Beaches in Costa Rica

Two coasts with different oceans and different characters. The Pacific side is long, dry in the north and increasingly wet southward, with the surf and most of the development. The Caribbean side is wetter, greener, and culturally distinct. Two coasts a few hours apart and entirely unalike. The Pacific is drier, longer, has the surf and most of the development, with Guanacaste in the north and the Osa Peninsula in the south at opposite ends of a spectrum from resort to wilderness. The Caribbean is wetter, Afro-Caribbean in culture and language, and has the reef. A quarter of the country is protected, which is why forest reaches the sand at Manuel Antonio and Corcovado. Several national park beaches now cap daily numbers and require tickets bought in advance. The dry season runs December to April on the Pacific. Corcovado on the Osa Peninsula holds a substantial share of the planet's biodiversity in a small area.