Tamarindo, Costa Rica · since December 2011
Our family’s guide to Tamarindo, Costa Rica
We’re Matt and Erin Sampson. Our family of five has split life between Colorado and Tamarindo for fifteen years. This is everything we’ve learned, from the airport to where to eat to how school works.
Plan your trip
Start with the guide
Every page is written from our fifteen years here and checked again in 2026. These are the ones most families start with.
Getting to TamarindoFlights into Liberia, the drive, and the airport shuttle.
Where to stayHotels and rentals by area, from the beach to the hills.
Where to eatOur favorite restaurants, with a map that shows you where.
Things to do with kidsSurf lessons, turtles, the estuary, waterfalls and more.
Surfing in TamarindoWhere our kids learned, the breaks, and the tides.
Weather by monthDry season, green season, and when we like it best.
Schools in TamarindoSix schools and their tuition, from parents who did it.
Cost of livingA real monthly budget for a family, with sources.Where we actually eat
Our short lists
Stay with us
Casa Colorado, our house in Tamarindo
Casa Colorado is our family’s home in Tamarindo, and we rent it out when we’re not there. It has a private pool, it’s a 4- to 5-minute walk to the beach, and everything in this guide is right outside the door.
Who we are
A Colorado family that kept coming back
In December 2011 the five of us landed in Liberia late at night, one bag short, speaking what we called Dora Spanish. Our kids grew up at TIDE Academy in Tamarindo, spending fall here and spring in Colorado schools, and all three have graduated now.
Erin teaches yoga and leads Costa Rica retreats at Five Parks Yoga, and these days we film our life on the road at Five Parks Life.
From the blog
Latest stories
November 2024Yoga Retreats, Storms, and Resilience in Costa Rica
December 2021Celebrating Jacob’s Final Semester in Tamarindo After 9 Years
October 2021Has it Really Already Been 10 Years in Tamarindo?
April 2021New 360 Virtual Tours & Views of Tamarindo
March 2021Costa Rica is Open! Traveling During COVID
December 2019It’s the End of an Era for Us