Ocotal Beach is a small village that is 3 km south of Playas del Coco on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The beach on Ocotal Beach is one of the best places to snorkel in the area. Playa Ocotal is also one of the cleanest and quietest beaches around.

Ocotal Beach is a calm, sandy beach, about a third of a mile long; it’s ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and other outdoor activities. It’s also a perfect place to relax and enjoy peace and quiet.

Ocotal Beach is a five-minute drive from Playas del Coco, small fishing, and tourist village. This tiny pocket cove features a small salt-and-pepper beach bordered by high bluffs and is quite beautiful. When it’s calm, there’s good snorkeling around some rocky islands close to shore here.

The sea air is tinged with a whitish mist that many healers believe to be rich in negative ions, small particles charged with electricity that have beneficial effects on people animals, and plants. The advantage of Ocotal is that this idyllic beach combines this kind of energy with hours and hours of brilliant sunshine, a mild climate, and the warm inviting waters of the blue sea.

Indeed, during the dry season (December-April) there are 9 hours of sun a day and there can be 4-5 during the rainy or green season. It is the cleanest and quietest beach in the area, offering good swimming and snorkeling. Scuba diving is available, and nearby Catalina Island is a recommended diving spot; it’s the best place to see huge schools of rays, including the giant manta ray.

Accommodations are reasonable but not cheap. Camping is possible but not that common; be discrete and you’ll have a better time. The south end of the beach is recommended for snorkeling.