After 2 weeks near San Jose in a burb called Escazu, I decided it was time to head to the beach to pick a possible base to travel from while I explore Central America. Here are the major choices I found along the way: Playa de Coco: Gorgeous countryside and beaches. Medium in terms of human development; small in size, walkable, quaint. A few people going late into the night, but more relaxed in general. Playa de Tamarinda: Gorgeous countryside and beaches. More developed, more restaurant choices, more first world visitors. Suitable for people who want to dance all night, and maybe skinny dip to cool off after. Jaco: Eww. Big rocky, littered beaches. Major human development. Some obvious prostitution, major foreign influences, higher crime, less quaint. The crowd approaches what we would call “trailer park”
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