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My wife and I are coming to Costa Rica in December for two weeks. We are spending the first two nights in Alejuela before heading to Monteverde for three days. I am looking for a new place in Guanacaste to spend 4 or 5 days before heading back to the central valley. We have been to Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo and Playa Conchal and are looking for ideas on a different beach town to visit. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
DaveTry Lake Arenal!
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[quote=”davek”]My wife and I are coming to Costa Rica in December for two weeks. We are spending the first two nights in Alejuela before heading to Monteverde for three days. I am looking for a new place in Guanacaste to spend 4 or 5 days before heading back to the central valley. We have been to Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo and Playa Conchal and are looking for ideas on a different beach town to visit. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Dave[/quote]You might want to try Jaco and stay at Villa Calatas (I hope that I spelled it correctly). It is an incredible hotel with incredible views and sunsets. Make sure that you stay in the old part with your own private pool or hot tub. My wife and I always stayed a couple of nights before heading South to Dominical. It is very close to town but far enough away for total relaxation. It is also close to the new toll road that gets you back to San Jose quickly.
Arenal is also amazing but this time of the year the volcano is usually clouded in. The lake is beautiful and the hot springs are awesome. If you stay there just request a wake up call if the clouds clear and the volcano is visable, it is incredible.
Pura Vida
Try the trip from Samara to Malpais. The roads are “interesting” but the entire area has some great little hotel and eateries, the people are friendly and you will see some pretty fantastic beaches.
[quote=”johnr”]Try the trip from Samara to Malpais. The roads are “interesting” but the entire area has some great little hotel and eateries, the people are friendly and you will see some pretty fantastic beaches.[/quote]
John,
How far is the drive from Samara to Malpais? Also have you visited Samara and is it worth traveling to? As I said we were planning on driving from Monteverde to somewhere on the Pacific and was just trying someplace other than places we have been.
Thanks
DaveSamara is pretty bare bones, but beautiful, deserted beaches and good fishing. Check out Nosara and it’s surrounding communities. Some outstanding restaurants, amazing beaches, great surf (good for beginners).
Samara to Malpais is quite a drive, need a sturdy 4×4 that can cross some rivers. There are not many signs, but we enjoyed the ride and Malpais is a very charming community.
http://www.bluejaylodgecostarica.com/ Tico owned, we loved it.
[quote=”davek”][quote=”johnr”]Try the trip from Samara to Malpais. The roads are “interesting” but the entire area has some great little hotel and eateries, the people are friendly and you will see some pretty fantastic beaches.[/quote]
John,
How far is the drive from Samara to Malpais? Also have you visited Samara and is it worth traveling to? As I said we were planning on driving from Monteverde to somewhere on the Pacific and was just trying someplace other than places we have been.
Thanks
Dave[/quote]As Lotus stated Samara is pretty bare bones although there are a few little hotels and restaurants right on the beach. I’ve never driven directly through (I usually spend a couple of days in Playa San Miguel) but I would guess around 3.5 hours during the dry season. Could be three weeks in the green season! 😆
[quote=”johnr”][quote=”davek”][quote=”johnr”]Try the trip from Samara to Malpais. The roads are “interesting” but the entire area has some great little hotel and eateries, the people are friendly and you will see some pretty fantastic beaches.[/quote]
John,
How far is the drive from Samara to Malpais? Also have you visited Samara and is it worth traveling to? As I said we were planning on driving from Monteverde to somewhere on the Pacific and was just trying someplace other than places we have been.
Thanks
Dave[/quote]As Lotus stated Samara is pretty bare bones although there are a few little hotels and restaurants right on the beach. I’ve never driven directly through (I usually spend a couple of days in Playa San Miguel) but I would guess around 3.5 hours during the dry season. Could be three weeks in the green season! :lol:[/quote]
John,
I am just looking for a fun place to go other than the real touristy areas that have nice beaches for swimming and snorkeling and a fun town to have a few drinks by the water and some shopping. I just don’t know where to go. As I said earlier, we are spending the first night in the central valley then heading to Monteverde for s couple days. From there we might spend a night on Lake Arenal but from there we are open for up to 4 days or so before heading back to the central valley to visit places like Poas and the LaPaz waterfall gardens as well as Sarchi and Grecia. I am just having trouble filling in the days on the Pacific coast. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
DaveWell – here is what I would do, however it’s entirely up to you. I first discovered The Flying Scorpion six years ago. The rooms are spotless, great beds and sheets and a very cool CR beach hotel vibe. Reviews are here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1065823-d1990562-r114817073-The_Flying_Scorpion-Playa_San_Miguel_Province_of_Guanacaste.html#REVIEWS
Rossi and Amanda are the owners and two of the nicest people you will ever meet and the food is outstanding.
I would reserve a room for three days and day trip out from Playa San Miguel. Rossi can even set up things for you to do or you can just grab a drink at the bar and wander to the beach and relax in the hammocks he has.
Snorkeling or swimming is really NOT possible here. It is outstanding surfing beach / boogie boarding. To swim or snorkle you will want to go either 2 km north to Playa Bejucco (south end – there is a little road that will take you right to it) or Playa de Coyote (12 km south – easy trip) and a great beach on the south side of the estuary.
One problem with the southern Nicoya is shopping is scant at best. Anywhere.
If you have any questions you can let me know. I will guarantee you would enjoy the stay.
I like to bring my visitors from out-of-country to Playa Flamingo and stay at the Flamingo Beach Resort, have a drink at the Mariner’s Inn and watch the sunset over Playa Blanca while sitting on a log of driftwood. It is a place that has it all. It was even better when the marina was open, but you can still arrange for a sunset cruise on a small boat. Personally, I don’t like the larger resorts, but for those that do, there is also the Conchal nearby.
[quote=”davek”][quote=”johnr”][quote=”davek”][quote=”johnr”]Try the trip from Samara to Malpais. The roads are “interesting” but the entire area has some great little hotel and eateries, the people are friendly and you will see some pretty fantastic beaches.[/quote]
John,
How far is the drive from Samara to Malpais? Also have you visited Samara and is it worth traveling to? As I said we were planning on driving from Monteverde to somewhere on the Pacific and was just trying someplace other than places we have been.
Thanks
Dave[/quote]As Lotus stated Samara is pretty bare bones although there are a few little hotels and restaurants right on the beach. I’ve never driven directly through (I usually spend a couple of days in Playa San Miguel) but I would guess around 3.5 hours during the dry season. Could be three weeks in the green season! :lol:[/quote]
John,
I am just looking for a fun place to go other than the real touristy areas that have nice beaches for swimming and snorkeling and a fun town to have a few drinks by the water and some shopping. I just don’t know where to go. As I said earlier, we are spending the first night in the central valley then heading to Monteverde for s couple days. From there we might spend a night on Lake Arenal but from there we are open for up to 4 days or so before heading back to the central valley to visit places like Poas and the LaPaz waterfall gardens as well as Sarchi and Grecia. I am just having trouble filling in the days on the Pacific coast. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Dave[/quote]Dave –
Let me see if I can interject some reality into Lotus’ and John’s description of Samara. Having lived here for 3 years, I find it hard to believe that anyone with any knowledge of Samara would call it “bare bones”.
do we have high rise condos lining the beach – no;
are we overrun with tourists – no;
do we have drugs being sold openly on every corner – no;
do we have a night club known for its prostitutes – no;
do we have an environment where the locals and gringos are “segregated” – no;On the other hand –
do we have a simple, total tranquilo, laid back atmosphere and attitude – yes;
do the locals and gringos mix together, party together, work together to make our community better and safer – yes;
do we have a wide range of hotels, cabinas, B&B’s, hostels, etc. – yes, some right on the beach, some with beach & ocean view, others back up in the quiet hills and valleys;
do we have a wide selection of eating establishments ranging from local to fine dining “white tablecloth” restaurants – yes, enough that you can eat at a different one every night for over a month, (Argentine “Parillas”, seafood, Spanish, Italian, Mediterranean, Thai, Sushi, Chinese, typical (local), etc.)
do we have great beach bars – yes, several;
do we have a wide range of shopping available – yes, from the local ferias, sodas and even one of the “walmart” chain members (ugh);
do we have 6-8 surf schools where you can take lessons or simply rent equipment (surf boards, boogie boards, kayaks, etc.) – yes;
do we have great beaches – yes, Samara, Carrillo, Buena Vista, Barrigonia;
do we have an internationally known language school – yes;
do we have a respected massage school that sends graduates to jobs all over the world after they complete their 3 months of studies – yes;
do we have sport fishing/tour boats for hire, ranging from local pangas to first class offshore boats – yes;
do we have 2 banks, 3 bakeries, several reposterias, 2 hardware stores, a great zipline/canopy tour, a gas station, carnerceria, 2 farmacias, car rental agencies, a caja doctor, a private doctor, etc. – yes;;
do we have some of the friendliest locals you’ll ever meet – yes;
do we have a great expat community comprised of Norte Americans, German, Austrian; Italian, etc. – yes;With very, very few exceptions, the tourists and visitors we meet and talk to all say that Samara is the best place they have been to on their vacation or in their travels. Quite often, we meet visitors from the States, Canada and Europe that have returned to Samara for the 2nd, 3rd or 4th time.
We are very happy here and it is great to meet people that have traveled up and down the coast and they say that our little community is their favorite place, and how lucky we are to be living here!
Come see us, Dave – I’m confident that you will be happy you did!
Sorry Bill – I love Samara – bare bones and all! Especially the south end of the beach.
I just didn’t want to paint a picture that your lovely home town is a bustling tourist center and a quick trip to the mall will get you a swim suit in something over a 36″ waist.
😀
I should also add that I meant “bare bones” in a good way in relation to say like Jaco or Tamarindo which is quite bustling. Some like bustling, access to a mall etc…what ever floats your boat.
I was injured quite severely while living in Nosara. Now I like “sleepy” but having access to a hospital is nice. At the time there was no doctor available, so at 1am we had to drive to Nicoya to their Caja hospital (the road out just after rainy season ain’t know picnic). It took 20 hours for the specialist I needed to arrive as he only visits the hospital a few times a week. I was grateful for the service I received but it was pretty minimal, I was stabilized and then drove 5 hours to San Jose.
One “luxury” we have in the states is pretty good access to state of the art medical facilities along with a transportation system to get us to them. Just something to keep in mind when traveling in Costa Rica, this does not stop us from going where we want, but be prepared and have a plan when you stray from the Central Valley.
[quote=”johnr”]Sorry Bill – I love Samara – bare bones and all! Especially the south end of the beach.
I just didn’t want to paint a picture that your lovely home town is a bustling tourist center and a quick trip to the mall will get you a swim suit in something over a 36″ waist.
:D[/quote]
Great! Now I understand your intent – – I just didn’t want him to pass on Samara because he might think there was absolutely nothing here!
crb[quote=”johnr”]Sorry Bill – I love Samara – bare bones and all! Especially the south end of the beach.
I just didn’t want to paint a picture that your lovely home town is a bustling tourist center and a quick trip to the mall will get you a swim suit in something over a 36″ waist.
:D[/quote]
Great! Now I understand your intent – – I just didn’t want him to pass on Samara because he might think there was absolutely nothing here!
crb
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