Tamarindo
Tamarindo is a district of the Santa Cruz canton, in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, located on the Nicoya Peninsula. The town of Tamarindo is the largest developed beach town in Guanacaste. The main attractions in the area are surfing and eco-tourism.
Tamarindo was created on 27 November 1995 by Decreto Ejecutivo 24820-G. Tamarindo has an area of 125.86 km² and an elevation of 27 metres.
Playa Tamarindo is a long, rocky beach with excellent waves near the mouth of the estuary. Currents can be strong, especially on a falling tide. Tamarindo has two main breaks for advanced surfers: Pico Pequeño a rocky point to the right of the Hotel Tamarindo Diriá and the excellent river mouth break across from Cabinas Tsunami called El Estero. The biggest waves can reach a height of up to 12 feet, although this is a rare occurrence and is only seen during June, July and August.
The beaches in the area are generally clean and recent efforts by the government and local business organizations are proving themselves. While the beach has not regained its Blue Flag Status, in September 2008 it did get a clean bill of health from the Costa Rican Government. The town is trying to regain its Blue Flag Status.