Two Backpackers » Costa Rica

Costa Rica Caribbean Beaches

Aracely — Wed, 30 Dec 2024 18:59:54 +0000

Beach and Reef at Rocking J

A 3.5 hour bus ride from San Jose takes you to the southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. This is a place where pristine beaches sneak out of the jungle creating the perfect setting for those who can entertain themselves with the ocean and walks into the forest.

During our stay we first visited Cahuita beach then made our way south to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca where we stayed in Rocking J’s Hostel, a good base location to visit beaches further south.

Cahuita

A small beach town with very little to see and do besides lay on the beach or snorkel. Walk through its beautifully desolate national park reserve and enjoy one of the best tasting coconut sauce dishes on the Caribbean Coast at Restaurant La Fe. The town becomes lively at night when interesting local characters harmlessly wander the streets. Take a seat outside Coco’s Bar and enjoy the show.

Rocking J's Hostel in Puerto Viejo

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

An hour bus ride south of Cahuita rests Puerto Viejo, considerably more action and development. Near the town’s main street there are two beaches, including a black sand beach. We preferred to avoid these dirty, narrow beaches and walked south to Rocking J’s Hostel, a backpackers favorite lodging spot offering tents and hammocks for lodging. The rooms are less than desirable. Here you will find the beginnings of pristine beaches and reefs. Ride a bike 10 minutes south from Rocking J’s to find Playa Cocles, a surfers hot spot and a wide flat beach to spend the day playing on. This is the closest clean beach around Puerto Viejo.

Playa Cocles at Puerto Viejo de Talamanca in Costa Rica

Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva

These two beaches are a must visit when traveling near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. The feedback from many visitors in the Puerto Viejo area is that the beaches are dirty. This holds true if you never leave the active bar hopping atmosphere in the center of town. Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva are completely untouched and provide you the picture perfect postcard you envisioned from the Caribbean Coast. They can be reached either by bike or car on a narrow road that cuts through the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. Consider taking a very long, but rewarding walk along the shoreline. Playa Chiquita extends 4-6KM and further south is Punta Uva where you will enjoy great swimming and a peaceful jungle setting.

Manzanillo

The last beach town you will encounter south of Punta Uva is not as impressive as the previous beaches, but it’s worth making the journey to see the Caribbean painted palm trees and enjoy a beer at the town’s popular restaurant/ bar.

When visiting the area be mindful of the season. Make sure you don’t visit during October-November, their rainy season, which is when Jason and I were there. Hopefully you will be able to enjoy more sunny days than we did.

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Discover Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica

Aracely — Sat, 19 Dec 2024 19:23:12 +0000

Cloud Forest of Monteverde

Monteverde Cloud Forest is located 1,440 meters above sea level and has a humid, misty and cloudy climate during most of the year. It is a rain forest reserve with more than 5 species of cats, 30 species of hummingbirds, and 420 types of orchids. The area is highly praised as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in the New World Tropics.

Sky Walk Tour on Suspension Bridges

However, in my opinion the place is overpriced and often times over crowded. Jason and I were shocked when told that we were visiting during their low season. “I would hate to be here during the high season,” I thought.

In the popular town of Santa Elena you can find tour companies that will help fill your day with all sorts of activities, but these won’t go easy on your wallet. One of the most popular outfitters in town is Selvatura, which also owns their own park where most of the activities occur. Here are some examples of some activities and their rates.

Nature walks (3.5 hours): $70 for adult and $59 for child

Canopy and Suspension Bridge (3 hours): $65 for adult and $40 for child

Visiting the insect museum (1 hour): $12 for adults and $12 for child

Bike Rental (1 day): $35

Horseback Ridding (2 hours): $35

Night Tour (2.5 hours): $20

Lodging also isn’t cheap, however, there are great deals to be found. Casa Tranquilo has double rooms for $15 and includes breakfast, free internet and hot showers.

Wild Coffee Bean Plant

We signed up for a night tour in a secondary forest hoping to spot some sloths. A secondary forest is a forest that has re-grown after a major disturbance, which in this case was farming. This secondary forest was only 30 years old and the trees were relatively low, providing a better view of tree animals. We were lucky enough to spot two sloths with the guides’ spotlights. It is not common to find them, so don’t get your hopes up too much. During the day we toured Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve in hopes of finding more wildlife, but our expectations were too grand. We did find beautiful plants and some large centipedes.

The cloud forest exudes a mysticism with its constant eerie weather and rolling hills, but it’s turning into a commercialized park.

Click here to see more PHOTOS of the Cloud Forests

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Discover Samara Beach Costa Rica

Aracely — Wed, 25 Nov 2024 00:13:17 +0000

Samara Beach, Costa Rica

Samara Beach is located on the Nicoya Peninsula along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The town is small with the main street leading straight to the beach. Samara’s beach stretches for about 6 kilometers in length and 2 kilometers wide. If you are looking for a long flat beach, Samara is the place. From the beach, you can easily view the small wooded island of Isla Chora, which includes a small sand beach. The water is very calm during low tide, which creates the perfect opportunity for swimming and and relaxing. During high tide, the scene changes as surfers arrive to ride the waves. Several outfitters offer lessons and board rentals for $3USD per hour.

Chora Island in the Samara Beach Bay

You can find several different types and levels of accommodation in Samara Beach. For the budget conscious, consider camping on the beach at Camping Los Cocos for $6USD per night. If you are looking for a luxury getaway on what can be considered a resort free beach, check out the Samara Tree House. Choose from six ocean front apartments with a pool and jacuzzi for up to $160USD.

Samara Beach is 4.5 hours from San Jose, 2.5 hours from Liberia and 45 minutes form Nicoya by car. If traveling by bus, make your way to the Nicoya bus station where buses run every hour to Samara Beach.

Our Rental Boat and Crew

During our visit to Samara, we practiced our surfing, ate lunch at a beach restaurant, hung out at the popular 2nd floor bar on the main street, and booked a boat tour with a local outfitter. Our boat tour which was supposed to include fishing, snorkeling and dolphin watching, but it did not live up to our expectations at all. We advise renting the kayaks and paddling yourself to the island of Chora. If you want to snorkel, bring along some gear. If you wake up early, walk north along the mainland beach where you will most likely see some horses near the water.

Click here to see more PHOTOS of Samara Beach

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