by: Mark Venegas, Real Estate Consultant
Way back when I first moved here I was asked by friends and family, “Why Tamarindo?” Back then, there were just a handful of families here; basically, a combination of fishermen and business owners. Everybody knew everyone in town, and there were very few amenities, if any. One administrated telephone for the whole town, long electrical blackouts in the rainy season, three TV channels with horrible reception, and a forty minute drive to do your marketing and banking.
While Playa Tamarindo offers world-class shopping, dining, and coastal amusements, budget travelers might find themselves priced out (when I traveled there in college, I grocery shopped and cooked in a communal kitchen). But Tamarindo’s natural perks make the splurge worth it — on the beautiful beaches adjacent to Tamarindo, giant leatherback turtles (and other types) annually clamber ashore to lay their eggs.