Guidebook for Tamarindo

In my option Tamarindo has the best food scene in all of Costa Rica. Obviously San Jose is a huge city with thousands of options and they definitely have a good amount of great options. However, pound for pound Tamarindo is hands down the better option. There are legitimately ten 5 Star restaurants in town. If you like pizza, Tamarindo easily has the three best in the country and they are all different types. If you want a coffee and something light, there are a dozen amazing cafe's. There are vegan places, all organic/farm to table places. There are special beachfront places with bonfires and there is a ton of live music every night. And don't forget about the local places, serving typical Tico food. There is street food, farmers markets, night markets and a food truck court. Come, stay for a week and eat out every meal and you won't have to eat at the same place twice. That is how good the food scene is in Tamarindo. And to boot?!? All of it can be found within a 15 to 20 minute walk of our place.

There are essentially two Tamarindos; Daytime Tamarindo and Nighttime. These two Tamarindos are separated by sunset and happy hour. As the sun goes down, people flock to the beach, beer, wine and sodas in hand. They come, they say hello to friends, snap those perfect selfies and hope to see a Green Flash. After sunset, beachfront restaurants have live music and fire shows. Fine dining establishments are serving great food throughout town. Last minute shopping is taking place at shops and grocery stores all over town. By 9pm most of the families and older locals and visitors have retired to their lodging for the night. And the bars, clubs, discos are just getting warmed up. Every late night place has a special night; be it Ladies Night, Karaoke, or Open Mic. Some stay open to 2pm and some stay open later. On full moons El Be can go until 4 in the morning. Late night vendors hang outside the hot spots selling meat on the stick, cheap cans of beer out of a cooler and those annoying ceramic bird whistles. Some kid invariably rides his dirt bike loudly up and down the streets after the last place closes and then it is done. The night is over and a few hours later the sun rises and the day begins. Thus the cycle begins anew.