Updated 7/13/2022

Playa Conchal, Costa Rica is a small beach located to the south of Playa Flamingo in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province. Its claim to fame? Where there should be sand, there is instead a thick carpet of seashells!

Curious what this beach is like? I’ll tell you a bit about our experience here!

A Beach with No Sand

It sounds weird to say a beach with no sand. Like, seriously, can it even still be called a beach?

Absolutely! In fact, I would say my least favorite part of the beach experience is all the sand that is stuck to you afterward. It is especially bad where we live in Manuel Antonio because of the high humidity. 

That was something I loved about the beach in Santa Teresa. I visited there once on my first tour around Costa Rica when I first got here. 

Instead of sand, the beach was full of tiny rocks and shells. That sounds like it would hurt to walk barefoot, but it was amazing! The edges of the rocks and shells are smoothed over time so by the ocean so it was actually like getting a foot massage when taking a stroll. 

Playa Conchal is similar but without the rocks. The shore is literally packed with tiny pieces of seashells several feet deep. 

How do I know this? Because my husband dug holes to bury our kids and it was shells as far as he went!

Impressions of Playa Conchal

Without a doubt, the beach was lovely. The water was super clear, relatively calm, and our kids had a blast splashing about in the shallows. There are a lot of large rocks close to the shore so swimmers would have to be careful. Even small waves can push you into the rocks easily. 

My husband and I sat down directly on the shore and relished in the fact that there was no sand to stick to our skin. 

There wasn’t much shade to speak of so you’re out in the hot sun the whole time. However, there were vendors selling wares and offering umbrellas and lounge chairs for rent. 

The shell part of the beach is actually only on one side. Despite being on Costa Rica’s west coast, the beach is on the top side of an area that juts out into the ocean so it faces north. 

The shells are located at the extreme eastern end of the beach. The west side of the beach is still lovely with white sand but most tourists come to see the shell side. 

On the day we visited, there weren’t many people so there was plenty of space. However, the shell part of the beach is really small so I imagine it gets packed quickly during high season. 

Getting to Playa Conchal

There is no drive-up direct access to Playa Conchal, though you can get to it from either side. The Westin Reserva Conchal all-inclusive golf resort is located along the beach and guests have access as well. 

Brasilito

The easiest public access is through Brasilito on the east side of the beach. We followed Waze right into town and it led us to the access. There is a public parking lot to the right as you near the coast where you can pay to park. We didn’t realize this and kept going. 

We turned left along a little road that kind of looked like it didn’t go anywhere. It ended on the beach and there was a little parking lot there run by what looked like a little set of cabinas. 

There was an attendant and he told us we could pay to park there. Then we unloaded and headed down Playa Brasilito. 

After about 10-15 minutes of walking, we came to the end of the beach. There was a little path that went up into the trees. We followed it and found Playa Conchal waiting on the other side. 

Matapalo

We also accessed Playa Conchal from the west side through this little town called Matapalo. The access was pretty terrible as far as potholes in the road so you’ll want a higher vehicle if you’ll be entering from this side. I wouldn’t say 4×4 was necessarily required, but maybe in the rainy season you would need it. 

There was a lonely-looking parking lot and we didn’t pay to park there (though we went pretty early in the morning). There is probably an attendant later in the day and there was a small typical-style restaurant that wasn’t open yet. Regardless, I definitely wouldn’t leave any valuables in the car. 

On this side, you drive up to the beach but it is white sand – not the shells. You have to walk to the eastern side to find the shells. I would guess it was about a 20-30 minute walk (we kept stopping to take pictures of the crabs). Again the water was super clear and our kids played in the shallows (and chased the crabs, lol). 

Bahia de Las Piratas

As you’re driving to Playa Conchal on the Matapalo side, you’ll see a road going off to the left. At the time we went, there was a sign that said Bahia de Las Piratas. We followed that road to check it out.

It was early in the morning so we only saw one other family (and a guy sleeping in a boat on the shore, lol). Again, don’t leave valuables in your car.

There were small tide pools where you can see small fish, crabs, and starfish. We didn’t see a ton of wildlife but it was fun to poke around with our kids. It’s hit or miss as to how much you’ll see. 

A Visit to Playa Conchal, Costa Rica

Here’s a fun tidbit, a couple of weeks ago Big 7 Travel named Playa Conchal the number one best beach in the world. That’s pretty cool! But I’ve gotta say, I wonder what the criteria were. Although Playa Conchal is beautiful, there are a whole lot of beautiful beaches in the world.

I guess you’ll just have to come to see this lovely beach so you can decide for yourself! Unless you like jostling for a position on the beach, I suggest visiting Playa Conchal during the off-season if possible. 

For us, it was a nice spot to see and spend a couple of hours. There are plenty of activities like snorkeling, jet-skiing, etc available, though we didn’t go on any of them. We’re just not beach people lol. But if you are and you want to visit a beach made of shells instead of sand, Playa Conchal, Costa Rica is a great place to visit!

Need a bag for all your beach stuff? Check out this sturdy nylon butterfly travel bag and the other unique souvenirs I have in my shop!