Sámara
Encyclopedia
Sámara, situated along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica
's Guanacaste Province
, has long been a favorite vacation spot for both Costa Ricans and foreigners. The town is rather small (approximately 1500 full-time residents, including close-by towns such as Torito and Cantarrana) with its main street leading directly to the beach. Sámara has a healthy mix of local and foreign residents and still maintains a somewhat authentically Costa Rican atmosphere. The largest expatriate groups living in Sámara are generally Italian, Canadian, German, and U.S.-American.
made the area a high priority region of tourism industry development for the Costa Rican government shortly after the opening of Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport. Because the beach is accessible from three of Costa Rica's four international airports, influential business owners and well connected landowners were able to secure government-funded improvements to the highway and beach infrastructure earlier than competing tourism regions like Nosara and Guiones, providing easy access to the virtually pristine beaches and calm ocean waters.
, the economic and administrative hub of the region.
Access to Sámara is via paved roads. The paving of the final 35 km of the drive, "Road 150" from Nicoya
to Sámara on through to Carrillo
was completed in early 2006. Public buses operate between Sámara and Nicoya
; express buses operated by Empresa Alfaro connect Sámara with San Jose. Air service is provided by Sansa Airlines to the small Carrillo Airport
, about 5 km east of Sámara.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
's Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...
, has long been a favorite vacation spot for both Costa Ricans and foreigners. The town is rather small (approximately 1500 full-time residents, including close-by towns such as Torito and Cantarrana) with its main street leading directly to the beach. Sámara has a healthy mix of local and foreign residents and still maintains a somewhat authentically Costa Rican atmosphere. The largest expatriate groups living in Sámara are generally Italian, Canadian, German, and U.S.-American.
Tourism
This region was popular long before the arrival of foreign tourists by locals in the immediate area for weekend enjoyment, and by "weekenders" and summer-home owners from the capital of San Jose. The quality of the beaches in Sámara and neighboring CarrilloCarrillo
-Locations:* Carrillo Canton is the fifth division of Guanacaste Province* Carrillo , a beach adjacent to Puerto Carrillo, Costa Rica* Puerto Carrillo, a small town in Guanacaste, Costa Rica...
made the area a high priority region of tourism industry development for the Costa Rican government shortly after the opening of Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport. Because the beach is accessible from three of Costa Rica's four international airports, influential business owners and well connected landowners were able to secure government-funded improvements to the highway and beach infrastructure earlier than competing tourism regions like Nosara and Guiones, providing easy access to the virtually pristine beaches and calm ocean waters.
Transportation
Sámara is located approximately 35 km from NicoyaNicoya
Nicoya is a town in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province, and one of its most important tourist zones. It serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. According to the 2000 census, the city's population was 13,334—second only to Liberia in the province...
, the economic and administrative hub of the region.
Access to Sámara is via paved roads. The paving of the final 35 km of the drive, "Road 150" from Nicoya
Nicoya
Nicoya is a town in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province, and one of its most important tourist zones. It serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. According to the 2000 census, the city's population was 13,334—second only to Liberia in the province...
to Sámara on through to Carrillo
Carrillo
-Locations:* Carrillo Canton is the fifth division of Guanacaste Province* Carrillo , a beach adjacent to Puerto Carrillo, Costa Rica* Puerto Carrillo, a small town in Guanacaste, Costa Rica...
was completed in early 2006. Public buses operate between Sámara and Nicoya
Nicoya
Nicoya is a town in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province, and one of its most important tourist zones. It serves as a transport hub to Guanacaste's beaches and national parks. According to the 2000 census, the city's population was 13,334—second only to Liberia in the province...
; express buses operated by Empresa Alfaro connect Sámara with San Jose. Air service is provided by Sansa Airlines to the small Carrillo Airport
Carrillo Airport
Carrillo Airport is an airport serving Carrillo, a town in Guanacaste province, Costa Rica. The airport is situated between Playa Carrillo and Playa Sámara. It is also known as Carrillo Domestic Airport.-Facilities:...
, about 5 km east of Sámara.
External links
- Costa Rica Photo Set Photos: mostly Sámara but also Costa Rica in general