Blogs from Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Central America Caribbean - page 8

Our first stop in Costa Rica was Playa del Coco. We chose it as Liberia, the first town across the border, looked uneventful, and as the beach is only a 30min bus away we'd much rather be there! We've teamed up with Andy to travel Costa Rica, and Colin and Kristina decided to join us for the beach too, so it's great to have more friends with us. I didn't realise how touristy Playa del Coco was going to be! As soon as we arrived it reminded me of Playa del Carmen with American sports bars and tourist shops everywhere. I knew Costa Rica would be more touristy, but I wasn't expecting such a drastic change after almost 3 months of not overly touristy destinations. Another thing that shocked me about Coco was how cold the ... read more

COSTA RICA WRAPPING UP WEEK ONE Sarina and I continued to dive daily in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste. In all I did eleven dives, including one night dive. The night dive was easier than I expected. It is hard to keep track of your buddies, watch your gauges for depth and time, control a camera and a dive light and still have a hand for controlling ascent and buoyancy. You must hold your hand in the light when communicating with sign language in the dark. Still, it went surprisingly well. I was comfortable. I even had time to appreciate the phosphorescence in the dark waters. Thanks to Sarina scoping out critters I even got a few good photos. The day after Sandy’s mishap, we all went to Cortez Falls. It was a tricky walk over rough ... read more

DIVING IN COSTA RICA There were five of us in Coco Beach where we shared a nice two bedroom apartment. Sarina’s cousin Sandy and her husband Shane got one bedroom. Suzanne, Sarina’s aunt, and I shared the other bedroom and Sarina slept on the couch. It was a little crowded. But we had a nice lanai which gave us a little more space and since Sarina and I were diving in the mornings it worked just fine. We usually did something in the afternoon as a group; a little exploration drive, shopping, or dinner. Sometimes we ate at a restaurant and sometimes Sarina or another family member cooked. We spent one memorable evening in a pizza restaurant playing Crimes against Humanity. We were close to the beach, but I never went to it. I got in ... read more

Our leisurely start was at 9:00, so naturally this was the morning I woke earlier than ever. After breakfast, early risers Giselle and Lise and I walked along Panama Beach. The light made the ocean as pale silver, the distant hills as dark green, and the sky bluer than we have ever seen in Costa Rica. One little bird ran in and out of the mild surf, finding tiny organisms. A couple of little kids with their parents dug in the sand and occasionally ran into the sea to fill their toy watering can. A playful breeze tossed the few sea-side trees. What a perfect morning! Watch the seascape video. Before we started driving, Ollie told us that the rainstorms we had just experienced had caused damaging floods in the Central Valley and in Sarapiqui, where ... read more

Costa Rica was a great surprise. Started in San Jose (stayed at the Aloft Hotel for the first night) - fantastic hotel, modern, chic and a great free breakfast. Rented a vehicle from Wild Rider - great guys, good vehicle, cheap on gas. A little more expensive that Hertz, Alamo etc., but I book it the night before I arrived in Costa Rica. (1) Night in San Jose (2) Nights in Manuel Antonio (2) Nights in Monteverde (3) Nights in Tamarindo (1) Night in San Jose Manuel Antonio - beautiful beaches in the National Park $16 entry fee each day. (3) hour drive from San Jose. Falafel Bar was a good healthy choice for food. Monteverde - amazing zipling; Extremo Zipling took the prize for the fastest, longest and highest experiences. Also did zipling in Selavutra ... read more