The journal / Venue guides / Beach weddings

Costa Rica
beach wedding venuesto compare.

Seven places on the Pacific coast, what each one is, and what to ask before you hold a date.GUANACASTE · NICOYA PENINSULA
Reception lit by string lights beneath large trees at dusk at Pangas Beach Club in Tamarindo
PANGAS BEACH CLUB · TAMARINDOPHOTOGRAPHS BY ADRI & LUCAS

QUICK ANSWER · COSTA RICA BEACH WEDDING VENUES

Costa Rica beach wedding venues range from an oceanfront restaurant in Tamarindo to resorts on the Guanacaste coast and a private retreat on the Nicoya Peninsula. This guide sorts seven of them by style, so you can decide how much you want a venue to handle before you ask about a date.

Start with the kind
of day you want.

The seven venues below fall into three groups, and the group usually decides more than the view does.

Resort properties with several event spaces on site: Westin Reserva Conchal, Andaz at Peninsula Papagayo, Four Seasons at Peninsula Papagayo and Hacienda Pinilla. They suit couples who want one team to coordinate the stay and the celebration.

Smaller, private settings: Nantipa in Santa Teresa and Hacienda Barrigona on the Nicoya Peninsula. They suit couples who want a quieter, more personal weekend, and who are happy to confirm every detail directly.

A restaurant and beach club: Pangas Beach Club in Tamarindo, an oceanfront venue for private events and weddings.

Beyond the beach? Compare more settings across the country in our guide to wedding venues in Costa Rica.

THE LISTSeven venues
THE COASTPacific
THE AREASGuanacaste, Nicoya Peninsula
THE NEXT STEPConfirm with each venue
02 / SIDE BY SIDE

Seven settings,
one coastline.

The table summarizes what each venue’s own site says. Capacity, availability and wedding policies are not stated here, so confirm them directly with the venue.

Costa Rica beach wedding venues at a glance
VenueAreaWhat its site describesAsk before booking
Pangas Beach ClubTamarindo, GuanacasteAn oceanfront venue with an upscale restaurant, hosting private events and weddingsWhich areas host a ceremony, music and end-time rules, rain plan
Westin Reserva ConchalPlaya Conchal, GuanacasteAn all-inclusive golf resort and spa; its events page lists a beachfront wedding venue, a garden, a gazebo and a ballroomWhich space fits your guest list, how the wedding and guest stays fit together, rain plan
NantipaSanta Teresa, Nicoya PeninsulaA beachfront boutique hotel with an open-air beachfront restaurantWhether it hosts weddings at all (its site does not mention events), group size, music rules
Hacienda BarrigonaNicoya Peninsula, near NosaraA private nature retreat of villas and rooms on a forested property, a short walk from Playa Barrigona, with weddings offeredHow many guests it can host overnight, how guests arrive, where the ceremony takes place
Andaz at Peninsula PapagayoPeninsula Papagayo, GuanacasteA resort whose wedding page lists a garden above Culebra Bay, a beachfront ceremony site and a pool venueWhich space is free on your date, guest transfers, rain plan
Four Seasons at Peninsula PapagayoPeninsula Papagayo, GuanacasteA resort whose venues page lists a beach, a lawn above Culebra Bay and a golf-course lawnAccess to the beach on your date, what the package covers, rain plan
Hacienda PinillaSanta Cruz, GuanacasteA resort whose venues page lists two ocean-facing palapas, a chapel and a beach clubWhich venue suits a beach-style ceremony, religious requirements for the chapel, rain plan
03 / THE SEVEN VENUES

What each place
is like to plan.

Each entry links to the venue’s own site. Photographs are ours; the venue named is the section they sit in.

Guests gathered for a ceremony under a giant tree beside the water at Pangas Beach Club in Tamarindo
01

Pangas Beach Club

Tamarindo, Guanacaste

An oceanfront venue in Tamarindo with beachside dining, hosting private events and weddings. Couples who like a relaxed, barefoot feel with the Pacific right there often look at it first. Read how a day there unfolds in a Pangas Beach Club wedding in photographs.

Ask: which areas host a ceremony, how late music can run, and where the celebration moves if it rains.

Bride in a satin gown and veil looking over her shoulder among hanging plants at Westin Reserva ConchalWooden beach ceremony arch with orange flowers and benches among trees by a calm bayBride in a white gown raising her arm on the beach at Westin Reserva Conchal under a cloudy evening sky
02

Westin Reserva Conchal

Playa Conchal, Guanacaste

The Westin Reserva Conchal is an all-inclusive golf resort and spa. Its events page lists a beachfront wedding venue, a beachfront garden, a lake-view gazebo and a ballroom, plus pool, cabana and lakeside spaces for receptions. For couples who want a resort to coordinate the stay, that mix of settings is the draw. We also photographed a wedding at Westin Playa Conchal.

Ask: which space suits your guest list, how the wedding and the guest stays fit together, and what the rain plan is.

Beach cocktail area with wooden high tables, bar stools and string lights on the sand in Santa TeresaRound floral ceremony arch with greenery on the sand with waves behind, wooden chairs in front
03

Nantipa

Santa Teresa, Nicoya Peninsula

A beachfront boutique hotel in Santa Teresa, with an open-air restaurant on the beach and bungalows and villas steps from the sand. Its look leans on natural wood and open-air spaces. A smaller, nature-minded wedding weekend is the fit here.

Ask: whether the hotel hosts weddings or private buyouts (its website does not mention events), how many guests it can host, and what the music and end-time rules are.

Empty white-sand beach framed by tree branches with surf and turquoise water, Nicoya Peninsula
04

Hacienda Barrigona

Nicoya Peninsula, near Nosara

A private nature retreat on a forested property, with villas and rooms, a pool and a short walk to Playa Barrigona. Its website says it offers weddings and describes the location as about 30 minutes from Nosara. It suits couples who want privacy and are comfortable with a remote setting.

Ask: how many guests can stay on the property, how guests and vendors travel there, and where the ceremony takes place.

Reception tent with long floral tables and gold chairs under string lights at Andaz Peninsula PapagayoCouple dancing on a grassy hilltop above forested bays at Andaz Peninsula Papagayo
05

Andaz at Peninsula Papagayo

Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste

A Hyatt resort on Peninsula Papagayo. Its wedding page lists a garden overlooking the forest and Culebra Bay, a beachfront ceremony site and a pool venue, so the same resort can offer a beach ceremony and a garden reception.

Ask: which space is free on your date, how guests move between the beach and the garden, and the rain plan.

Aerial view of a green peninsula with a turquoise cove, Peninsula Papagayo
06

Four Seasons at Peninsula Papagayo

Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste

A resort on Peninsula Papagayo. Its venues page lists a beach with Pacific views, a lawn overlooking Culebra Bay and a lawn with golf-course views, among other spaces.

Ask: whether the beach can host your ceremony on your date, what the wedding package covers, and where the evening moves if it rains.

Palm trees on a lawn above the ocean, with a ceremony and reception setup in the distance at Hacienda PinillaAerial view of palapa roofs and a ceremony setup among palms on a rocky shore at Hacienda Pinilla
07

Hacienda Pinilla

Santa Cruz, Guanacaste

A resort in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste. Its venues page lists Las Palapas, two palm-thatched ranchos overlooking the ocean, a chapel for Catholic ceremonies and a beach club. That range lets a couple choose between a beach-style celebration and a more traditional one.

Ask: which venue suits your ceremony, whether the chapel’s rules fit your plans, and how the evening works if it rains.

04 / PLANNING NOTES

Ask the same
questions everywhere.

Practical notes for comparing beach venues.

  1. Confirm where the ceremony can take place.

    A venue near the beach is not always a venue that hosts a ceremony on the sand. Ask where the ceremony takes place on your date, who handles access and who is responsible for any permissions.

  2. Plan the evening around the sunset time.

    Sunset changes through the year. Ask your planner for the sunset time on your date, then build the ceremony and portraits around it.

  3. Agree on a rain plan early.

    Whatever the month, ask where the ceremony moves and who decides. Our guide to the months to get married in Costa Rica covers timing across the country.

  4. Ask about drones and vendors.

    Some venues restrict drones or outside vendors. Ask before you plan aerial photographs or bring your own team. Read more in how to plan a destination wedding in Costa Rica.

05 / USEFUL ANSWERS

Comparing Costa Rica beach wedding venues?

Short answers first. Confirm the details for your own date with the venue and your planner.

Are all seven venues right on the beach?

Not in the same way. Pangas Beach Club and Nantipa describe beachfront settings. The Westin, Andaz and Four Seasons list beach or beachfront settings on their wedding pages. Hacienda Pinilla lists ocean-facing palapas and a beach club, and Hacienda Barrigona is a short walk from Playa Barrigona. Ask where your ceremony takes place.

Which of these are resorts?

The Westin Reserva Conchal, Andaz and Four Seasons at Peninsula Papagayo, and Hacienda Pinilla are resort properties. The Westin describes itself as all-inclusive. Ask each one what a wedding stay includes.

Where are these venues?

Pangas, the Westin, Andaz, the Four Seasons and Hacienda Pinilla are in Guanacaste. Nantipa is in Santa Teresa and Hacienda Barrigona is near Nosara, both on the Nicoya Peninsula.

Which suits a smaller wedding?

Nantipa and Hacienda Barrigona are the smaller, private settings in this list. Both are worth asking directly, since their websites do not publish wedding details in full.

Do we need a planner?

Many resorts have their own wedding team, and smaller venues often expect you to bring one. Ask each venue what its team handles and whether an outside planner is welcome. Our destination wedding planning guide explains how the pieces fit.

Can we use a drone?

Ask the venue. Some venues restrict drones, and the rules differ by place. Raise it early so aerial photographs fit your plan.

When should we plan the wedding?

It depends on the coast and what you value, from dry skies to quieter months. Read our guide to the months to get married in Costa Rica.

Do you photograph weddings at these venues?

Based in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, and working throughout Costa Rica. The photographs in this guide are ours. Tell us your venue and date and we will check availability. For more on our work, see beach wedding photography in Costa Rica.

Venue details checked October 2026 on the venues’ own pages: Pangas Beach Club, Westin Reserva Conchal, Nantipa, Hacienda Barrigona, Andaz, Four Seasons and Hacienda Pinilla. Policies, availability and permissions change, so confirm them directly.

THE PLACES

Pangas Beach Club
Westin Reserva Conchal
Nantipa
Hacienda Barrigona
Andaz at Peninsula Papagayo
Four Seasons at Peninsula Papagayo
Hacienda Pinilla

A NOTE ON THIS GUIDE

Written by Adri and Lucas. Photographs by Adri & Lucas. Venue details come from the venues’ own sites and can change. We are not affiliated with these venues.

YOUR DATE, YOUR PEOPLE

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