Costa Rica naturist beaches

Established unofficial nude beach on Costa Rica's Pacific coast near Puntarenas. A "Pura Vida" naturist spot with jungle-backed shoreline.

Playa Grande is a long, wild surf beach on the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, north-east of the village of Montezuma in Puntarenas Province. More than 3 km of sand and waves, it is reached only on foot along the coast through the edge of the Nicolás Wessberg Absolute Natural Reserve, and that walk keeps it uncrowded. It is the area's best surf beach, with powerful waves; swimming is only sensible in calm conditions and at lower tides, and high tide covers much of the sand. Playa Grande is sometimes used by nude and topless sunbathers, but nudity is not the cultural norm in Costa Rica and the beach has no designated nude section, so discretion matters. Surfers, walkers and day-trippers from Montezuma share the sand. There are no services of any kind on the beach, so bring water, food and shade, and keep valuables to a minimum.

Playa La Macha is a small, secluded cove on the Pacific coast between Quepos and Manuel Antonio, hidden below forested hills and reached only by a steep trail. With no road, vendors or music, it has become the main clothing-optional spot in the Manuel Antonio area, especially for gay men, since the hotel built above nearby Playitas pushed nude bathing out of that beach. Nudity is optional and informal; it is most common in the quieter sections to the left and right of where the trail reaches the sand. On many days there are only five to ten people, and some visitors find the cove empty or fully clothed. The beach is short and its size depends heavily on the tide: at high tide it can shrink to a few metres of rocks, so low tide in the morning is best. Expect sand mixed with rock, occasional strong waves and rocky patches in the water, and wildlife such as monkeys and sloths in the surrounding forest. It is not a party or family beach.

Current status: Playitas is no longer described as a nude beach. Travel sources say nude use has moved to nearby Playa La Macha. Playitas, also called La Playita, sits at the far western end of Playa Espadilla in Manuel Antonio, near Quepos in Costa Rica's Puntarenas Province. It was a well-known clothing-optional beach and a gay beach. TravelGay links the change to recent construction, with nudity ending after a hotel was built above the beach. The rocky headland at the west end cuts the beach off at high tide, so timing matters for anyone who wants to walk along it. The NudeBeachMap entry lists the beach as nudity optional and not guaranteed, but that is a user-contributed directory, and other sources call it a textile beach. The sources I found do not name a council, owner or law behind the change, and no date for the change is given. Some visitors still report that it is gay-friendly.