Playa Samara has a huge flat beach about 3 miles long. There is big difference in the width of the beach with the tide change. It had very little surf because it is protected by a reef. Super safe swimming beach.
We walked the beach daily. It was great.
Sunrise
Sunset
During the heat of the day we enjoyed hanging out at La Vela Latina sipping on cold beers.
We also enjoyed snorkeling at low tide at the south end of the beach near the reef. We walked by this pasture to get there.
There were a lot of fisherman. Some used nets, others poles or hand held yoyos. Nightly the pangas went out from the beach. We also saw spear fisherman everyday where we snorkeled.
It was very peaceful here. Many of the tourists were Costa Rican families, Europeans or the congenial Canadians. We only met one other American and he was from Oregon.
We drove the car over the rough and bumpy roads (felt like home) and forded a small river to find other isolated beaches.
Playa Buena Vista
Playa Barrigona was our favorite, but difficult to find and the road there was very rutted. I wouldn’t even attempt it during the rainy season.
I enjoyed this dip in a pool away from the surf
White sands. Playa Barrigona is a very beautiful place.
We stayed at 3 different hotels in and near Playa Samara. The first was the Samara Inn. It was modern, clean and had a good breakfast overlooking a pasture with the ocean beyond. We liked it, but it was a little noisy and a kilometer from the beach.
We also stayed out in the bush at the Flying Crocodile. It was very fun and unique.
Mark spent some time flying gyro-copters with an instructor and I read from our room and watched the howler monkeys watching me.
For our last 2 nights in Samara we stayed on the beach at Hotel Las Brisas del Pacifico. They had a lovely pool and a good breakfast. All of the hotels we stayed had breakfast included. We enjoyed this breakfast spot the most. Who wouldn’t.
We saw a lot of cattle and horsemen in this area. They traveled the road with the cars. I loved it. We even had to stop once and let a herd of cows pass.
Playa Samara is a bit off the beaten path, but it is well worth the visit. We hope to return someday for a longer visit, spending some time at the language school that is right on the beach. There are many apartments and condos to rent as well as hostels and hotels. Samara is a great place if you like tranquility and beauty on the beach. For us it had the right combination of amenities and nature.
mountainofmemories 
Did you holler out to “the girls?”
Dan
Yes, I did. But they didn’t listen. I should have hollered in Spanish.
Beautiful pictures. Thanks for posting. Was Playa Buena Vista swimmable? Did you have any threats of crocs near the beach?
Diane, it was swim able when we there and we didn’t see crocs at the time, but later my husband flew over and the estuary right off the beach is full of them. I would ask a local as I’m not sure how safe it really is.