The southern Nicoya Peninsula is regarded by people who know it as the best area of Costa Rica for a variety of reasons. It’s not overdeveloped such as Guanacaste to the north, and it’s not as remote as the Osa Peninsula. The easiest way to get there is by taking a ferry, which means that from the international airports it’s a minimum 4-5 hour journey, which prevents the masses of tourists that visit areas such as Tamarindo and Jaco, so the beaches (and surf waves) are relatively uncrowded and unspoiled.