Hey
We just spent from mid Feb to end of May travelling from Mexico City down to Panama City.
There seems to be a gringo trail that you can follow, check out any Lonely Planet or guide book, and they all tell you to follow the same things. So here is some info on the places that we went to.
Parties you will find in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica on the Caribbean side. Loads of reggae bars. Very chilled Rasta seen going on there. Be wary, the town has a serial rapist that cannot be convicted due to police ties with his sketchy family (drugs etc). He mugged a friend of ours on the road down to Playa Coclos, be wary of walking alone on the rainforest path down to Playa Coclos too from the main town. He has attacked local and tourist women alike. Town is fairly standard for accommodation, about USD$10 a night at most places. Cheap diving too, about USD$325 to do the Open Water Diver course.
If you want a wicked party though, I suggest you head to Bocas del Toro on the caribbean side of Panama, its only a USD$34 shuttle from Puerto Viejo (we worked out that to take the local bus, and taxies and water taxies to get there would cost about USD$30 anyways, so for extra 4 bucks its a lot easier). The hostel on Isla COlon, Mondo Taitu does free Hookah pipe/bongs on Sunday night, and its ladies night somewhere different each night, and collect all the 2x1 vouchers from the people during the day for cheap drinks. Accommodation is standard USD$10. Be wary of rooms with windows, dont leave them open, regardless of what floor you are on. We had a guy climb through a window of the room next door whilst we were staying there, and took the girls laptop electronics, money and passport. She got her bag back, but none of her valuables. Crime rates have gone up, and police are a bit reluctant to help you. Wicked atmosphere at this place though, so chilled out and cruisy.
Jaco, south of San Jose, Costa Rica, is another party town - a bit more expensive, but bars and clubs everywhere. Again, just be careful with your stuff, and never leave your drinks unattended. A lot of the people from San Jose come down here for the weekend. Recently 3 girls got arrested for spiking guys drinks with Rohypnol, taking them home and just robbing them clean - they got to USD$80,000 before they got caught. Not as friendly as Bocas, or Puerto Viejo, but if you are in a group, can be heaps of fun - clubs and bars everywhere!
Santa Teresa, Peninsula of Nicoyo, Costa Rica is a chilled out beach town in the south of the Peninsula of Nicoyo. Small surfing community, very chilled out, but heaps of other people going there doing the surfing thing. No bars or clubs as such, but heaps of travellers passing through, accommodation again is standard, about USD$10 a night. There have been robberies and stuff, just keep your room locked.
All the places are nice and awesome to chill out in, dont mean to sound so paranoid. JUst a few things that happened when we were there, and what we were told to be careful of.
Hope this information helps. And have a great time!
Reply to this 
