Playas Brasilito and Conchal Travel Guide

280km (174 miles) NW of San José; 67km (42 miles) SW of Liberia

Playa Conchal is the first in a string of beaches stretching north along this coast. This beach is almost entirely backed by the massive Westin Playa Conchal resort and Reserva Conchal condominium complex. The unique beach here was once made up primarily of soft crushed shells—a shell-collectors' heaven. Unfortunately, as Conchal has developed and its popularity spread, unscrupulous builders have brought in dump trucks to haul away the namesake seashells for landscaping and construction, and the impact is noticeable.

Just beyond Playa Conchal to the north, you'll come to Playa Brasilito, a tiny beach town and one of the few real villages in the area. The soccer field is the center of the village, and around its edges are a couple of little pulperías (general stores). The long stretch of gray sand beach has a quiet, undiscovered feel to it.