Costa Rica has over 300 beaches on 1,300 km of Pacific and Caribbean coastline and browsing these photos is a great way to get a feel for which ones are deserted or developed.  You can choose from playas with black, white, golden, crushed shell, tan or generic gray sand with big waves or small and coconut palms, condos or rainforest in the background.  Many of the most famous beaches are in Guanacaste and this is where all the international and all-inclusive resorts are located.

Click on the thumbnails for a more detailed description, location and larger images.