With a two-hour drive from Samara and a one-hour drive from Tamarindo you will find Playa Junquillal (pronounced as hoon-kee-yal). Even though the roads to Junquillal are in perfect condition, Junquillal does not attract many visitors like Samara does. And that is a shame, With the good surf, wild nature and the loving community Junquillal should be on everyone's list.
In comparison with Samara's many delicious beach restaurants and growing city, is Junquillal something different. Junquillal is a quiet, unpopular beach where nature does what she wants. Which makes it pretty popular for sea turtles to lay their eggs.
When arriving at the main parking area, close to the beach you will see a hatchery which is owned by the organization Verdiazul. Verdiazul is a volunteer program that welcomes people from all over the world to help regrow the population of endangered sea turtle species in Costa Rica. Most of the time the volunteers are working in front or near the hatchery. If you always wanted to see some turtles, Junquillal is a good place to start.
Just walk up to the hatchery and ask one of the volunteers about the Costa Rica turtle tour. Or maybe a nest hatched that day which makes you one of the lucky persons that gets to see a sun set baby turtle release.
One of the other things that makes Junquillal such an amazing place is the easy accessibility to beaches south and north from Junquillal. Either using low-tide to cross the tide pools or using the network of trails near the beach gives you access to Playa Blanca, a white sand beach with some excellent snorkeling or Playa Venado a huge beach connected to a sanctuary with the possibility to see some of the many bird's species Costa Rica has to offer while kayaking.
If you like to surf, Playa Junquillal is the place to be. With high tide, walk up to the northern part of the beach, and you will see some mouth watering waves with local surfers probably already enjoining them. A good way to make some new contacts. If you like to do it more slowly and enjoy the water without a surfboard please be aware that Junquillal is known for huge waves and rip tides. Never go too far out in the ocean, especially when you are on your own. If you want to explore our ocean seaside in Costa Rica, please call us at +506 2656-0920 email us at info@samaraadventures.com, or fill out our contact form.
Junquillal offers some nearby beaches with amazing hotels and small scaled resorts. Most of them are unpopular with big crowds of tourists, which makes them an excellent place to enjoy your time the most with your loved ones. If you are not the biggest fan of dirt road hikes it is recommended to come by car. This is due to the fact that most hotels, restaurants and stores are spread out in order to give nature the space it needs.
Chilling at the beach and maybe seeing some sea turtles, or being more active and doing some Seaquest Snorkeling, surfing and kayaking Junquillal offers it all. This together with the loving community and the amazing hotels makes Junquillal a must-visit for everyone. To learn more about the captivating sea turtle nesting tour in Costa Rica, call +506 2656-0920, email info@samaraadventures.com, or fill out our convenient contact form.