Wild, rugged and charming, the Pacific Guanacaste coast & Nicoya Peninsula is a land of contrasts in every way and the ideal scene for whatever you want your Costa Rica holiday to be. Home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, there’s Tamarindo for sun worshippers, grey-sand Hermosa for family-friendly shallow waters, Langosta for the best swimming (and some peace and quiet), and Playa Grande for keen surfers. Down on the exquisite Papagayo Peninsula, where the hotels are of the sleek and sophisticated variety, combine your relaxation with wildlife-watching in the forests (iguana, endangered macaw and howler monkeys) or in the ocean (manta rays, parrotfish and turtles). In Cabo Blanco National Park, there’s a menagerie of animals to spot, and at Montezuma, hike, swim in waterfalls and then explore the craft shops in town. So, that’s black or white sand beaches; luxury hotels that will cater for your every whim or teeny, boutique boltholes mere steps from the beach; surfing or yoga; hiking or ziplining; sun-splattered sands or animal-filled forests… The choice is yours!