DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO FRIJOLES LOCOS FROM PLAYA DANTA/ LAS CATALINAS area
At Frijoles Locos Surf Shop, we aim to make your life easier! These driving directions from Las Catalinas to Playa Grande are a step by step guide, ensuring no GPS failure or side-roads!
How to find Playa Grande from Las Catalinas:
Turn right from the Las Catalinas main guest parking area to head south towards Flamingo.
Following this paved road through Potrero, past the soccer field, keeping the soccer field on your left.
At the next right-hand turn just after the soccer field, take your RIGHT.
Continue until you go over a little bridge, and along the straightaway until a four-way intersection with La Perla bar on your right-hand corner.
Turn right here at La Perla
Turn left at the stop sign by El Castillo and Bahia del Sol. Straight ahead is the Sailing Center/ beach.
Stay straight now until you reach the T intersection where you will see Banco Nacional in front of you.
Turn LEFT here at this T-intersection.
Follow this paved road from Flamingo, until you come to another T-intersection where you see the beach directly in front of you. To your right far diagonal corner is a restaurant called Camaron Dorado. On your left is LUCY’s Bar and Grill restaurant.
Turn LEFT here.
Continue all the way through Brasilito, Conchal, to Huacas where you will encounter another main T-intersection (here to the left is Tamarindo, to the right is Matapalo, Playa Grande)
Turn RIGHT here. There will be a medium sized brown sign on your right with white letters and a small picture of a turtle that says “Parque Nacional Marino de Las Baulas” which is Playa Grande
On your left once you have made the turn, is a large hardware store called COMACO. If this is on your left immediately after you take the right at the T intersection, you are on the right track.
Follow this paved road around 6 minutes until you reach another 4 way intersection: on your right is a soccer field, straight ahead the road becomes dirt.
Turn LEFT here.
Shortly after you take a left, you will pass over a tiny bridge, with a Give Way sign on your side. Use caution approaching the bridge and stop to allow any oncoming cars to pass.
Continue along this paved road for around 7 minutes, you will go over a medium sized mountain then descend to a straightaway, passing by a lovely big entryway to a development called Las Ventanas de Playa Grande.
Keep going until you start to see some buildings…
You will get to a corner with Kike’s Place on your left, then a little school just after that… take the left turn here at the big sign, it is still paved road.
Just after making that turn left, you will see Frijoles Locos Surf Shop on your left… we have a brightly colored old jeep out front.
Once in Playa Grande, be sure to give yourself some time. There are great restaurants, a beautiful beach and friendly locals… enjoy it!
Driving Directions from Playa Grande to Marbella (Playa Frijolar)
Driving time 1 hour
1. From Frijoles Locos Surf Shop, head towards Tamarindo: take a right at the school to leave Playa Grande.
2. After 7-8 minutes you will arrive in Matapalo. There is a soccer field here. Take a right at the stop sign when you see the soccer field.
3. In Huacas, just after SuperCompro, take your next RIGHT, towards Tamarindo.
Don’t take the next right turn in Villa Real towards Tamarindo. Instead go straight ahead, following signs to the JW Marriott/ Hacienda Pinilla.
You will continue straight onto a dirt road, passing by el Gollo store on your right.
4. Stay on this dirt road, don’t take the right hand turn to Hacienda Pinilla. Where the road forks right and left, the right has a paved stretch, don’t go on this road, stay on the dirt road.
5. From here, stay on the dirt road for around 15 minutes until you hit a paved road… then there is a right hand turn. Take this right hand turn.
6. 100 yards after this right hand turn, there is another right hand turn towards Junquillal and Paraiso. Turn right here.
7. Stay on this paved road around 10-15 minutes until you will see signs for Marbella Real Estate, a little dirt road on the left hand side.
Stay on this dirt road for around 15-20 minutes until you get to Marbella… the beach is called Playa Frijolar.
There is a soccer field on the left…
8. Take your first right after that soccer field. Dirt road all the way to the beach. Park by the Tiki Hut (great place to chill out and have a drink after the surf)…
Not a bad place to take your non-surfing companion- good food and drinks, as well as shade at the beach.
Driving directions from Playa Grande to Playa Avellanas & Hacienda Pinilla Beach Club
1. From Frijoles Locos Surf Shop, head towards Tamarindo: take a right at the school to leave Playa Grande.
2. After 7-8 minutes you will arrive in Matapalo. There is a soccer field here. Take a right at the stop sign when you see the soccer field.
3. In Huacas, just after SuperCompro, take your next RIGHT, towards Tamarindo.
Don’t take the next right turn in Villa Real towards Tamarindo. Instead go straight ahead, following signs to the JW Marriott/ Hacienda Pinilla.
You will continue straight onto a dirt road, passing by el Gollo store on your right.
4. Stay on this dirt road, until you reach the right hand turn to Hacienda Pinilla. Where the road forks right and left, the right has a paved stretch, go on this road, it will stay paved (with lots of pot holes until the entrance to Hacienda Pinilla.
Drive up to the entrance of Hacienda Pinilla and say that you would like to go to the beach club. You can call ahead on 26803000 to see about availability.
The guard will give you directions to the Beach Club.
Surf your brains out at Little Hawaii while your non-surfing family members drink mojitos and eat good food! Everyone is happy!!
Driving Directions From Playa Grande to Playa Danta
1. From Frijoles Locos Surf Shop, take a right at the school to leave Playa Grande.
2. After 7-8 minutes you will arrive in Matapalo. There is a soccer field here. Take a right at the stop sign when you see the soccer field.
3. Follow this paved road for around 5 minutes until you pass by the large hardware store called BAQUORE on your right. Immediately after this, is a LEFT hand turn off towards Flamingo, Conchal, Brasilito. Take this left turn here.
4. Follow this road along, passing through Brasilito, take a sharp right opposite Cameron Dorado (a restaurant on the left hand side) to continue on this paved road. If you end up on dirt road, you went straight when you should have gone right.
5. You will come to a right hand turn opposite Banco Nacional, on a dirt road. There are signs to Las Catalinas and Playa Danta. Take a right here. If you reach a beach on your right hand side, you have gone 200 yards too far.
6. Along this dirt road you will travel, until a 4 way intersection, with El Castillo restaurant on your right. Turn right here.
7. At the next 4 way intersection, Las Perlas bar will be on your left. Turn left here.
8. Continue along this road until the next T-intersection. Turn left here, passing by the soccer field of Potrero on your right.
9. At the next T-intersection, take a right, keeping the soccer field still on your right.
Stay on this road which has been somewhat paved, with kerb and gutters, all the way to Las Catalinas/ Playa Danta. Park in the parking lot and visit our friends at Pura Vida Ride to grab some kayaks, or other rentals and go explore the islands.
The Green Room is the divine new restaurant for Las Catalinas Great food and drinks here!! Tanya is the vibrant and bubbly Kiwi owner- be sure to say hi to her and let her know how you liked her restaurant.
Driving Directions From Playa Grande to Conchal, Brasilito or Playa Flamingo
1. From Frijoles Locos Surf Shop, take a right at the school to leave Playa Grande.
2. After 7-8 minutes you will arrive in Matapalo. There is a soccer field here. Take a right at the stop sign when you see the soccer field.
Follow this paved road for around 5 minutes until you pass by the large hardware store called BAQUORE on your right. Immediately after this, is a LEFT hand turn off towards Flamingo, Conchal, Brasilito.
3. Take this left turn here.
Follow this road along, passing by Reserva Conchal/ Westin on your left, over a one lane bridge which is Brasilito. To get to Playa Conchal, take the immediate left after the bridge. Pass by El Oasis Restaurant on your left, and you will see the beach on your right. If it is low tide, you can drive along the beach to the next beach south, which is Playa Conchal.
4. If you are going to Flamingo, continue straight instead of taking the left just after the bridge…. go through Brasilito, take a sharp right opposite Cameron Dorado (a restaurant on the left hand side) to continue on this paved road. If you end up on dirt road, you went straight when you should have gone right.
Stay on this paved road all the way until you see the next beach, which will be on your right… this is Flamingo Bay, and if you continue along the same road, you will get to Flamingo Beach.
Mar y Sol restaurant is a must visit for sunset cocktails and dinner… to find it, you take a right up the steep hill beside the commercial center which is between Flamingo Bay and Flamingo Beach. Head straight up the steep hill passing by Flamingo Marina Resort, and Mar y Sol is on the right hand side around 2 minutes drive past this.
Driving directions from Playa Grande to Tamarindo for Sportfishing or Automercado.
1. From Frijoles Locos Surf Shop, take the right at the corner to leave Playa Grande.
2. After 7-8 minutes you will arrive in Matapalo. There is a soccer field here. Take a right at the stop sign when you see the soccer field on the opposite diagonal corner.
Continue on this paved road for around 5 minutes until you see the big Super Compro supermarket on your left. This town is Huacas.
3. Take your next RIGHT on the paved road.
Drive for around 7-8 minutes until you see a strip mall, with a big Mega Super on your left, also has Fischel pharmacy at the front.
4. Take the next right on a paved road towards Tamarindo
Stay on this road. You will pass by Automercado after around 5 minutes, on your left hand side. The building is of a sandstone facade.
5. If you continue past Automercado, you will get to the town of Tamarindo.
Don’t ever leave anything in your vehicle once you park it.
For Tamarindo Sportfishing:
If you are going to meet Petra with Tamarindo Sportfishing, stay on the same road all the way until it ends in a culdesac, commonly referred to as Tamarindo Circle.
Petra has a white Toyota 4Runner and will meet you either at Noguis restaurant there in the far diagonal corner, or on the beach in front of the Pescador restaurant. You will be told at booking which location it is.
