Las Catalinas
A perfect Costa Rica beach community.
Beachfront
Holidays
Long Term Stay
Group Travel
Beach
Children-friendly
Christmas
Diving
Unique
Teen-friendly
Luxury
Family Time
Why Visit Las Catalinas?
Las Catalinas is a new, planned beach village on the beach of Playa Danta in Guanacaste Province. It's unique in Costa Rica (and Central America) in that it was developed in an environmentally-friendly way, concentrating on car-free, walkable places.
When you visit Las Catalinas, you'll find a collection of apartments, homes, and businesses connected by walkable paths and plazas. There's an air of Mediterranean vibes to the place.
This little town lies on a slope heading down to two beautiful beaches, Playa Danta and Playa Dantita, perfect for relaxing and swimming.
- Ambiance and Architecture: Discover what it's like to stay around beautiful buildings reminiscent of Renaissance Italy.
- The Sunsets: Some of the best sunsets in Costa Rica are right here at Las Catalinas.
- Beaches: Guanacaste is all about the beach, and Las Catalinas is a stone's throw of some of the best. You can walk to Playa Danta; you also have Playa Flamingo, Potrero, Conchal, Brasilito, and more.
Where to Stay
Las Catalinas has plenty of accommodations. From larger homes to mid-sized townhouses and smaller apartments. Also, high-end, beautiful boutique hotel options.
Things to Do
There are great beaches for swimming, snorkeling, and boogie-boarding. Plus, some thrilling adventures to try.
Welcome to Playa Danta!
It's almost impossible to separate the Guanacaste beach of Playa Danta and the community of Las Catalinas that it serves. Playa Danta is a medium-sized beach with gray sand and small waves, great for boogie boarding and body surfing. It's a great family beach.
Above and surrounding Playa Danta is the community of Las Catalinas, a new beach village, representing Costa Rica's first attempt at "new urbanism" - an environmentally-friendly, car-free way of living. Las Catalinas is a collection of Italian and Mediterranean-inspired homes, hotels, and businesses, all connected by walkable paths and plazas to create an overall ambiance of peace.
If you look out to sea from Las Catalinas, you can see the islands the town is named after. The Las Catalinas Islands shimmer offshore in the distance, about a 30-minute boat, ride away. These islands comprise one of the best diving spots in Costa Rica, home to rays, sharks, and big fish galore.
Las Catalinas also provides easy access to nearby beaches, including Potrero, Flamingo, Conchal, etc. So if you're a true beach lover, you can fill your days quite happily at Las Catalinas. Hikers and mountain bikers will find trails galore, often with stunning ocean views to enjoy.
Best Time to Travel to Las Catalinas
When is the best time to travel to Las Catalinas? Let’s see: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December are all great months to visit Catalinas. Did we miss anything?
In all seriousness, the Guanacaste coast of Costa Rica is divine all year. It's the hottest, driest part of Costa Rica, so the weather isn't an issue. Sure, you might get a bit of rain from May to November, but that's no deal-breaker in this part of the world.
The best months to be at Las Catalinas are May and November. They're the transition months (May is the transition from dry to rainy season and November vice versa) when the weather is perfect - hot and sunny with afternoon rain to keep things green.
Weather in Las Catalinas
Guanacaste is the driest and warmest part of Costa Rica - in our view, the best weather for beach lovers. You can expect mid-to-late 80s F (early 30s C) temperatures for much of the year, with humidity lower than elsewhere.
The rainy season is from May to November, but even then, there's not a great deal compared to elsewhere in Costa Rica. Think hot and sunny most of the day with solid afternoon showers. The rainiest months are September and October.
Is Playa Danta Safe?
Las Catalinas is very safe. The whole town is secure and well guarded, making crime virtually non-existent. Playa Danta is also safe, with small waves and little in the way of currents and undertow. However, lifeguards are rare, and you should care when entering the ocean.
Top Restaurants in Las Catalinas
Sentido Norte
Sentido Norte is located in the Casa Chameleon Hotel and is the best restaurant in town. To make a perfect dinner even more perfect, come at sunset.
Limonada
Fresh ingredients equal yummy food and cocktails on the beach at this rustic little spot.
Pociana
Are you feeling the urge for something Italian while at Las Catalinas? Ponciana has you covered for your pizza and pasta, and more.
How to get to Playa Danta
Outside of Liberia, Guanacaste Airport (Airport Code LIR) is the closest international airport to Playa Danta and Las Catalinas.
Distance & Driving Time to Las Catalinas
From LIR Airport: 24 miles (39 kilometers), about 1 hour
All Costa Rican Vacations packages include an airport "meet and greet" service and private transfers with English-speaking drivers. This means you're all set when you arrive in-country - just sit back, relax, and our driver will get you to your destination.
Driving to Las Catalinas from Guanacaste Airport is straightforward. It takes a little under an hour, but if you're renting a car at the airport, give yourself another hour to make all the arrangements. Make sure you arrive in Costa Rica early enough in the day to not drive at night.
Once you have your car, head out of the airport onto the main road. Keep following this road until you see a gas station and take the right opposite. Then keep going towards Sardinal. If you pass the Lakeside International School, you're heading in the right direction.
Head through the outskirts of Sardinal, past another gas station, and just stay on that road until you hit the coast in the community of Playa Potrero. You're almost there.
In the center of Potrero, take a left around the plaza, turning north. From here, you'll start seeing a lot of signs for Las Catalinas, so keep on driving, and you'll soon be there.