Beach townsCentral America2026

Central America Beach Towns

Cahuita, Jacó and Quepos were the most booked of the 54 beach towns in Central America on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, with an estimated 43,698, 37,976 and 32,795 stays. March is the busiest month across them, and the typical stay is 5.1 nights.

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

Figures are AirROI estimates. How they are made

Among the 36 towns with 200+ homes

Most booked of these 36: Cahuita 43,698 stays
Highest revenue per home of these 36: Tamarindo $51,925 a year
Highest rated of these 36: Savegre 4.87 out of 5
Lowest nightly rate of these 36: La Ceiba $104 a night
Longest typical stay of these 36: Nueva Gorgona 7.6 nights

Ranking

Central America Beach Towns Ranked by Airbnb Stays

Every one of the beach and coastal towns in Central America with 100 or more Airbnb homes and recent stays, most booked first.

Central America Beach Towns ranked by Airbnb stays, with homes, typical stay, busiest month, nightly rate, occupancy, revenue per home and guest rating

1	Cahuita, Costa Rica	43,698	1,852	4.4 nights	January	$164	35%	$18,253	4.75
2	Jacó, Costa Rica	37,976	2,243	5.2 nights	January	$316	33%	$27,504	4.84
3	Quepos, Costa Rica	32,795	1,215	4.0 nights	March	$270	40%	$35,648	4.81
4	Tamarindo, Costa Rica	29,571	1,458	5.9 nights	March	$413	42%	$51,925	4.84
5	Cóbano, Costa Rica. Includes Santa Teresa, Montezuma and Malpais.	28,014	1,530	6.2 nights	January	$305	38%	$33,687	4.81
6	Bahía Ballena, Costa Rica	22,850	1,127	5.1 nights	January	$268	37%	$29,435	4.85
7	Sardinal, Costa Rica	18,856	1,233	6.2 nights	January	$263	37%	$29,432	4.80
8	San Pedro Town, Belize	15,295	826	5.4 nights	February	$336	38%	$35,728	4.80
9	Cabo Velas, Costa Rica	14,964	778	5.8 nights	March	$419	40%	$49,038	4.83
10	Nosara, Costa Rica	13,410	924	7.0 nights	March	$452	41%	$45,485	4.84
11	San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua	11,181	725	5.6 nights	March	$207	31%	$17,264	4.77
12	Tempate, Costa Rica. Includes Playa Potrero and Las Catalinas.	10,810	614	5.5 nights	January	$438	36%	$42,436	4.82
13	Puerto de La Libertad, El Salvador. Includes El Zonte.	10,454	500	3.2 nights	December	$207	33%	$23,809	4.74
14	Sámara, Costa Rica	10,271	626	6.9 nights	February	$204	42%	$23,615	4.80
15	Bocas del Toro, Panama	9,960	484	4.7 nights	March	$170	34%	$16,514	4.76
16	Caye Caulker Village, Belize	9,348	354	4.8 nights	January	$200	44%	$27,547	4.75
17	Parrita, Costa Rica	9,200	544	4.7 nights	January	$221	31%	$19,750	4.81
18	Roatán, Honduras	8,922	766	6.3 nights	March	$258	32%	$21,318	4.79
19	El Paredón, Guatemala	8,396	335	2.8 nights	March	$166	31%	$16,927	4.76
20	Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica	7,131	304	4.0 nights	June	$159	38%	$16,226	4.72
21	San Luis La Herradura, El Salvador. Includes Costa del Sol.	6,455	263	2.6 nights	December	$304	33%	$32,630	4.75
22	Tárcoles, Costa Rica	5,609	277	3.6 nights	January	$277	29%	$25,531	4.80
23	Placencia, Belize	4,994	330	5.4 nights	February	$332	34%	$28,803	4.79
24	Veintisiete de Abril, Costa Rica	4,881	393	6.0 nights	March	$259	31%	$20,709	4.84
25	Maria Chiquita, Panama	4,534	155	2.8 nights	January	$394	33%	$42,355	4.82
26	Monterrico, Guatemala	4,448	297	2.6 nights	December	$287	20%	$16,024	4.69
27	Uvita, Costa Rica	4,211	218	4.9 nights	December	$214	39%	$21,514	4.83
28	El Tunco, El Salvador	4,159	192	4.3 nights	March	$169	36%	$22,276	4.80
29	Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica	3,987	293	4.6 nights	March	$165	29%	$14,290	4.83
30	Distrito San Carlos, Panama. Includes El Palmar.	3,671	265	5.0 nights	February	$225	27%	$15,966	4.78
31	Puntarenas, Costa Rica	3,450	230	4.8 nights	February	$189	33%	$17,631	4.72
32	Tola, Nicaragua. Includes Playa Gigante and Playa Popoyo.	3,372	212	6.3 nights	July	$296	36%	$27,294	4.84
33	Utila, Honduras	3,314	241	5.3 nights	February	$143	28%	$10,359	4.80
34	Bahía Drake, Costa Rica	3,288	151	3.8 nights	March	$133	34%	$13,582	4.83
35	Coco, Costa Rica	3,212	198	6.2 nights	January	$190	40%	$19,692	4.79
36	Paquera, Costa Rica	3,084	226	4.9 nights	February	$186	30%	$15,079	4.82
37	Savegre, Costa Rica	2,986	203	6.2 nights	February	$293	35%	$29,001	4.87
38	Xanadu, El Salvador	2,907	118	4.6 nights	March	$257	38%	$34,693	4.79
39	Playa Langosta, Costa Rica	2,874	176	6.3 nights	January	$541	41%	$61,304	4.88
40	Rio Hato, Panama	2,739	256	4.8 nights	January	$264	26%	$14,305	4.79
41	Puerto Carrillo, Costa Rica	2,718	169	5.4 nights	January	$233	35%	$25,443	4.81
42	La Ceiba, Honduras	2,606	281	3.7 nights	July	$104	22%	$4,524	4.81
43	Nueva Gorgona, Panama	2,507	208	7.6 nights	January	$159	35%	$13,032	4.76
44	Tela, Honduras	2,500	194	3.1 nights	July	$189	19%	$10,837	4.77
45	Farallon, Panama	2,262	186	5.4 nights	February	$203	25%	$11,734	4.73
46	Cuajiniquil, Costa Rica	2,220	172	5.6 nights	January	$232	31%	$20,091	4.84
47	Bastimentos, Panama	2,173	133	4.6 nights	February	$214	31%	$16,752	4.79
48	Pinilla, Costa Rica	2,147	127	4.7 nights	March	$570	35%	$67,405	4.86
49	Hopkins, Belize	1,957	109	5.0 nights	January	$221	36%	$19,671	4.82
50	Coronado, Panama	1,952	187	6.9 nights	February	$186	29%	$12,445	4.76
51	Pavón, Costa Rica	1,710	178	6.8 nights	May	$174	31%	$11,929	4.87
52	Omoa, Honduras	1,540	133	2.6 nights	July	$299	18%	$13,426	4.72
53	Puerto San José, Guatemala	1,491	113	3.5 nights	December	$276	21%	$15,202	4.72
54	La Cruz, Costa Rica	1,307	103	3.9 nights	December	$146	26%	$8,723	4.67

Figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and stays count Airbnb bookings only. Typical stay is a booking's length, occupancy the share of available nights booked, and revenue the yearly average per home, before costs. Guest rating is out of 5. Airbnb data files some places as one district or township, so Cóbano and rows like it cover several towns.

By country

Stays and Top Town by Country

Central America Beach Towns by country: towns, Airbnb stays and the top town in each
Region	Towns	Stays	Top town
Costa Rica	28	327,230	Cahuita
Belize	4	31,594	San Pedro Town
Panama	8	29,798	Bocas del Toro
El Salvador	4	23,975	Puerto de La Libertad
Honduras	5	18,882	Roatán
Nicaragua	2	14,553	San Juan del Sur
Guatemala	3	14,335	El Paredón

Town by town

Where the Top Towns Stand Out

5 of 8 are busiest in January. Quepos and Tamarindo peak in March, and San Pedro Town in February. Among guests who left a review, the United States is the top home country in 7 of the 8. Houses are the largest home type in 5 of the 8. The lines below add what the table can't show, where one of the 8 most booked towns leads its peers or differs from the rest.

Cahuita, Costa Rica
In the 12 months to October 2026, among guests who left a review, Costa Rica was the top home country for Cahuita, Costa Rica, at 37%.
Jacó, Costa Rica
Of the 36 beach towns in Central America with 200 or more homes, Jacó (Costa Rica) had the most Airbnb homes, at 2,243, in the 12 months to October 2026. Apartments and condos were the largest home type in Jacó, at 57% of homes.
7
Sardinal, Costa Rica
In the 12 months to October 2026, apartments and condos were the largest home type in Sardinal, Costa Rica, at 54% of homes.
8
San Pedro Town, Belize
In the 12 months to October 2026, apartments and condos were the largest home type in San Pedro Town, Belize, at 52% of homes.

When to go

Busiest and Quietest Months

March, January and February rank as the busiest months for Airbnb nights across the beach towns in Central America, and September and October as the quietest. March is the busiest month in 14 of the 54, while Cahuita, Jacó and Cóbano peak in January. Across the 54 towns, nightly rates run lowest in September, at about $234, and highest in December, at about $302. Across the 54 towns, stays run longest in January, at 6.6 nights, and shortest in September, at 3.6 nights.

March ranks first, October last

Airbnb months in calendar order. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.

Three busiest months
Other months

Month by month: rank, typical stay and nightly rate

Months in Central America by rank
Rank	Month	Typical stay	Nightly rate
1	March	5.0 nights	$293
2	January	6.6 nights	$301
3	February	6.3 nights	$294
4	December	5.2 nights	$302
5	July	5.1 nights	$259
6	April	4.3 nights	$280
7	June	5.0 nights	$259
8	November	5.1 nights	$261
9	May	4.4 nights	$263
10	August	3.9 nights	$248
11	September	3.6 nights	$234
12	October	4.6 nights	$241

Who comes

Where Guests Come From

Among guests who left a review, 73% were staying outside their home country. Among those guests, the largest groups from any one country come from the United States, Costa Rica and Canada. The top home cities among those guests are San José, Guatemala City and Heredia. San Pedro Town (Belize) and Caye Caulker Village (Belize) draw the most from abroad, at over 99%, among towns with 200 or more homes.

Top origin countries

Among guests who left a review

United States 39%
Costa Rica 20%
Canada 12%
Germany 3.9%
Guatemala 2.9%
France 2.1%

Top home cities

Among guests who left a review

73% staying outside their home country

San José 5.1%
Guatemala City 2.3%
Heredia 2.1%
New York 2%
Panama City 1.3%
San Salvador 1%

The money view

Revenue, Occupancy and Nightly Rate

Among the 36 towns with 200 or more Airbnb homes, Tamarindo has the highest estimated revenue per home, at $51,925 a year. Of those 36, Caye Caulker Village has the highest occupancy, at 44%, and La Ceiba has the lowest nightly rate on Airbnb, at $104. The most booked of the 54, Cahuita, earns about $18,253 per home.

Highest revenue per home of these 36

A year, AirROI estimate

Tamarindo $51,925
Costa Rica
Cabo Velas $49,038
Costa Rica
Nosara $45,485
Costa Rica
Tempate $42,436
Costa Rica
San Pedro Town $35,728
Belize

Highest occupancy of these 36

Nights booked, AirROI estimate

Caye Caulker Village 44%
Belize
Tamarindo 42%
Costa Rica
Sámara 42%
Costa Rica
Nosara 41%
Costa Rica
Quepos 40%
Costa Rica

Lowest nightly rate of these 36

On Airbnb, AirROI estimate

La Ceiba $104
Honduras
Utila $143
Honduras
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca $159
Costa Rica
Nueva Gorgona $159
Panama
Cahuita $164
Costa Rica

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular beach town in Central America?

By AirROI's estimates, Cahuita (Costa Rica) is the most booked of the 54 beach towns in Central America, with 43,698 Airbnb stays in the 12 months to October 2026. Jacó is second, with 37,976. This counts Airbnb bookings only.

What is the most affordable beach town in Central America?

By AirROI's estimated nightly rate on Airbnb in the 12 months to October 2026, among beach towns in Central America with 200 or more homes, the lowest are La Ceiba (Honduras) ($104), Utila (Honduras) ($143) and Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Costa Rica) ($159). That is the average asking price on booked nights, not what it costs to live or buy there.

What are some small beach towns in Central America?

By AirROI's count of active Airbnb homes as of October 2026, the smallest of the 54 beach towns it lists in Central America are La Cruz (Costa Rica) (103), Hopkins (Belize) (109) and Puerto San José (Guatemala) (113). AirROI's list starts at 100 homes, so smaller places are not on it.

What beach towns in Central America offer the strongest Airbnb returns?

Returns depend on what a home costs to buy and run, which AirROI's figures do not cover. On AirROI's estimated revenue per home in the 12 months to October 2026, among beach towns in Central America with 200 or more homes, the highest are Tamarindo (Costa Rica) ($51,925), Cabo Velas (Costa Rica) ($49,038) and Nosara (Costa Rica) ($45,485). Among the same towns, Caye Caulker Village (Belize) has the highest occupancy, at 44%.

Method

How These Lists and Numbers Are Made

How a town gets on this list. A town needs 100 or more Airbnb homes with recent stays. A language model then judges the place from its name, state, country and coordinates, not from words in its name: it has to be on an ocean or sea coast with its own beach, seafront or harbour, or on a Great Lake with a public beach, and within about 10 km of the shore. The town's own listings can back that up, with 30% of its homes listing beach access, or 10% with ocean views, waterfront homes or beach in their titles besides. A town whose listings do not gets a second, stricter check, which asks whether people go there for that or mainly for something else. Big cities stay off. Corrections come last: places the checks got wrong are added or taken off, and rows that name one place are joined.

How the figures are made. Stays, occupancy, nightly rate and revenue are AirROI estimates built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. A town's stays are its bookings in the period, and the typical stay and busiest month come from the same data. Guest ratings, home sizes and how far ahead guests book are the latest figures in each town's AirROI data. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 1,237,238 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. A town needs 1,000 reviews before this page gives its share from abroad.