Eco-Camping Tamarindo

‘A little gem’ is how this splendid Costa Rican site has been described by just one chuffed former guest... have a stay here – for as long as poss – to see the many reasons why.

An eco-friendly and mightily laidback place on the Pacific Coast, Eco-Camping Tamarindo is a place to settle at for a while: it’s a mere couple of hundred metres from a golden beach, runs its own surf school with lessons in surfing and kayaking on Tamarindo Bay's famed waves, and has Costa Rica’s Pura Vida vibe all around. Local town Tamarindo is the biggest developed beach town in the Guanacaste province – its fab clutch of bars, cafés and surf shops are a gentle 10-minute stroll away.

Guests can also take tours or arrange activities straight from the site – there’s yoga or ziplining to try, diving and snorkelling, crocodile tours, dolphin and baby turtle spotting, catamaran rides, trips to volcanoes and hot springs… When the time comes to move on (pffft), Costa Rican capital San José is just over four hours’ drive away.

Need a space to come back down to earth after all that adventure? Hole up in a hammock on site, or stroll over to the barbecue area to poke the coals while clutching a beer. There's also a kitchen area if you'd rather be under cover, and the site's been kitted out with spacious bathrooms housing toilets and showers.

Finally, no need to fret if you don’t speak the local lingo: the amiable team say they’re fluent in Italian, Spanish, English… and chillout.