Tour Operators
Sámara is known more for gentle water sports such as snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding than for surfing, although the calmer waters provide a good place for beginners, so surf schools have multiplied fast. There are also two high-flying adventures here: a zipline tour and ultralight flights and flying lessons. ATV tours, tearing along dirt roads, are popular with travelers who are particularly fond of dust (or mud, according to the season). For a quieter, closer contact with nature, there's a new guided hike in a private forest reserve. For information on area activities, visit the informative website (www.samarainfocenter.com) or drop into their office at the entrance to Lo Que Hay Taquerìa, on the beach road. You'll find brochures, maps, and friendly advice.
Carrillo Tours Eco Adventures. Horseback riding, river and sea kayaking, dolphin-watching, fishing, snorkeling, and trips to Palo Verde, Arenal, and Monteverde national parks can all be booked here. This long-established local tour company also provides daily shuttle service to the Liberia airport at 8:30 am ($50 per person, minimum two people) and to Tamarindo for the same price. 200 m west of Banco Nacional, Sámara, Guanacaste, 50205. 2656–0606; www.carrilloadventures.com. From $35.
Samara Adventure Company. This tour operator offers an array of local tours, including kayaking, dolphin-watching, and mountain-bike tours, as well as paddleboarding and tours in Monteverde and Arenal national parks. It also arranges transportation by private shuttle to other parts of the country. Main street, beside Hotel Giada, Sámara, Guanacaste, 50205. 2656–0920; www.samaraadventures.com. From $50.
Sámara Trails. Take a 2½-hour hike with a bilingual naturalist guide through a mango plantation and into a private reserve to experience the tropical dry forest and its denizens—howler monkeys, trogons, and motmots, among them. There's a daily morning tour at 7 am, or earlier if you want to see more birds, and another at 3 pm. Transportation from Sámara is included; book at Sámara Adventure Tours in town. Werner Sauter Biological Reserve, 3 km (2 miles) northeast of Sámara, Sámara, Guanacaste. 2656--0920; 800/726--8120. $40 for 2½-hour hike.
