Mal País & Santa Teresa
What began as a few tables and a hut in the sand has blossomed into Santa Teresa's liveliest sunset bar. Grab a fruity cocktail and plop down in an…
Must-see nightlife in Península de Nicoya
Nosara Area
At this laid-back beach bar, the thing to do is grab a wooden barstool in the sand, crack a local beer, devour a whole fried fish and watch the sun dip…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
Tucked away at the Blue Surf Sanctuary hotel at the northern end of town, this pretty perfect beach lounge attracts a local expat crowd. Beanbags are…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
Part cocktail bar, part vegetarian restaurant, part art gallery, Drift bar is wholly satisfying. Drinks are made with cold-pressed juices and are best…
Playa Tamarindo
Walk in. Take a deep breath. Smell the magic brewing? On the wall it says, 'good days start with coffee.' Sip it on the shady patio while snacking on a…
Nosara Area
The other beachfront establishment on Pelada is an old-fashioned beach bar, offering traditional Tico fare, cheap beer and the occasional pig roast. The…
Playas del Coco
A chilled-out beach bar with front-row seats for the ongoing sand volleyball action or, even better, a killer sunset. This open-air bar offers beach…
Península de Nicoya
Anchoring Playa Potrero's gastronomy park (El Garden), this expat-owned brewery excels at sours, stouts and gose-style beers. And once the friendly owners…
Playa Tamarindo
If you want to catch the big game, look no further than Sharky's. Besides nine screens showing sports, there are burgers, wings and lots of beer. There's…
Península de Nicoya
If there is a list of unlikely places to find a craft brewery, put Cabuya on there. But it has one! Hidden down a quiet side road, the tiny tasting room…
Montezuma
When it comes to nightlife, Chico's is the main game in town, which means that everybody – old, young, Ticos, tourists, rowdy, dowdy – ends up here…
Playa Tamarindo
Formerly Le Beach Club, this place has changed languages (and added an exclamation point!) but the cool vibe remains the same. Lounge on beach beds or…
Playa Sámara
Step out of Latin America and into this lovely, French-owned wine bar and tapas bistro, where fabulous boards of imported cheeses and charcuterie pair…
Península de Nicoya
You need to know La Perla, the landmark by which all directions are given. You might also want to experience its highly lauded Saturday night rib dinners…
Playa Sámara
Not an inch of space is wasted in this smart little bar on the main road, which serves up 21 Costa Rican microbrews plus infused 'beertails' like the…
Playa Sámara
A laid-back, Tex-Mex bar near the soccer field. It's open for lunch – and the grub is recommended – but it's more fun to come at night, when you can also…
Península de Nicoya
It's hard to resist this colorful shack on the beach offering cold fruity cocktails and glorious sunset views. You'd expect seafood and pub fare, but…
Playas del Coco
A neighborhood sports bar that's also home to Angry Goats Brewing, one of the first microbreweries in Guanacaste. Surfboards dangle from the hardwood…
Península de Nicoya
Apart from the beach, the best spot to appreciate Junquillal's explosive sunsets is this charming, second-story hotel bar. Grab a beer or a cocktail, but…
Nosara Area
Nosara's premier (read: only) dance club offers an after-hours salsa extravaganza.
Mal País & Santa Teresa
Fans above (to cool the place), fanaticos below, watching every manner of sport on the four big screens. Baseball, hockey, and of course fútbol are all on…
Playa Sámara
One of the last Tico bars left, Pablito and family have a simple outdoor space, a bit of music and the occasional barnyard animal wandering through. Nice…
Playa Tamarindo
Beer on the beach is never a bad thing, and when it's Tico home brew, even better. The 15 varieties of cerveza are a bit pricey, but consider the location…
Playa Sámara
The requisite sports bar in this surf town is located on a balcony overlooking the main drag. The place shows international sports on its flat screens, so…
Península de Nicoya
There's very little nightlife on the northern end of Playa Grande, but there is Kike's. Order the local catch of the day from the blackboard until 9:30pm,…
Playa Tamarindo
Aqua Disco is a proper nightclub with a thumping dance floor and a breezy deck that's critical for the cool-down. Come early for free drinks (with a small…
Playa Tamarindo
An old standby for snacks and drinks, this surf camp offers filling breakfasts, famously huge (and aptly named) nachos and cold beers. Note the emphasis…
Playas del Coco
This is a pretty snazzy nightspot for a beer-drinking fishing port, but it suffers from an identity crisis – with a food menu that spans the globe, plus…
Mal País & Santa Teresa
There are only four words you need to know: Thursday night reggae party. Come to this enormous concrete hangar – dive bar and dance club in one – to party…
Playa Sámara
If you'd like to settle in for an evening of beers with the locals, check out Bar Olas on the north end of the beach. This archetypal seafront dive makes…
Playa Tamarindo
This place thinks it's a dance club, but it's really more of a tropical dive bar, with occasional live bands and DJs. And that's OK. Better in fact. Come…
