The Community of Playa Potrero
Located on the western edge of the Nicoya peninsula in Guanacaste, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, in a large bay directly north of Playa Flamingo. Playa Potrero Costa Rica used to be a quiet fishing village, surrounded by large expanses of cattle open pastures for cattle grazing. As Flamingo boomed in sport fishing tourism the town began to grow. The planned community of Surfside Estates began slowly but is now full of a mix of new residential family homes and rental properties.
The expansive beach has always been the main attraction in the area. This beach is perfect for long morning walks, shore fishing, or swimming in a bay protected from riptides common elsewhere.
For those who enjoy the serene atmosphere and casual beauty this is definitely a great choice. Surfside being a largely residential community, with an influx of tourists from across the globe from January to April, the town offers everything you need, including unique shops, restaurants and bars. Nearby towns of Flamingo, Brailito, Tamarindo and Las Catalinas, are just around the corner providing more opportunities to explore and take in this international melting pot of beach culture mixed with the wild west.
Potrero Beach Nerby Beaches
The neighboring beaches of Flamingo Beach, Brasilito Beach, Conchal Beach to the south and Playa Penca, Playa Prieta and Playa Zapotal are some of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. You may still be able to enjoy a variety of wildlife with howler monkeys, iguanas, toucans, agoutis and more.
Potrero Beach Accommodations
There are no shortage of places to stay in and around Playa Potrero. The Hotel Bahia del Sol lies in the center of Playa Potrero is the perfect place for a family vacation. Just back from the beach, in the center of Surfside is the newly renovated Isolina Hotel. The Westin Playa Conchal Resort, the W and the Margaritaville Flamingo Beach Resort are a few of the many incredible hotels in Costa Rica. There are also many ecotourism accommodation options in the Potrero Beach community. From luxury eco-lodges to family-friendly sustainable log cabins with outdoor showers and spectacular beach views and sunsets.
There was a time when Potrero was considered the end of the road with only one road in or out. 'You can't get there from here' was a popular phrase. With the paving of the road to Nuevo Colon and on to Belen, everything is closer to Playa Potrero, including the international airport in Liberia, now just 45 minutes away, if traffic co-operates.
Potrero Beach Restaurants
For a small town there are a wide choice of restaurants. We offer international cuisine from all over the world. Surfside, Potrero and Flamingo are among the areas that provide the best variety of options. From traditional Tico style fare, to Indian, Thai, Mexican, Peruvian, Japanese, American, Italian, more Italian and not to forget... Italian. We also have our own local brewery which is a must visit experience when in town. No matter the choice of fare, you will experience something unique in every venue.
Things to do in Potrero Beach
If dining, walking on the beach, catching awesome sunsets night after night are not enough, there are still plenty of optional activities to keep you occupied. While Potrero Beach is not known for surfing, is is home to the Costa Rican Sailing Center, adjacent to the Bahia del Sol Resort. Here you can rent paddle boards, learn to sail or arrange a local charter. Catamaran tours run daily with snorkel trips and sunset cruises running daily.
The newly renovated and greatly expanded Marina Flamingo is actually on the southern end of Potrero Bay, in the town of Flamingo. The Marina Flamingo is home to a few of the best restaurants in the country and more just across the road in the Flamingo Plaza. There are boutiques, cafes and a popular Gelateria to enjoy while you watch the ships sail in and out of the marina.
Flamingo was considered the top destination for sport fishing in the world and it is still one of the top activities drawing fishing enthusiasts from around the world. Marlin, sailfish, and rooster are catch and release sport fish, but tuna, mahi, grouper and snapper are catch and eat. There's also mackerel, barracuda, and bonita to keep you busy working your biceps and forearms.
The marina is also home to a number of SCUBA diviing excursions, with the majority of tours visiting the nearby pinnacle shaped islands of Catalina, Sombreros, Elephant Rock and the more distant Bat Islands. White tip sharks, large schools of angels, sea turtles, eagle rays, are always nearby.
From January to May, you can see giant manta rays and dolphins frequently. Being near the equator we are also home to migrating whales from both the north and south hemispheres providing two seasons to witness these majestic marvels.
There's also mountain-bike tours with some well maintained trails and bike rentals in nearby Las Catalinas, horseback riding tours in Brasilito and Potrero, world class golfing in Reserva Conchal, sailing charters from Potrero and Flamingo, zipline tours in Neuvo Colon and Diamonte, world class surfing in Playa Grande and Tamarindo and miles and miles of nearby beaches to explore.
There are so many activities available from this unique location it's easy to forget what the rest of Costa Rica has to offer. That's why people return year after year.
While the Potrero - Flamingo area may not be known for it's nightlife, that doesn't mean the locals don't know how to celebrate when the occasion arises. We are the home of the Annual Mardi Gras Celebration, an annual Blues festival, a annual Tope with bull riding, horse parade and Fiesta, and the top choice for Christmas Week (Navidad), Easter Week (Semana Santa) and our New Years Fireworks display..
Our large community of expat Americans, Canadians, Italians, Germans, Belgians, Brits and others keep the community thriving year round. We're always happy to meet you.