Costa Rica

You can fly to Tamarindo from SJ on a little puddle jumper. The drive sucks.

 

About Tamarindo end of Dec ..

We went for Christmas five years ago. You can rent a variety of surfboards there. We rented new surfboards at High Tide surf shop ( they may call the rental part Tamarindo Adventure ). There was a choice of styles and at the time it was a little cheaper than transporting a board. That being said, I would rather take my own.
Tamarindo is very well developed with plenty of places to stay from flop houses to luxury accomodations. We stayed at Vista Villas which was nice and your belongings were safe. The breaks at Tamarindo were as crowded as any break in Va Beach ( and this was 5 years ago). It was REALLY crowded over Christmas. We had rented a 4 wheel drive and were able to drive to other breaks but to go to them took a long time. Playa Negra and Avallenas were only a few miles away but it takes 45 minutes to get there because there is no coast road - you have to drive inland and roundabout on unpaved roads that go through creeks to get there. Other parts of the country probably provide less crowded surf that you can access from where you stay. You really need a rental car in Tamarindo. Be warned though, the locals are wonderful people but many of them will steal you blind. First morning we surfed we buried our flip flops next to a log on the beach. It was early and no one was in sight ( this is right at the rivermouth in Tam ). When we came out of the water to get some breakfast they had dug up our flip flops and made off with them. Somebody always has to stay on the beach with your stuff. Again, in a more remote area this may not be the case.

 

Try to go with American Airlines its only one hundred bucks each way, I know its a rip off but there are alot cheaper than any of the other criminals.

 

if u want a solid surf trip, go to Playa Hermosa on the central pacific coast. There is every and anykind of wave your heart desires within an hour N and S. Theres plenty of places to stay and the drinking age (18) is really only enforced at clubs and more americanized bars.

I mean i always bring my boards with me and just suck up the bogus ass airplane fees. But you can find good boards down there for reasonable prices. You wont find any steals, but it may run you the same, maybe a little less if you buy a board in CR.

If u need any travel info or hookups let me know

 

yea i knew del distributed it, i live in bmore where exactly is atlantic liqours? near ocmd?

 

yeah lighthouse Liquors usually carries Imperial

 

When I went last Dec-Jan, they charged us $70 each way.

 

I enjoyed staying in Tamarindo. If you get a rental car you can drive less than an hr to numerous breaks. Check Avellanas, Playa Negra, and Playa Grande. Take a trip to Witches Rock and Ollie's Point. Well worth the money even if it's small. If the surf is flat (which is rare) try a mountain bike tour or a canopy tour, you'll see some interesting animals. When I go back, I am considering renting for a week. They had both shapes at the surf shops in Tamarindo that I ride here on the EC. Drink responsibly. Pura vida!

 

haah my canopy tour was awesome..but its not going to be flat..ive never heard of flat costa

 

look at www.surfingnosara.com daily surf photos

 

Love CR

Yeahh i went there this past march very fun surf. Tam is a pretty crowded break. I went to Nosara and it was maybe a 5 min walk to Playa Guiones. If anyone knows the crab path i stayed close to there. Guiones is a fun break sometimes it can be all mash potatoes but low tide off shore winds some potential for some barrels. So if you have time check it there but have fun dont eat anything you cant pronounce and pura vida man.

P.S. Just tell them you have one board in your bag thats what we did we brought 7 in 2 different bags tho.

 

Uh oh, Jaco for New Years, you can get in to trouble there. No it is not legal. You can find anything you want there, but only alcohol and cigs are legal. But seriously, watch your back in Jaco, I would especially say for New Years. My humble opinion, do not get drunk or do anything else for at least 24 hrs so you can scope things out, if this is your first international trip. If you are under 18 you may have trouble getting in to the bars, Jaco is one of the only place in the country they card...

Edit: I assume by your name you are only 15, who you going with?

 

Ya, I love Costa Rica but Jaco may very well be the last circle of Dante's inferno if you ask me, a veritable vortex of debauchery. Drugs, prostitutes, gambling and thieves. The only positive is that I nearly broke the board I rented there and when I returned it the rhasta was so high he didn't even notice the nose was about to fall off...

If you're gonna be in the Jaco area do yourself a favor and check out Hermosa(five minutes south), much chiller vibe and better surf and you might actually meet a woman who won't drug your drink and roll you or charge you for contracting a VD.

 

I miss Guiones! Went during rainy season this year and went to Playa Tamarindo instead, but it wasn't quite as fun or pretty.

 

Awesome, Kooka Rica! Is anyone not going this winter?

 

If your family is staying in San Jose for a night or two, be sure to stay at the Hotel Del Rey!