This Trendy, Underrated Beach Town In Costa Rica Is Where Locals Go For Vacation

Have you ever daydreamed about spending a lazy week living in a thatched shack in Costa Rica, eating tropical fruits, doing yoga on the beach, and frolicking in the surf? Most travelers with this goal in mind head straight for the thriving expat hub of Nosara, famous for its yoga institute and excellent surf beach. But nobody knows more about enjoyment than native Costa Ricans, so why not follow them to the smaller hamlet of Samara, just 30 minutes away and sharing the Guanacaste province? The famous Costa Rican "pura vida" lifestyle — that's pure living — is one of the reasons this region is a Blue Zone, where happy folks routinely live to 100. And there's no better place to sample that lifestyle than Samara, with its ultra-hip bars and restaurants and dreamy beaches.

Samara is popular with Costa Rican families, who love its sandy curve of beach, protected by a coral reef from the wave action that makes Nosara such a popular surfing mecca. You can surf in Samara, and it's a great place to learn, and you can swim in safe, calm waters. Unlike sprawling Nosara, Samara is compact, with its shops, restaurants and hotels clustered on the beachfront. So you won't need to rent a car — just hop on a shuttle for the 3.5-hour ride from Liberia Airport. Use the time to decompress, because you're about to learn why Costa Rica is Rick Steves' special place to unplug.

You can rent a kayak and explore on your own, but visitors rave about kayaking and snorkeling tours that leave right from the beach in Samara. You'll paddle over to Isla Chora, an uninhabited island — unless, that is, you count hermit crabs and iguanas as inhabitants. It has private, luxurious sand beaches where you can linger eating fruit provided by your guide. Costa Rica is famous for its tropical fruits, like banana, papaya and pineapple, and since there are no waterborne parasites here, you can gorge to your heart's content. Don't be surprised if dolphins accompany you along the way as you paddle out and back. Next, you'll visit that reef, snorkeling with fish, eels, sting rays and sea turtles. The whole excursion is beginner and kid-friendly. That's the beauty of Samara's perfect, protected cove.

While the golden sand beach that abuts downtown Samara is a wonderful place for beginner surfers to catch their first wave, those who are more interested in lounging with a book can follow the Costa Ricans to the next beach south, Playa Carrillo. There, you can buy a hammock from a local vendor, then relax under stately palm trees in perfect serenity. When you've finished your beach read, you might want to rent a scooter and follow the locals a little further on to Belen Waterfall, a small cascade that falls into a perfect blue swimming hole, just twenty minutes outside of Samara.

Samara's charms seduced an accomplished Italian restaurateur, Chef Gigio Palazzo, into bringing haute cuisine to a place you wouldn't expect to find it. His sublime restaurant, Mama Gui, is a foodie miracle. "We can't believe a room and kitchen this elegant is in a small beach town," marveled one Tripadvisor diner.

Want to tuck into some authentic Central American fare, eating off a table made out of a surfboard? Climb out of your hammock, slip into your flip-flops, and head to Soda La Perla. What's a soda? It's not a drink here, but a casual Costa Rican eatery where you can dine on a shoestring budget. At least once during your visit, you should sit under a shade sail with your feet in the sand and watch the sunset to the sounds of live music over a cocktail at Gusto Beach, a quintessential beach bar. 

The region's popularity with expats means that there are ample private villas on Airbnb — just be sure to book your Airbnb accommodation early. But we doubt anything will tickle the fancy of the kids and kidults in your party more than a stay at the fanciful Tree House Inn. This beachfront hotel, with suites sitting high on stilts overlooking the ocean, feels like a real-life version of the Swiss Family Robinson tree house from the classic film about a family shipwrecked on an island. It's a great place to have fun playing castaway.