When we left the lush rain forest and geothermal area of Arenal to explore Costa Rica’s iconic Pacific coastline, we drove two-and-a-half hours to Liberia, the second largest city in the country and the hub for the northwestern coast. When we reached Liberia, we exited the freeway and headed south towards the Pacific beach towns.
Within a matter of minutes of driving out of the city, we noticed a nice and modern Liberia airport. Conveniently located less than an hour’s drive from the beaches and not much further to the Arenal area, it would have been a LOT easier to rent a car here instead of in San Jose because of its easy access off the highway and much less traffic.
Playas del Coco and Tamarindo
Main street of Coco from Coconutz Sports Bar in Coco, Costa Rica
The first town that stay in was Playas del Coco (or “Coco Beach”) which is very much like a little California beach town back in the 1960s. Laid back, it’s a place where suntanned people wear tie-dye shirts and leather huaraches, where karaoke is a popular evening pastime, and where the fish dinner special is that day’s catch.
Coco is small and has one main street that’s a charming mix of patio restaurants, diving gear shops, organic spas, beachwear clothing stores, and vendors selling handmade crafts and jewelry.
To get around, many people just walk or ride cruiser bikes. But golf carts and motorcycles are also common.
In towns along Costa Rica’s iconic pacific coastline, lodging ranges from one-room studio rentals to well-known hotel chains. We stayed in a second-floor Airbnb above one of town’s thriving dive shops. Both the dive shop and the Airbnb are owned by the same person, which made it convenient if we needed anything.
Bambu Beach Front Bar is located on the beach in Coco, Costa Rica
Although water activities abound here, there are plenty of non-beach things to do, as well. We enjoyed an all-day excursion with Sibu Tours Costa Rica and Diego was our fantastic guide.
Shelli and our guide Diego at Palo Verde Boat Tours
Having grown up in the country, Diego identified over a hundred species of birds while we were on our jungle cruise. We also watched a group of gutsy white-faced monkeys play on the riverbank and drink from the river by dipping their tails (rather than their faces) in the crocodile infested waters.
White-headed capuchin monkeys
The blue heron of Costa Rica
A phenomenal tico style lunch was included. Our small group was served all-we-could-eat rice and beans, plantains, handmade tortillas, smoked chicken, with coconut gelato for dessert. Delicious!
Costa Rica is known for spas and wellness facilities, and Coco has several spas that offer specialty services like whipped chocolate body wraps that sound good enough to eat. For our spa day, we chose the Five Star Salon and Spa located just a short walk from the beach. Although Five Star doesn’t have a website, tripadvisor® ratings were excellent so we decided to give it a shot. The reviews are correct! Ron had the best one-hour message ($45) and I had luxurious one-hour spa manicure ($25).
Restaurant below the 5-star spa in Coco
This might be a good time to mention the exchange rate because when you get a bill in Costa Rican currency, or colons, it can be somewhat alarming. The exchange rate in March when we were there was approximately $.0018 US to 1 colon. In other words, our spa bill was $70 US or 39,760 colons.
Tamarindo
Shops along the main street in Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Tamarindo is an especially beautiful small city that feels a little more glamorous than the boho qualities of Coco. It’s casual, but has a modern appeal due to upscale resorts, kitsch-y stores, paved streets and sidewalks, gorgeous landscaping, and a variety of restaurants and places to stay.
The Tamarindo Beach is an amazing people-gathering place that stretches up and down the coast for miles. In the evenings, restaurants set up tables on the sand where people listen to live reggae music or watch surfers getting in their last waves before the sun sets. It’s a great place to enjoy a Costa Rican beverage and pass the time away just savoring the moment.
Horses stand tethered to the volley ball net on Tamarindo Beach
Costa Rica, being the international favorite that it is, has a lot of excellent restaurants. We had a great meal in an Argentinian restaurant called Patagonia. Although it sounds like a meat-themed restaurant, we had a delightful meal sans-beef. The restaurant has a large selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes and ours was delicious, and so was the service. Based on the number of people waiting on the night we were there, we were lucky to have gotten in!
Jaco
Jaco is one of the most popular beach towns in Costa Rica for two reasons: one, because it’s less than a two-hour drive from the capital city of San Jose and, two, because it has the best surfing conditions in all of Costa Rica.
Tico Surf Lessons on beach at Jaco, Costa Rica
Yes, this one is probably more touristy than a lot of other beach towns. But, that might be some of the charm. A narrow main street is lined with laidback places to eat, shop for organic clothing, food, and bath products, or just people watch. Parking is limited, so take the first empty spot you can find.
Our first stop was for lunch and, as luck would have it, our noses lead us to an amazing Italian eatery right on the main street. The PizzaBar is owned by a husband and wife team who’ve been residing in Jaco for more than ten years, serving authentic Italian dishes in a Costa Rican paradise.
PizzaBar in Jaco, Costa Rica
We decided on a wood-fired pizza with veggies and sprinkled with fresh garlic and herbs. And who could resist freshly-baked bread sticks the size of rulers!
Delicious lunch at PizzaBar (Shot on Shelli’s phone}
Another of our favorite places to eat is a fun little eatery called Tacobar. Only a block off the main street, it was quite busy the day we were there. However, after reading the reviews on the website, it’s probably always busy.
The menu at the famous TacoBar in Jaco, Costa Rica
It’s a fun little outdoor eatery where only the kitchen is inside. Seating is either patio tables or swings that hang from the patio overhang.
Shelli at TacoBar in Jaco
Ron at TacoBar (Shelli’s phone)
Everyone stands in line and waits for their turn to order at the window and then the staff brings the food out to you. If you’re in a hurry, it might be better to order the taco bar where you just create your own. The day we were there, there was a line out to the street. But no one is in a hurry and it didn’t take us long to place our order and find a couple of seats – er, swings. The coconut waters in this country are so refreshing, I had one every chance I got! But what a cool little place!
Besides the wonderful beaches, Jaco is also a popular hub for the Rainforest Adventures Park. There, you can zipline, take an aerial tramway through the rainforest canopy, or rappel the waterfalls. For birdwatchers, visit the Carara National Park, a natural habitat for the endangered red-billed macaw.
Manuel Antonio
As we continued our drive along the Pacific Coast, we found the scenery changed just slightly the further south we drove. It became more dramatic as the rainforest seemed to meet the road. And in the middle of both ecological environments is a gem of a beach town.
Manuel Antonio is bordered by the dazzling Pacific on one side and the lush green rainforest on the other. This ideally situated little village is a treasure trove for adventure seekers, nature buffs, and eco-enthusiasts.
Beach at Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica
As with the other towns, MA also has more than its share of great restaurants. But one that we loved was the unique El Avion, a refurbished C-123 Fairchild cargo plane situated at the top of one of the wooded hillsides right in the middle of town.
The Avion restaurant north of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Bar in the El Avion
Besides being an historic attraction, some of the best views of the Pacific are from the patio of this distinctive restaurant. They offer a good selection of appetizers, so we spent an evening under the wing and watched the sun go down!
View from El Avion restaurant north of Manuel Antonio Beach in Costa Rica
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain
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