This is the southern half of Tamarindo beach, looking towards Playa Langosta, which is around a point that is not visible to the right of this photo. The southern end of town is more residential, although there are some hotels and guest houses tucked behind the trees that line the beach. I chose this photo in part for the dogs, of course, but also because it illustrates two other things about Tamarindo. Yesterday I discussed the building setbacks in Costa Rica that prohibit construction right on the beach. You can see in this photo that even though Tamarindo has been described by Forbes Magazine as Costa Rica's most popular beach resort, the beach even in the main part of town is still quite lovely. You don't have the crowding or construction right on the beach that you see in places like Hawaii or Florida.
But, this photo also shows the pressure of development, as on the horizon are some construction cranes for condos being built.
This photo also gives a perspective to a question I am sometimes asked about whether the beach is crowded. The most popular part of the beach is the part behind me in this photo, as the waves are bigger there because the south end of the beach shown in this photo is sheltered from the ocean waves by the bay. Nevertheless, this photo does show that the beach is not crowded. In the USA there would be a lot more people than this on a beach. In Costa Rica, however, there are only 4 million people in the entire country, most of them live in the central valleys hours from the beaches, and there are two coastlines that run the length of the country. Crowds on the beach are simply not a problem.
Now, what were these dogs staring at? I will show you tomorrow.
11 comments:
It's a beautiful, quiet beach. Do the people care about the dogs, and do the owners pick up after them? It's frowned upon in Mazatlan (by the gringos), but most dog owners seem to be pretty responsible. Are stray dogs in CR as big an issue as in Mexico?
Those dogs look quite at home on the beach!
I definitely recommend clicking to enlarge. The expression on the white dog's face is priceless. Dave, there are still people out there enjoying the beach and the water. You've just put the focus on this engaging pair of pooches.
Kate,
There is not a problem with stray dogs. When i see dogs on the beach, the owner is usually in the vicinity. There is not a culture of keeping dogs on a leash, so owners will walk their dogs with the dogs romping around in the surf or running around a bit. The dogs do not bother the people.
It is more common in Tamarindo than in the USA to encounter a dog in a shop, as some shopkeepers will keep their dogs with them during the day.
I have not noticed a problem, either in town or on the beach, with deposits that dogs have left behind. Either people are picking up after their dogs or the number is not so large as to create a problem.
Most of the people in Tamarindo are foreigners, and they have the same habits of caring for their dogs as you would see in the USA, Canada or Europe. When driving through the local towns where Costa Ricans live, I always make it a point to drive cautiously and with a slower speed because there are more people and dogs out and around in the local villages. It is not a situation of stray dogs like I have seen in some other Latin American countries, but people do let their dogs roam around. It is common to see dogs, people on bicycles, children playing, etc. in the towns near the roadways.
Nice of them to pose so well. Dogs love the beach!
beautiful beach and dogs. The white dog seems to have its eyes closed. Just read your comments Dave which answered all my questions!
Looks like such a beautiful place...I like the non-crowded bit, although you can find many beaches in Florida that are fairly open...
The dogs, hmmm, must be watching a cat fishing?
Love the expressions on the dogs' faces.
Love the composition of this one.
Locals often see the side that magazines and visitors don't, the reality of our areas. Lovely image.
I love the beaches in this area because you can walk the beach for miles, the trees are so pretty and line the beaches instead of concrete and buildings, and the waves are great and the sunsets beautiful and the water is warm. All of my favorite things.
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