The main street in Tamarindo

This is the main street in Tamarindo. It runs parallel to the beach. The beach and ocean are just behind the shops on the left. Tamarindo has some modern, new shopping areas just off the beach, such as the
Garden Plaza Shopping Center that I posted previously.

Tamarindo has no traffic lights, street signs, or addresses. They are not needed because there are only a few streets in town. Everyone knows where everything is. There are plenty of signs to direct tourists how to find the hotels easily. If someone needs directions how to find something in town, people give directions by referring to landmarks, such as hotels, shopping centers, or restaurants.

Costa Rica has been improving its roads. The main street in Tamarindo, shown in this photo, was repaved earlier this year. The road from the international airport in Liberia to Tamarindo (a little less than an hour away) was repaved last year. (I have added a map to the lower left of this website.)

The addition of international flights to Liberia about 8 years ago sparked the explosive growth of tourism that has transformed Tamarindo from a sleepy beach town frequented primarily by surfers, as it appears in this photo of the main street, into a more cosmopolitan resort with fine dining, shopping, high quality hotels and resorts, and upscale condos and homes.

Tomorrow I will show a new shopping area that is a contrast to the old main street running along the ocean, shown in the photo above.