Perfectly Located to Explore Guanacaste
Explore Guanacaste from Casa Las Mariposas
More than a beach stay. A family home base for exploring Guanacaste.
Casa Las Mariposas offers the space families need to enjoy both sides of a Guanacaste vacation: days exploring beautiful beaches and a private home to return to.
Discover Junquillal, Playa Negra, Avellanas, San Juanillo, Ostional and more at your own pace. Then come home to your private pool, playground and garden, where both kids and adults have space to enjoy their vacation.
Nearby Beaches & Attractions
✈️ Liberia International Airport – 1 hour
🏖️ Playa Junquillal – 15 min
🏄 Playa Negra – 23 min
🌊 Playa Avellanas – 26 min
🌴 Tamarindo – 28 min
🌅 San Juanillo – 44 min
🐢 Ostional Wildlife Refuge – 52 min
Playa Junquillal | Our closest beach
Just about 15 minutes from Casa Las Mariposas, Junquillal is our closest beach and one of the reasons we love this part of Guanacaste.
Less developed and quieter than many of Guanacaste’s better-known beach towns, Junquillal is perfect for long walks, beautiful sunsets and enjoying the natural Pacific coast.
Its waves and currents can be strong, so swimming conditions should always be evaluated carefully.
Local tip: Go in the afternoon, enjoy the beach and stay for sunset.
Playa Negra & Playa Avellanas | Surf, food & laid-back beach days
From Casa Las Mariposas: about 23 minutes to Playa Negra and 26 minutes to Playa Avellanas by car.
Two of Guanacaste’s best-known beach communities offer a different experience from quiet Junquillal.
Playa Negra is especially known for its surf and relaxed coastal setting, while Playa Avellanas combines a beautiful beach with surfing, sunsets and places to eat. Playa Negra, Costa Rica Playa Avellanas Travel Guide
With a car, Casa Las Mariposas gives you the freedom to explore both areas and choose a different beach experience from one day to the next.
Why we love them: They bring another side of Guanacaste into your stay, while you still return to the privacy, pool, playground and space of your own family home.
Playa San Juanillo | Worth the scenic drive
About 44 minutes by car from Casa Las Mariposas, San Juanillo makes a beautiful day trip for families exploring the Guanacaste coast.
Its distinctive coastline, with two bays separated by a narrow stretch of sand, gives San Juanillo a completely different landscape from the other beaches in the area.
Pack what you need for the day, enjoy the coast and take in the panoramic views before heading back to the privacy and comfort of Casa Las Mariposas.
Why we love it: It shows exactly why staying a little inland can be special. You are not limited to one beach, you have the freedom to discover very different corners of Guanacaste during the same vacation.
Playa Lagarto & Frijolar | Off the beaten path
About 23 minutes to Playa Lagarto and 35 minutes to Frijolar by car from Casa Las Mariposas, these beaches offer a different side of the Guanacaste coast.
Wide stretches of coastline and a less developed setting make these beaches an interesting option for travelers who enjoy venturing beyond the better-known destinations.
Having a car gives you the freedom to make days like this part of your vacation: explore at your own pace, then return to Casa Las Mariposas for your private pool, playground, garden and the comfort of home.
Why we love them: They bring a sense of discovery to the trip and fit perfectly with what makes Casa Las Mariposas different: one family home, many ways to experience Guanacaste.
Ostional | A remarkable wildlife experience
About 52 minutes by car from Casa Las Mariposas, Ostional offers the possibility of experiencing one of Guanacaste’s most extraordinary natural spectacles.
The Ostional National Wildlife Refuge protects an important nesting site for olive ridley sea turtles. During arribadas, large numbers of turtles come ashore to nest, creating a remarkable wildlife experience.
An Ostional visit adds something completely different to a beach vacation and is one more reason to give yourself enough time to explore this part of Guanacaste.
Good to know: Turtle activity is a natural phenomenon, so timing and viewing conditions vary. When planning a visit, check current information and follow the refuge’s visitor guidelines.
Why we love it: It turns a day of exploring into an opportunity to experience the wildlife and conservation that make Guanacaste so special.
Tamarindo | Beach town energy, dining & sunsets
About 28 minutes by car from Casa Las Mariposas, Tamarindo is an easy option when your family wants a livelier day by the coast.
Spend time at the beach, watch the surfers, walk around town, stop for a meal or do some shopping, then stay for one of Guanacaste’s beautiful Pacific sunsets. Tamarindo offers a very different experience from the quieter beaches in this guide, with plenty of tourism services, restaurants and activities in one area.
Why families may enjoy it: It gives you the flexibility to combine beach time with dining, shopping and other activities without making Tamarindo your home base.
Why we love it: Enjoy Tamarindo when you want more activity, then return to the privacy, space, pool, playground and garden of Casa Las Mariposas.
One family home. Many ways to experience Guanacaste.
At Casa Las Mariposas, the house is part of the vacation, not just the place where you sleep.
Start the morning at your own pace, choose a different corner of Guanacaste to explore, and come back to a private home where the family has space to enjoy the rest of the day.
With 3 bedrooms, a private pool, playground and garden, Casa Las Mariposas gives families a comfortable home base with the freedom to experience Guanacaste in different ways.
Explore during the day. Come home to your pool, playground and private space.