MY STAY
Coast & suite
Tamarindo felt wonderfully far from a conventional beach strip to me. The drive through dense greenery opened onto the Pacific, and on a lucky morning whales appeared beyond breakfast while armadillos moved closer to the buildings. A suite with a terrace lap pool and sea-facing outdoor shower made it tempting to stay in for most of a day.
Dining in isolation
I felt the isolation most at mealtimes. I liked returning to the relaxed taco bar, but the breakfast buffet and beach restaurant were not always operating. At Sal, a celebration dinner could bring very small portions for a substantial bill. The long trip to town meant checking what was open made more sense than treating dinner as a spontaneous decision.
Two different beaches
There were two quite different beach days. The main stretch had waves, while I could take a short golf-cart ride to a more protected bay for calmer water. In the suite, even an air-conditioning problem in the night felt bigger because the room and private pool were such a central part of being here.
Would I return?
Tamarindo makes most sense as several days given over to nature, with meals, transfer and exact suite settled before arrival. The nature was extraordinary; practical details about meals and room condition determined whether the remoteness felt freeing or inconvenient.