Playa Carmen is a wide white sand beach sandwiched between the gorgeous beaches of Santa Teresa and Mal Pais on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. It is considered one of the best places to go surfing due to its excellent weather condition and amazing waves. Besides surfing, vacationers will find plenty of delightful and thrilling activities to do such as horseback riding on the beach, sailing, ocean kayaking, bird watching, hiking, swimming, sun bathing on the beach, picnicking and the list goes on. The beach is family oriented and has a friendly atmosphere. Couples seeking a romantic yet adventurous place, families looking fora fun getaway, friends on an adrenaline pumping holiday, nature lovers and sports enthusiasts, especially surfers, will find Playa Carmen a splendid beach.
How to Get to Playa Carmen
When you first drive down the hill from Cobano and the farms and jungles above, you have arrived at Playa Carmen. To the left is 
Malpais, and to the right is Playa Carmen, and then beyond that farther to the north is Santa Teresa and then Playa Hermosa.
Surfing in Playa Carmen
Playa Carmen has the best and most consistent surf spot in the whole area. To find it, just keep driving straight when you first drop down from Cobano, and you’ll find the parking area with great waves right in front of you and a beachfront restaurant/pizzeria also. The waves are great for beginners and intermediate surfers. The best time to surf is during the months of December and April which offer superb weather condition. Surfers will find numerous surf shops and camps nearby the beach. Additionally, many hotels, rental houses and inns arrange surf classes for their guests conducted by professional instructors. The water is great for both long boarders and short boarders.
Playa Carmen Amenities
The largest amount of development is in Playa Carmen. It has the most restaurants, the most hotels, and the most shops of all kinds, including two banks (BNCR and BCR) with two ATMs, one of the best bakeries in the whole country, the best ice cream in Costa Rica (fresh made Italian Gelatto), tons of gift shops, several surf shops, board repairs, and board rentals, sushi houses such as Umi Sushi, pharmacy, medical clinic / EMT and so many other necessary facilities. All of this is right there in the middle of town and everyone needs to go there once in a while.
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