Guanacaste
This August, my parents, 2 friends and I went to the Guanacaste region on Costa Rica, which is farther North on the Pacific Coast than Manuel Antonio, where we stayed in 2009. The Guanacaste region of Costa Rica is the most visited, yet one of the least populated areas. The North Pacific Coast also has an abundance of marine life, especially around the Isla Santa Catalina area, Playas del Coco and Playa Ocotal. We ended up staying in the Playa Flamingo area, more specifically, Playa Potrero. This time, instead of staying at a hotel, we opted to rent a house. We stayed at this townhouse, which was gorgeous, but had it’s downfalls.
As you may know, Costa Rica is FILLED with bugs and other small creatures roaming around. It is hard to avoid in the jungle but there was an abundance of fire ants and lizards in the house. OK, so we only saw about 3 lizards. There was also a scorpion situation. Fire Ants are hard to avoid. All food has to be put away because they WILL find it. Fire ants look like regular ants except bigger and when they bite you, they burn your skin. The best thing you can do to prevent bug bites is use a strong spray that has DEET in it. I made the mistake of using a spray without DEET on my first visit to Costa Rica and got bitten up. Also, I don’t know if this is typical in the area, but we could not blast the AC, have all the lights on, TV on, etc. at the same time, or everything would shut off and we would have to go switch the breaker. Obviously we were not happy with this, considering the amount paid for the townhouse, but after a couple nights the problem was amended.
View from the lower balcony
View from the pool
View from the upper balcony
Infinity pool
We rented a Hyundai Tuscon SUV with a GPS which helped us to get around town and find local destinations easily. Even though we felt like we were in the middle of nature, there was an abundance of things nearby. Specifically, a few small restaurants and little bodegas. The first night we ate at a little place up the road called Sol Y Mar, not to be confused with the Sol Y Mar in Playa Flamingo. It was a tiny little place with maybe 5 tables. Like most other small restaurants in the area it was open air with a stray animal or two roaming around. I ordered the sea bass and it was delicious. It is very rare to have bad seafood in Costa Rica. My parents and friends enjoyed their meals as well.
Sol Y Mar
On the plan for the first day was surfing lessons. After searching for a good surfing school, I chose Toes to the Nose. Harlan, our surf instructor, picked us up at our house and took us out to Playa Grande, which is a very popular surfing spot. Learning to surf was something I’ve always wanted to do. I didn’t get nervous until the last second, when I realized what we were about to do. The beach was relatively quiet since it was August (the rainy season). The surfboards we used were HUGE and very heavy to carry. We practiced on the sand how to paddle and stand on the board and the proper footing. Then it was time to hit the water. Harlan held on to our boards and told us when to start paddling and ride the wave in. The hardest part of riding a wave is standing up on the board. I was surprised that I was actually able to stand up a few times while riding the wave in. I loved surfing but it is extremely exhausting. My friend and I were wiped out after being in the water for 2 hours. I would only recommend this for people in good or decent shape. Also expect to be left with some bruising on your knees, but that is customary.
Lets Go Explore! 