About Ocotal

Playa Ocotal is a calm, sandy beach, about a third of a mile long; it's ideal for swimming, snorkelling, and other outdoor activities. It's also a perfect place to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. Playa Ocotal is a five-minute drive from Playas del Coco, a small fishing and tourist village. This tiny pocket cove features a small salt-and-pepper beach bordered by high bluffs and is quite beautiful. When it's calm there's good snorkelling around some rocky islands close to shore here.

The sea air is tinged with a whitish mist that many healers believe to be rich in negative ions, small particles charged with electricity that have beneficial effects on people animals and plants. The advantage of Ocotal is that this idyllic beach combines this kind of energy with hours and hours of brilliant sunshine, a mild climate and the warm inviting waters of the blue sea. Indeed, during the dry season (December-April) there are 9 hours of sun a day and there can be 4-5 during the rainy or green season.

Playa Ocotal is an attractive but small beach 3 - 4 km southwest of Playas del Coco. It is the cleanest and quietest beach in the area, offering good swimming and snorkelling. Scuba diving is available, and nearby Catalina island is a recommended diving spot; it's the best place to see huge schools of rays, including the giant manta ray. Accommodations are good but not cheap. Camping is possible but not that common; be discrete and you'll have a better time. The south end of the beach is recommended for snorkelling. Kayak rentals, sport fishing trips, scuba diving, snorkelings, sailing trips are also available in the area.

Playa Ocotal proudly flies the Blue Flag awarded by the Costa Rican government to the country’s cleanest and most eco-friendly beaches. Local businesses are committed to keeping the beach in pristine condition.