Playas del Coco is one of the oldest beach communities in Costa Rica. Playas del Coco is the oldest coastal community in Guanacaste Province. This area is also one of the fastest growing tourism areas in all of Costa Rica. It has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations of not only local Costa Rican citizens but also foreigners. Playas del Coco is affectionately called "El Coco" by the locals or "Coco Beach" by Canadians, Americans and Europeans.
Playas del Coco is located approximately 20 miles from the city of Liberia, Costa Rica. Due to its close proximity to Guanacaste's capital of Liberia, it has had historical importance. Local tourism was always constant, but the city really began to grow when international tourists began to arrive in the 1990s. Due to Playa del Coco being one of the few beach areas in Guanacaste with an infrastructure it became a hub for tourism and business. Other neighboring beach area began to grow as tourism and population expanded.