Tamarindo

With sand underneath, a fall does no damage, which suits a beginner. Morning wind stays light and the waves come most evenly at that hour.

Mangrove grows in the estuary north of the village and crocodiles live in it. A boat works up it to find birds and monkeys.

Leatherback turtles come to this beach to lay, so it closes at night. Only a set number go in and always with a guide.

Boiling mud pools and steam vents lie scattered through the forest. Pools warmed by the volcano sit at its base.

The trees leaf out in the wet season and stand bare through the dry. With no leaves in the way, finding animals is far easier than in rainforest.

Toward dusk a boat sails out along the bay. It anchors partway for a swim and some snorkelling.

Twenty minutes walking out of the village, rocky ground keeps the numbers down. At low tide small fish are left in the rock pools.

The press that oxen once turned to crush cane still stands on the farm. It is worked as a demonstration and the juice is given out to taste.

Riding follows the way cattle were worked on this dry plain. The saddle is shaped differently and holding the reins has to be learned.

The wooden keyed instrument is the traditional one of this province. In the evening two players work it together in a square or a restaurant.

A surf beach reached by dirt road south of Tamarindo. Sand-bottom and rock-bottom breaks mix here, so riders pick a peak to match their level. With less building than Tamarindo itself, it keeps mangrove and forest standing behind the sand.

Instead of sand, crushed shell covers this beach, and the clear water draws snorkellers. A large resort holds the land behind it, so many walk in along the shore from neighbouring Brasilito. Shell fragments jab bare feet, so keep sandals on.

A white sand beach north of Tamarindo, curving round a calm bay. Gentler surf than the surf beaches makes swimming easy. From the hill at the far end, the whole of Potrero Bay spreads out below.

A potters' village of Chorotega descendants near Santa Cruz, a drive of about an hour from Tamarindo. The houses round the square each double as workshop and shop. Ask, and a potter will build a bowl by hand from coils of clay while you watch.

On this southern refuge beach, tens of thousands of olive ridleys land within days: the arribada, largest in the rainy season. A village co-op may legally gather eggs from the first day and a half, as later arrivals would dig them up anyway.