge
Watch the gauge30% left when you get home34 km there and back
~70% of the battery used
Dashed line = our 20% floor — never go below it
Doable on a full charge — top up over lunch if you're detouring.
The northern edge of our range, just past Tamarindo. Rocky shelves at low tide, a punchy river-mouth wave, and one of the better sunset spots if you want restaurants within walking distance afterward.
- Best time
- Late afternoon into sunset
- Road / access
- Paved most of the way through Tamarindo
Moderate — take it slowSurfSunsetRestaurants nearby - 8
Playa Blanca
Pale sand · calm bay
~20 km south~40 minRound trip on one charge
Charge before heading back7% left when you get home40 km there and back
~93% of the battery used
Dashed line = our 20% floor — never go below it
This run can push you under our 20% floor. Leave at 100% and plug in while you're there.
Lighter sand than anything up north and a gentler bay, tucked just above Junquillal. Good float-around water on a calm day and a solid picnic beach — but it's a long run, so leave with a full charge.
- Best time
- Calm mornings
- Road / access
- Dirt, a few soft/sandy patches
Long / rough — plan ahead Great for a paddle boardCalm bayPicnicSwim - 9
Playa Junquillal
Endless empty sand · big sunsets
~24 km south~45–55 minRound trip on one charge
Charge before heading back0% left when you get home48 km there and back
~100% of the battery used
Dashed line = our 20% floor — never go below it
This run can push you under our 20% floor. Leave at 100% and plug in while you're there.
The farthest beach we'd send a cart to, and the emptiest on this list. Miles of gray sand, almost no development, turtle nesting in season, and sunsets with nothing in the frame but water. Strong currents and rip — this is a walking and watching beach more than a swimming one.
- Best time
- Golden hour, straight through sunset
- Road / access
- Longest run on this list. Mixed dirt/paved — plan your charge
Long / rough — plan aheadSunsetEmptyTurtles in season
A few honest cautions: most of these beaches have rip currents and no lifeguards, the rocky ones will cut bare feet, and the dirt roads south of Playa Negra can get rough after rain. Carts stay on public roads and marked beach access only — never on the sand.
Range & charging
Keep the cart happy while you beach hop
A golf cart is the perfect way to see this coast — as long as you respect the battery. Five things our repeat guests all do.
Leave with a full charge, always
Plug in overnight, every night. Our carts run 25–35 miles on a full charge — a round trip to Junquillal and back will use most of it, especially with four adults and a cooler aboard.
Charge while you eat
Most of our stops have a standard outlet you can politely ask to use. Lola's at Avellanas, the spots at Playa Negra, and the Pinilla beach club are all good candidates — the charger lives under the seat. An hour of lunch is real range earned.
Park in the shade, nose out
Heat is hard on batteries and brutal on seats. Find a tree, back in so you can roll out easily, and pop the seat cushion up if you're leaving it for a few hours.
Watch the hills and the sand
Climbs out of Negra and the soft sand tracks near Playa Blanca eat charge fast. When the gauge hits half, that's your turnaround point — not a suggestion.
If you get low, call us
Don't gamble on the last bar. WhatsApp us at +506 7160-5648 and we'll come to you. A tow is free; a night stranded at Los Pargos is not fun.
Rule of thumb
Avellanas to Negra and back is an easy afternoon. Avellanas to Junquillal and back is a full-charge day — start early, charge over lunch, and head home with light left in the sky.
Before you roll out
Stock the cart
The difference between a good beach day and a great one is usually what's in the cooler.
Stock up on coconut water
Coconut water beats sports drinks in this heat and it's the single best thing you can have in the cooler. Add premium Costa Rican coconut water to your booking and we'll deliver it cold with your cart — no store run on day one.
Add water to a bookingGrab your paddle board
Mansita, the Avellanas lagoon at high tide, and Playa Blanca on a calm morning are all made for a SUP. Boards strap to the cart and come with paddle, leash and pump.
See paddle boardsBring the camera
Tide pools at Negra, the rocky coves at Los Pargos, sunset at Junquillal. Dry bag it — salt spray and cart dust are hard on lenses — and shoot the last hour of light.
The rest of the beach kit
Reef shoes for the rocky coves, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a towel per person, cash for the beach bars, and a trash bag. Pack it out — every beach on this list stays beautiful because people do.
Ready to go find your favorite?
Cart at your villa, boards strapped on, coconut water cold.
Not sure which beach fits your crew? WhatsApp us at +506 7160-5648 — we drive these roads every week.