Costa Rica’s annual International Music Festival is hosted in July and August at Hotel Cala Luna and Villa Alegre B&B.

The Monkey Bar, at Tamarindo Vista Villas (tel. 506/2653-0114), has Monday-night football, with free shots at touchdowns; Wednesday is ladies’ night, with free cocktails for the gals; Thursday is all-you-can-eat pasta; on Friday, the Monkey Bar is still popular for tequila shooters night.

The no-frills open-air Pacífico Bar in the village center is a happening spot on Sunday for reggae night. It has a pool table and music—but also has a history of drawing an unsavory and raffish crowd (example: Wed. it has a wet T-shirt contest).

Babylon, an outdoor bar, hops on Thursday (reggae night), although reportedly it can get violent after midnight! The Voodoo Lounge (tel. 506/2653-0100, www.elvoodoo.com, 6 P.M.–2 A.M. daily), owned by Rasta-man Nico, has Brazilian acoustic and carnavale nights on Monday and an open-mike every Wednesday.

Bar 1 (tel. 506/2653-2586, www.bar1tamarindo.com, 6 P.M.–2 A.M. daily), upstairs in Plaza Tamarindo, draws martini-sipping city-slickers. Open-air, it has hip black-and-white New York styling and an adjoining sushi bar. DJs spin on weekends, and it has ladies’ night on Thursday. It’s perfectly placed for a post-movie cocktail when the Cine-Mas (tel. 506/2653-2586 or 8824-4038, www.cine-mas.com), on the plaza’s 1st floor, gets out. This intimate 24-seat cinema shows films daily, but screening times vary.

Head upstairs to El Gallito (tel. 506/2653-2017), a Spanish tapas bar whose owners, Ezequiel Marinoni (DJ Zeke) and Mauricio de Sostoa, host punk rock on Monday, Ladies’ Night on Tuesday, hip-hop on Thursday, and a jumping House night on Saturday.

The only enclosed nightclub in Tamarindo is Aqua Discoteque (tel. 506/2653-2782, www.aquadiscoteque.com, 10 P.M.–2:30 A.M. Mon., Fri., and Sat.), with sexy styling; Monday is ladies’ night, with free drinks.

The classy Surf Club Sports Bar (5–10:30 P.M. Mon., Thurs. and Fri., 11 A.M.–10:30 P.M. Sun.), in Playa Langosta, has pool tables and free WiFi. Go on Friday for free pool and foosball (6–9 P.M.).

There are casinos at the Barceló Playa Langosta (8 P.M.–3 A.M. daily) and Tamarindo Diría, in Plaza Colonial (6–11 P.M. daily).

You can surprise your significant other for his or her birthday by hiring any of several Nicaraguan mariachi trios that solicit customers on the beach and main boulevard.