is situated on the Central Pacific coast, about half way between Jaco and Manuel Antonio. It’s known for its miles of secluded beaches and the little beach village of Esterillos Oeste.
Esterillos stretches along the coastline, and is divided into four beaches; Esterillos Oeste, Esterillos Centro, Esterillos Este and Playa Bejuco, each beach with its own access from the coastal highway. The name Esterillos comes from the Spanish words “esteros” and “rios” (estuaries and rivers), and each of the four beaches is separated from each other by river mouths emptying into the ocean. Esterillos Oeste is the most populated of the beaches, although it’s still extremely quite and laid back compared to other beach areas of Costa Rica.
As a surf destination, the beaches of Esterillos have much to offer. Oeste is known for its long-breaking rights and the inside barreling beach break. Centro, Este and Bejuco also have great surf – more river mouths and beach breaks.
Aside from the surf, the area offers great beachcombing and relaxing. For wildlife lovers, scarlet macaws, monkeys, sloths and turtles can be observed. For fishing, red snapper, snook, sea bass, mackeral, tuna, barracuda and corvina are the most common catch, and local panga boats and one or two larger fishing boats may be rented with the pilot for a day offshore. Take your catch to one of the local restaurants and they will happily prepare it for you at little cost too!
Esterillos is often bypassed by people visiting the larger, better known centers of Jaco or Manuel Antonio, but those who do drop by to check things out often end up staying for a lot longer than planned!
