Costa Rica or Nicaragua?

Oh Bury, Tamarindo is the VB of CR. I'd suggest Going to Playa Hermosa in Costa. Tons of breaks, beginner and seasoned. Stay at the Cabinas Vista Hermosa. I got the longest ride of my life in front
there, twice.

 

Best time to go to CR is 2 weeks after Easter. Kiddies are back in school and you can get deals on rooms and cars. You want a long left, Boca Barranca is a half hour north, from Playa Hermosa. You want a long right, Esterios Oeste has a 4 peak break and a small boat channel. Or used to anyway. Santa Terresa is where I was given a house and was having a Tech School built for me. BUT you might want to consider this before getting in the Pacific.
[video=youtube;4x9Ni9zWlZM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x9Ni9zWlZM&feature=share[/video]

 

Pavones!!!!

 

Do they make them pee in the water or something?


.

 

This ^^ is spot-on, but the banditos are the cops in Nica.

KR, bring small denomination bribe currency. Esp if you're driving, and really esp if you have boards on the roof of your rig.

The Nica cops will pull you over at least x2, maybe x3, between MGA & Playa Colorado or SJDS or wherever you are headed that way. They demand your driver's license because they say they will send it to Managua where you will have to go to court. Or, you can settle the 'problem' right there for a price. And then you haggle & then you pay. Otherwise they take your DL.

The 'charges' will be total BS, e.g., you crossed the center line or you were speeding. Which you know damn well are total crap.

It's a shakedown. That's Nica: gringos gotta pay. 'Cause gringos got the loot.

And that's one major reason I dumped my condo at Iguana, the one fronting on Playa Colorado & Panga Drop. The corruption in Nica is endemic. I could never tell anyone friends or family, hey, here's the keys, go down to Nica &hang out at my place, 3br, 3ba luxe on one of the best breaks in Central America. Ortega's pork patrol would freak most people out.

And I'm not even getting into the corrupt property management & developers down there. It's really bad.

My 2 centavos.

 

Surf is good - - - - getting to it can be arduous.

 

Been to north Nicaragua and all over costa. I've enjoyed surf in both places. I wouldnt bring my wife to north nica as it is nowhere near her standards. Nort nica is not totally unsafe but really quite underdeveloped. Your call. Both places have their positives.

 

Logic^.

Pavones is cool as shat!

 

We had a problem with that years ago. Things have changed a lot so not sure if it's still a problem. Our solution was to hire transport. Another option was to bring your old expired license, and give that to the cops. Anyways, the bribe was never very much, and they were always very cordial and non-threatening. Unlike cops in Mexico who pulled us over with AK-47's and started going through our stuff, that was sketchy.

 

arduousness |ˈärjo͞oəsnəs | noun

 

I think the cops have been told to chill out on tourists. I rented a truck last time and put a lot of km's on the meter, boards hanging out of the truck and passed many cops and never got pulled. I kept waiting for them to pull me over, especially when I missed a turn and the cop was standing at that intersection and I had to turn around and pass right by him to make the turn. I just waived and went on. I was 100% sure he was going to stop me. I was glad I was wrong. I also thought about making a fake ID just to give to them and go on about my business. I'm going back again in July and will see what happens.

 

Santa Teresa is one of favorite spots in country (if not favorite). Lots of breaks and you can go see some waterfalls. Go there!! Wifey will like too. Options to eat and a few shops, all spread out, nt like Tamarindo. Negra is in all hotels and houses, not much to do besides the ocean. Desert-like up there too.

FWIW, I lived in Puntarenas, where the ferry is to go to the Nicoya...

 

The ferry takes about an hour and you get on in Puntarenas (about 1.5 hrs from SJO) and get off at Paquera. Taxis to Puntarenas usually cost about $100 and you can haggle but most have meters now. The ferry and buses all have set prices. Been a couple years so not sure current prices but think with a car it is about 10-20 bucks (including driver) and about 5 or so as a walk on. There is always a bus at Paquera waiting and you can catch that then you will be about a 30 min drive to Mal Pais. Hotels you can definitely haggle but in Jan-Feb it is ultra high season and won't get much luck. When I lived there I would rely only on buses and camped at a place on the beach, Zenayda's or something like that. Lots of hotels from hostels to 200+ night places. Even in January it won't be smaller than waist to chest, always rideable on a rocket fish.

Can get crowded now, but mainly for sunset sesh. Lots of peaks and a few kms of beach if you are willing to walk/drive around.

If you are ok with driving in foreign country that is way to go. Pretty hard to get lost if you go the old way to Puntarenas then the ferry, only have to make a handful of turns the whole way.

You can find some good info online but PM me for more specifics.

 

I lived there in 2002/3. Not much changed, more development on the beachfront, thats about it.

Fairly large city on a small spit of sand.

Pretty cool place in my opinion but kind of a hot dirty place on the surface, especially downtown.
Has some pretty nice nightlife on the Paseo Turistico, home to los carnevales, biggest party in Costa Rica.

Mainly a pass-through to the Nicoya for tourists that aren't Tico.

I wouldn't be scared to stay there, on the beachfront, for a night passing through. You'd get a cool local scene, especially if on a Fri/Sat night. There is a fairly large study abroad program there, check it out USAC. Learn some Spanish for a semester or two and surf some epic surf. Lots of local hotties too.