Playa Organos

One of the best-kept secrets of the Southern Nicoya Peninsula is Playa Organos, which is a 10-15 minute drive from the ferry terminal between Puntarenas and Paquera.

The beach is one of the few of the area that’s authentic and natural, which has its upsides and downsides. The upside of course is that there’s a lot of life here, as it’s covered with driftwood, and backed by native plants, is pretty much deserted, and has a large area of mangrove swamp. The downside is that the beach isn’t always “clean-looking” because it doesn’t have hordes of surfers and campers burning all the driftwood. Burning this beach wood is actually illegal in Costa Rica, as it’s an important part of the ecosystem, but the beaches in Santa Teresa and Montezuma, where there are many tourists, have nightly bonfires.

How to find Playa Organos

This is an easy beach to find because there’s a sign on the main road between Paquera and the ferry landing. Tens of thousands of tourists pass it every year, but very few take the road to it.

 

What to do here

The beach ends shortly on the left side, at some rocky cliffs. You can swim or snorkel around here. The waves aren’t big. On the right side, Playa Organos stretches out for perhaps a mile, split in half by a river-mouth. You can hike down to the river-mouth and peer into the mangrove swamp on the landward side.

When you drive down to the beach, you’ll find a couple of shacks owned by Costa Ricans who live there year round. You can park and explore the beach on your own, or you can make some new friends here.

Mangrove Exploration – At high tide you can go in a small boat (a “panga”) into the maze of mangroves. You’ll feel like Indian Jones exploring a very exotic and seldom-visited part of the planet. This is a great opportunity to see crocodiles and rare tropical birds.

Tortuga Island – The famous island is just across the bay from this beach, and you can get there from Playa Organos more inexpensively than any other route.

Beach Dining – You can sometimes get fresh fish, lobster, etc and cook it yourself on the beach, or they can cook it for you. But of course it depends on what they happen to have caught that day.

Accommodations Nearby

Cabinas El Encanto

– Just behind the beach is a cute set of cabinas. If you’re looking for a truly authentic Costa Rican vacation with an authentic Costa Rican beach, then this is the spot. For reservations, call +506 2641-0415 and speak with Maria.

Vista las Islas

– One of Costa Rica’s newest eco hotels, Vista las Islas also has one one of top ten most spectacular views in the entire country. From here you can book many amazing eco adventures such as scuba diving, a horseback ride to a secret waterfall, sea kayaking, etc

Bahia Rica

– Around the corner, perhaps 15-20 minute drive, on the other side of the hills behind Playa Organos, is the Bahia Rica eco-lodge, which specializes in overnight sea kayak trips, sport fishing, and boat adventures.