Mar Bella Beach surfing

Photo by: German Valerio

Playa Marbella, Costa Rica (Playa Frijolar)

Although it may seem like Guanacaste beaches are very touristy, there a plethora of beautiful under the tourist radar beaches to discover. One of those beaches is Playa Marbella, about one hour south of Tamarindo and 30 minutes north of Nosara.

It’s a great surfing beach and for anyone looking for a off the beaten path beach to visit for a day. Although locally known as Playa Marbella, the true name of this beach is Playa Frijolar.

Driving is the best way to get to Playa Marbella since it’s in a rural area. You can find Frijolar and Marbella on Waze which we recommend to use. When you’re driving, look for signs that says “Frijolar.”

There is one bus that goes from Santa Cruz to Nosara at 4 AM, 12:30 PM and 4 PM every day and only 1230 PM on Sundays that stops at Marbella.

4×4 required?

Not necessarily. It will be better to have a 4wd/4×4 because the road to Marbella is unpaved once you turn from Santa Cruz. The road gets a little hilly with big pot holes during rainy season so a high car is highly advised. If you visit during the drier months like January – April, you can go slow in a sedan.

Parking

There isn’t really a dedicated parking lot for the beach but you can park in the small town. Remember not to leave valuables visible and always lock your doors.

Marbella Beach and Surf Breaks

This pretty beach has dark sand, rocks and bright blue waters. As the beach is separated from the main road by the small town, it feels like you’ve stumbled upon your own hidden beach. Unlike the touristy beach towns of Flamingo or Tamarindo, you’ll see pods of pelicans soaring over the water, hear the sound of crashing waves and smell the fresh ocean air. No reggaeton music, no hoards of people. No fighting for a parking spot!

Just you and the ocean.

When we visited Marbella, there were absolutely no people there, not even locals! We camped there for one night, barbecuing on the beach and watching the sunset go down. At night, all we heard were the sounds of the waves. It was the perfect beach escape!

We did see a couple of local surfers catching waves early in the morning as this beach has two excellent surf spots. One to the north, which offers big breaks and hollow waves. There is another surf spot to the south, which is a left point break that goes for up to 150 meters. The south spot is where most of the locals go.

Swimming

Playa Marbella is not the nicest for swimming since there are a lot of rocks. If you want to swim or bathe, be careful. You can dip your toes or play in the shallow waves.

Hotels, The Town, Restaurant

Although there isn’t really anything at Marbella, that’s one of the best things about this beach. The town is tiny but there is an up and coming luxury development, aimed towards foreigners looking for a beautiful, more remote beach community in Costa Rica.

There is a restaurant called Tiki hut on the north end and there are a few small inns and cabinas such as Casa Alice Surf Lodge and Marbella Surf Inn. There is a small supermarket.

Visitors staying in Marbella should expect basic amenities and services but they will be able to experience a more local part of Costa Rica.

Playa Marbella Surf Spot Guide

A beach break with good lefts and rights. The bottom is sandy, but watch out for the rocks!

This spot is best surfed during mid tide falling to low tide. Small and medium swells generate the best waves here, the swell should be less than 6 feet.

This beach needs swell from the South and the Northwest. During low tide you can get tubed here. This is no secret spot at all, when the conditions are good it can get crowded in the water.

Be aware that sharks can show up at this beach!

On January 3 2013 Ross Menking was attacked by a 2.1 m (7′ foot) bull shark at this beach. His lower, right leg was injured and he needed more than 150 stitches in the hospital.

Photos of Playa Marbella

Stand up paddle boarding in Playa Marbella.

Paddling for a wave in Marbella.

A shark in the wave, the dorsal and the caudal fin are clearly visible. The photo was taken on February 6, 2017.

A shark hunting for sardines at Playa Marbella. The photo was taken on February 6, 2017.

Playa Marbella is a beautiful beach with crystal clear water.

Grabbing the rail on a left-hander.

Nova Mar Bella Spot Info

16.1 ° C *ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Nova Mar Bella:

The best conditions reported for surf at Nova Mar Bella occur when a South swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northwest .

Surf Forecasts:

Explore Nova Mar Bella Location Map

Interactive Nova Mar Bella surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Nova Mar Bella is Barcelona Airport (BCN) in Spain, 16 km (10 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Nova Mar Bella is Girona (Gerona) Airport (GRO), also in Spain, 72 km (45 miles) away.

• Map Icons:
• Break
• Live Wave Height ( m )
• Live Wind Speed ( km/h )
• Surf Rating (10 Max)
• Ocean Swells ( m )
• Wind Speed ( km/h )

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.