The Guanacaste coastline is known as the Golden Coast. There are many gorgeous beaches, some with full-blown resorts and others wit h few people on them. This is a very popular destination for tourist s, and now more than ever since the opening of the Liberia Internatio nal Airport
The southernmost peninsula on the Pacific is Osa. This is a very wild and pristine area which encompasses the country's largest national park, Corcovado.
Limon is the main port city on the Atlantic Coast. Bananas and many exports are sent from here. The population is a mainly Jamaican, descendents of those brought to work on the railroad. Consequently, English plus a local dialect are spoken in addition to Spanish.
Nearby are beautiful Caribbean beaches, and the area boasts of the only coral reef in the country.
Costa Rica Beaches
Looking for a low-key, sultry escape spent lazing about on a sun-drenched Pacificbeach? Or are you more in the mood for ocean adventure, like sport fishing, scuba diving or surfing? In the northern corner of Guanacaste’s Gold Coast region you can have either or some mix of both. Only 45 minutes or less from the Liberia International Airport, the six beach communities along this ocean cul-de-sac are the most easily accessible of the Gold Coast beaches. Each has its own character, but together they offer something for every kind of traveler, from the budget-minded to the high-end big spender.
PLAYAS DEL COCO. Just 20 minutes from the Liberia airport along paved roads is Playas del Coco, Costa Rica’s oldest fishing village and the area’s central hub. Here, the old and the new blend with a bit of a honky tonk feel. A growing, international ex-patriot community resides alongside long-established Costa Rican families. Moored to the left of its three-kilometer-long beach are Coco’s traditional commercial fishing boats; to the right, a fleet of boats geared to the tourism trade. And in town, old-time sodas and pulperias coexist with high-speed Internet cafes.
Tourism is chiefly how Coco survives these days and to that end, it, unlike the other beach communities in the area, is truly a full-service town. There are numerous low and moderately priced hotels that rent rooms to visitors as well as bars and restaurants on and off the beach offering international and local cuisine. There are two dive shops in town that take out divers daily as well as several privately owned sport fishing boats that take out customers in search of tuna, wahoo, rooster fish, marlin or sail fish. Here, also, is where you can book surf trips to Witch’s Rock or Ollie’s Point or rent snorkel gear. Coco beach itself is best for sunbathing, swimming, people watching and a little exploring: at low tide, you can walk over the rocks at the left end of the beach to reach the secluded, white sand beach of Playa Blanca. At the end of the day, Coco offers more than dining in the way of nightlife. Its bars and restaurants offer opportunities for dancing, pool playing, casino gambling and even karaoke.
More next week
Looking for a low-key, sultry escape spent lazing about on a sun-drenched Pacificbeach? Or are you more in the mood for ocean adventure, like sport fishing, scuba diving or surfing? In the northern corner of Guanacaste’s Gold Coast region you can have either or some mix of both. Only 45 minutes or less from the Liberia International Airport, the six beach communities along this ocean cul-de-sac are the most easily accessible of the Gold Coast beaches. Each has its own character, but together they offer something for every kind of traveler, from the budget-minded to the high-end big spender.
PLAYAS DEL COCO. Just 20 minutes from the Liberia airport along paved roads is Playas del Coco, Costa Rica’s oldest fishing village and the area’s central hub. Here, the old and the new blend with a bit of a honky tonk feel. A growing, international ex-patriot community resides alongside long-established Costa Rican families. Moored to the left of its three-kilometer-long beach are Coco’s traditional commercial fishing boats; to the right, a fleet of boats geared to the tourism trade. And in town, old-time sodas and pulperias coexist with high-speed Internet cafes.
Tourism is chiefly how Coco survives these days and to that end, it, unlike the other beach communities in the area, is truly a full-service town. There are numerous low and moderately priced hotels that rent rooms to visitors as well as bars and restaurants on and off the beach offering international and local cuisine. There are two dive shops in town that take out divers daily as well as several privately owned sport fishing boats that take out customers in search of tuna, wahoo, rooster fish, marlin or sail fish. Here, also, is where you can book surf trips to Witch’s Rock or Ollie’s Point or rent snorkel gear. Coco beach itself is best for sunbathing, swimming, people watching and a little exploring: at low tide, you can walk over the rocks at the left end of the beach to reach the secluded, white sand beach of Playa Blanca. At the end of the day, Coco offers more than dining in the way of nightlife. Its bars and restaurants offer opportunities for dancing, pool playing, casino gambling and even karaoke.
More next week
