A week in Sámara is the sweet spot: long enough to settle in, short enough that every day still counts. Here's a sample seven days that mixes beach, water, food, and a couple of adventures without overpacking the schedule. Treat it as a starting point, not a rulebook. The whole point of this town is that you can change the plan over breakfast.
Day 1: Land and slow down
Get in, drop the bags, and don't plan anything. Walk to the beach (10 minutes), put your feet in the water, and eat close: Gusto on the sand or a soda in town. Sunset from the terrace or the beach. That's the whole day. For getting here from either airport, see our getting to Sámara guide.
Day 2: Learn the bay
Book a morning surf lesson. Sámara's protected bay is one of the best beginner waves in the country, mellow and sandy-bottomed. Lesson before lunch, pool in the afternoon. If surfing isn't your thing, swap in a SUP or kayak rental. Full breakdown in our learn to surf guide.
Day 3: Out on the water
Snorkel and kayak to Isla Chora, the little white-sand island in the bay's marine reserve. Calm water, lots of fish, sometimes turtles or rays. Half-day, back for lunch. (In whale season, swap this for a whale trip; see Day 6.) Details in our Isla Chora guide.
Day 4: The Saturday feria (or a beach-hop)
If your week includes a Saturday, this is the morning for the farmers market (15-minute walk). Buy fruit you've never seen, make frescos back at the villa. If not, rent an ATV or golf cart and beach-hop: Carrillo, Barrigona, and Camaronal are each their own kind of beautiful.
Day 5: A real adventure day
Pick one with some teeth: a guided ATV tour through jungle and mountain trails, a horseback ride on the beach at low tide, or a half-day inshore fishing trip. Then nothing the rest of the day. One big thing, then the pool.
Day 6: Day trip or whale watching
If you're here in whale season (roughly Aug to Oct and Dec to Mar), book the boat. Otherwise, drive 50 minutes to Nosara for a different beach, a stronger surf wave, and a good lunch. Home before dark.
Day 7: Last slow morning
Beach walk, one more casado, last swim. Fly out relaxed instead of frazzled. If your flight's late, the supermarket and a leisurely lunch fill the morning fine.
A note on pace
You'll notice this is six real activities across seven days, not fourteen. That's deliberate. Costa Rica rewards the family that does less and feels it more. Build in pool afternoons and you'll go home actually rested. If it rains (May to Nov), shuffle the order; mornings here are usually clear, so front-load the outdoor stuff. See our rainy-day plans and our month-by-month weather guide.
Everything above starts from a base that's a 10-minute walk from the sand, with a private pool for the afternoons. Check availability and book direct. Tell us your dates and we'll tailor this week to your crew.