Playas del Coco and Vicinity
BAHÍA CULEBRA
Nicoya’s most northerly beaches ring the horseshoe-shaped Bahía Culebra (Snake Bay), enclosed to the north by the Nacascolo Peninsula, and to the south by the headland of Punta Ballena. The huge bay is a natural amphitheater rimmed by scarp cliffs cut with lonesome coves sheltering gray- and white-sand beaches and small mangrove swamps. There are remains of a pre-Columbian native settlement on the western shore of the bay at Nacascolo.
The north and south sides are approached separately by a pincer movement. The south side is reached via the road from Comunidad to Playa del Coco (the road divides two kilometers east of Playas del Coco; a turnoff leads three kilometers north to Playa Hermosa and, beyond Punta Ballena, to Playa Panamá). The north shore is reached from two kilometers north of Comunidad via a road immediately west of the Río Tempisque at Guardia. This road is a fast, sweeping, well-paved, lonesome beauty of a drive that dead-ends after 15 kilometers or so at the spectacular Four Seasons resort (no entry except to guests). En route you pass Witch’s Rock Canopy Tour (tel. 506/2696-7101, http://witchsrockcanopytour.com, 8 A.M.-5 P.M. daily, last entry at 3:30 P.M.), 18 kilometers from Guardia. It has 23 platforms over a 2.5-kilometer course with four hanging bridges and even a tunnel ($55).
Marina Papagayo opened in December 2008 at Playa Manzanillo with 180 slips.
Playa Carbonal, immediately east of the bay, hosts the super-exclusive, members-only Ellerstina Costa Rica Polo & Equestrian Beach Club (tel. 506/2258-9219, http://ellerstinacr.com).
Accommodations
The Occidental Allegro Papagayo (tel. 506/2690-9900 or U.S. tel. 800/858-2258, www.occidental-hoteles.com, $286 s/d) overlooks Playa Manzanillo from a superb breeze-swept hillside perch. This four-star, all-inclusive resort has 308 graciously appointed air-conditioned rooms in three-story edifices stair-stepping the hillside. Action centers on the huge pool with swim-up bar. A theater hosts shows, and there’s a disco and sports bar, plus water sports and scuba. Alas, the paltry gray-sand beach holds little attraction. In February 2008 the hotel was temporarily shut down by the Ministry of Health for pumping raw sewage into the estuary.
See THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO PROJECT
Hilton Papagayo Resort
The super-deluxe 
Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo (tel. 506/2696-0500, www.fourseasons.com/costarica, from $675 s/d low season, from $815 s/d high season), at the tip of Punta Mala, brought a whole new panache to the region when it opened in 2004, with 145 spacious guest rooms, including 25 suites, exuding luxury, fine taste, and every amenity you could hope for. Facilities include a gorgeous spa and Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole golf course (open to resort guests only). The setting is sublime, with two distinct beaches to each side (one bayside, the other shelving into the Pacific ocean).
A super-deluxe Fairmont is also planned, with a marina and new golf course. Mandarin Oriental is slated to open a deluxe hotel, and the equally sumptuous 120-room Regent Resort at La Punta Papagayo (www.regenthotels.com) is expected to open by 2010 with a world-class spa and massive retail village. And at last visit, ground was to be broken on the Condohotel Casa Conde del Mar (www.casacondedelmar.com) at Playa Chorotega.
PLAYA HERMOSA AND PLAYA PANAMÁ
Playa Hermosa, separated from Playa del Coco to the south by Punta Cacique and from Bahía Culebra to the north by Punta Ballena, is a pleasant two-kilometer-wide, curving gray-sand beach with good tidepools at its northern end. The road continues one kilometer to Playa Panamá, a narrow, two-kilometers-wide gray-sand beach in a cove bordered by low, scrub-covered hills—a bay within a bay. The beach is popular with Ticos, who camp along it. Weekends and holidays get crowded.
The road dead-ends atop the headland overlooking Playa Arenilla and Bahía Culebra.
The much-troubled Cacique del Mar residential project atop Punta Cacique has been resurrected and is slated to host two five-star boutique hotels.
Entertainment
Villas del Sueño has live bands three nights weekly in high season, plus guest appearances in low season. Sports fans might check out the charmless, overly air-conditioned Upperdeck Bar (tel. 506/2672-1276, 9 A.M.-2 A.M. daily).
Tours and Activities
Diving Safaris (tel. 506/2672-1259, www.costaricadiving.net) has daily two-tank dive trips ($65), night and Nitrox dives, and certification courses. Snorkelers can accompany dive boats ($30). Resort Divers de Costa Rica (tel. 506/2670-0421, www.resortdivers-cr.com) offers surfing trips and sportfishing as well as snorkeling and scuba trips.
Aqua Sport (tel. 506/2670-0050, samaci@ racsa.co.cr) offers all manner of water sports, plus boat tours and fishing. And Velas de Papagayo (tel. 506/2223-2508, www.velasdepapagayo.com, $100 pp) has snorkeling, sunset, and nighttime sailing trips out of Playa Panamá, where Water Sports (tel. 506/2672-0012) has water-skiing and personal watercraft.
Accommodations
$25-50
The no-frills Iguana Inn (tel. 506/2672-0065, $20 s, $30 d), in the heart of Hermosa, is a popular surf camp with 10 simple rooms with private bathrooms in a two-story wooden lodge 100 meters from the beach. Its Jammin’ Restaurant is a popular spot.
Nearby, backpackers might try the German-owned Cabinas Las Casona (tel. 506/2672-0025, $28 s/d low season, $38 s/d high season), an old wooden home that has eight simple but clean rooms with fans, small kitchenettes, and private baths with cold water.
$50-100
Nearby, the modern Hotel ManGaby (tel. 506/2672-0048, www.hotelmangaby.com, $72 s/d standard, $94 mini-suite, $172 suite low season; $102 s/d standard, $118 mini-suite, $197 suite high season) is a perfectly adequate option in the mid-price category, with pleasantly furnished rooms and a swimming pool.
Directly overlooking Playa Hermosa, Hotel El Velero (tel. 506/2672-1017, www.costaricahotel.net, $75 s/d low season, $89 high season) is an intimate Spanish colonial-style hostelry with 22 modestly appointed, air-conditioned rooms (some also have fans). The hotel has both upstairs and downstairs restaurants open to the breezes, plus a boutique and a small pool surrounded by shady palms. The hotel offers tours and scuba diving.
At the south end of Hermosa, you can’t go wrong at the splendid Canadian-run Villa del Sueño (tel. 506/2672-0026 or U.S. tel. 800/378-8599, www.villadelsueno.com, $65 s/d standard, $89 superior, $109 junior suite low season; $75 s/d standard, $105 superior, $130 junior suite high season), an exquisite Spanish colonial-style building offering six air-conditioned rooms in the main house and eight rooms in two two-story, whitewashed stone buildings surrounding a lushly landscaped courtyard with a swimming pool. The rooms boast terra-cotta tiled floors, lofty hardwood ceilings with fans, large picture windows, contemporary artwork, beautiful batik fabrics, bamboo furniture, and pastels. The gourmet restaurant hosts live music.
Also to consider are the charming Villa Acacia (tel. 506/2672-1000, www.villacacia.com), with eight villas and a swimming pool; the upscale self-catering Villas Playa Hermosa (tel. 506/2672-1239, www.villasplayhermosa.com); the less impressive Playa Hermosa Inn (tel. 506/2672-0050, fax 506/2672-0060); and, if you’re seeking a self-catering option, Hotel & Villas Huetares (tel. 506/2672-0052, www.villahuetares.com, $45 s/d room, $80 s/d villa low season; $80 s/d room, $135 s/d villa high season), an apartment-style complex of 15 two-bedroom bungalows in lush grounds. The large-scale Condovac La Costa (tel. 506/2527-4000, www.condovac.com, from $75 s, $95 d, including breakfast) commands the hill at the northern end of the beach and appeals mainly to Ticos. It offers 101 air-conditioned villas, plus there’s a selection of bars and restaurants, a full complement of tours, sportfishing, and scuba diving.
The former Costa Blanca del Pacifico is now the Monarch Resort Hotel (tel. 506/2672-1363, www.monarchresortonline.com, $109 s/d low season, $149 s/d high season), with suites furnished in elegant contemporary fashion. Its lofty perch atop the headland guarantees fine vistas.
$100-150
Another winner is the bargain-priced, Canadian-owned Hotel La Finisterra (tel. 506/2670-0227, www.lafinisterra.com, $90 s/d low season, $110 s/d high season), a handsome contemporary structure atop the breezy headland at the south end of the beach. What views! The 10 simply furnished yet delightful air-conditioned rooms boast fans, attractive bamboo furniture, and wide, screened windows; some have forest (not beach) views. The open-sided restaurant looks over a charming irregular-shaped swimming pool. The owners have a 38-foot sailboat ($60 for a full-day tour); sportfishing tours are arranged. Rates include full breakfast.
For an all-inclusive bargain consider El Nakuti Resort Hotel & Villas (tel. 506/2672-1212, www.nakutiresort.com, $75 s or $120 d low season, $95 s or $150 d high season), a handsome modern property with 97 rooms in thatched air-conditioned chalets arrayed in the style of an indigenous village in landscaped grounds. Sponge-washed walls in warm ocher shades enhance the mood. Each bungalow has a separate living room with kitchen. There’s a large pool and kids’ pool. It has sea kayaks, snorkeling, water-skiing, sunset cruises, plus mountain bike and ATV rentals. Rates include tax.
$150-200
Wearing an exciting new livery, 
Hotel Playa Hermosa (tel./fax 506/2672-0046, www.hotelplayahermosa.com, $125 s/d junior suite, $150-175 suites low season; $175 s/d junior suite, $225-275 suites high season), at the southern end of the beach, has been turned into the class act in Playa Hermosa. Still in the works at last visit, the new twin-level suites are built around a gorgeous walk-in swimming pool and half-moon wooden sundeck shaded by a giant guanacaste tree. Designed with a graceful Balinese motif, the rooms have their own balconies overlooking the pool. It will have 38 junior suites when complete, and at last visit the old beachfront standard rooms were in the midst of being replaced by six smashing new rooms in a three-story tower with new restaurant and lounge-bar.
If all-inclusive resort elegance is your thing, Villas Sol Hotel & Beach Resort (tel. 506/2257-067, www.villassol.com, $574 standard, $828 one-bedroom villa for two nights minimum), next to Condovac La Costa, has 54 deluxe hotel rooms and 106 attractive villas (24 with private pools) recently refurbished in fashionably contemporary vogue, including flat-screen TVs, and modern amenities. There’s a swimming pool, three restaurants, and a disco, and water sports and other activities are included.
OVER $200
At Playa Buena, the beautiful and expansive all-inclusive Occidental Gran Papagayo (tel. 506/2672-0193, www.occidental-hoteles.com, $392 s/d high season) draws a mostly Tico clientele. The 169 beautiful, air-conditioned bungalows (with seven types of rooms) stair-step down grassy lawns. Hardwoods and terra-cotta tiles abound. Plate-glass walls and doors proffer priceless vistas. Suites have mezzanine bedrooms and king-size beds, plus deep sea-green marble in the bathrooms, which have whirlpool tubs. It has two restaurants and a large pool set like a jewel on the slopes. There’s a tennis court and shops, plus scuba diving and tours. Call for varying rates.
Sensational! That’s the term for the marvelously situated 
Hilton Papagayo Resort (tel. 506/2672-0000, www.hilton.com, from $369 s/d), a sprawling all-inclusive with 202 rooms, suites, and bungalows nestled on the scarp face overlooking Playa Arenilla, immediately north of Playa Panamá. This remarkable remake of the former Fiesta resort is stylish and sophisticated, beginning in the open-air lobby that offers tantalizing views over the bay. Its infinity pool and handsome use of thatch are pluses, as are the gorgeous bedrooms with sophisticated contemporary styling, quality linens, flat-screen TVs, in-room safes, and other modern conveniences. Three restaurants include an Italian open-air dining room under soaring thatch, the thatched beachfront grill, and the chic La Consecha, serving gourmet fusion fare. There’s a great spa.
Westin plans to build a super-deluxe hotel. And the deluxe Miraval Life in Balance and One and Only boutique hotels are planned for Cacique del Mar.
Food
For simple surrounds on the sands, head to Restaurant Valle’s Mar (tel. 506/8896-3694, 10 A.M.-9 P.M.). It serves hearty seafood dishes, such as ceviche, fried calamari ($8), and grilled mahimahi with garlic ($8).
The best food for miles is served at 
Ginger (tel. 506/2672-0041, 5-10 P.M. Tues.-Sun., $5-20), beside the main road in the heart of Hermosa. This chic and contemporary tapas bar is run by Canadian chef Anne Hegney Frey. Striking for its minimalist design, with a trapezoidal bar, walls of glass, and cantilevered glass roof, it also delivers fantastic food. Try the ginger rolls, fried calamari, or superb ginger ahi tuna. Two-for-one sushi rolls are served 5-10 P.M. Friday. My martini was ridiculously small for the price, however.
I also recommend Villas del Sueño hotel restaurant (tel. 506/2672-0026), where the rotating daily menu may include scallopini parmesan, tenderloin with brandy and three-pepper sauce, mahimahi with shrimp and cream sauce ($15.50), and profiteroles ($5-13). Elegant place settings, low lighting, and mellow music enhance the atmosphere. It does special dinners.
Similarly, The Bistro (tel. 506/2670-0227, 10 A.M.-10 P.M. daily), at Hotel Finisterra, is open to the public, with a creative French chef conjuring Caesar salad ($3.50), filet mignon with peppercorn sauce ($10), and daily pastas. Friday is sushi night. It earns rave reviews and draws diners from afar.
Restaurante Aqua Sport (tel. 506/2672-0050, 9 A.M.-9 P.M.) has a pleasing thatched beachfront restaurant at Playa Hermosa, with crepes, ceviche, salads, and a wide-ranging seafood menu.
Information and Services
Aqua Sport has a public telephone, souvenir shop, and general store (6 A.M.-9 P.M. daily). The Emergencias Papagayo (tel. 506/2670-0047) medical clinic is on the main road, alongside Lavandería Lava Max (tel. 506/2672-0136) laundry; and Lavandería Bolimar (8 A.M.-5 P.M. Mon.-Fri.) 100 meters farther north. Villa Acacia (tel. 506/2672-1000, www.villacacia.com) has an Internet café.
Getting There
A bus departs San José for Playa Hermosa and Panamá from Calle 20, Avenidas 1/3, daily at 3:25 P.M. (five hours). Buses depart Liberia for Playa Hermosa seven times daily, 5:30 A.M.- 7:30 P.M. Buses depart Hermosa for San José at 5:10 A.M., and for Liberia seven times daily 6:10 A.M.-7:10 P.M.
A taxi from Coco will run about $5 one-way; from Liberia about $15.
PLAYAS DEL COCO
Playas del Coco, 35 kilometers west of Liberia, is one of the most accessible beach resorts in Guanacaste. The place can be crowded during weekends and holidays, when Josefinos flock. A two-kilometer-wide gray-sand beach (it is referred to in the plural—Playas del Coco) lines the horseshoe-shaped bay. Coco is still an active fishing village; the touristy area is to the east, and the laid-back fishing village is to the west. Playas del Coco is also a center for scuba diving.
PLAYAS DEL COCO
The past few years have seen an incredible boom in real estate development. Meanwhile, in 2008 the local municipality bulldozed much of the shorefront property, which as a boon opened up more of the beach to view. At last visit, construction of the Marina Punta Cacique was slated to begin in 2009.
Entertainment and Events
Coco is a lively spot and hosts a five-day fiesta cívica in late January, with bullfights, rodeos, and folkloric dancing.
The most-fun spot is the open-air Coconutz Sports Bar (tel. 506/2670-1981, http://coconutz-cr.com), which shows alfresco movies on a big screen and has live music on Friday, Saturday, and Monday. It serves pizza and Tex-Mex.
The Lizard Lounge (tel. 506/2670-0307, www.lizardloungecr.com) has a pool table, plus a happy hour 5-7 P.M. daily. Wednesday is Italian night; Thursday is Ladies Night; and you’re offered $2 shots Friday and Saturday.
The tiny, Italian-run Zouk Santana (tel. 506/2670-0191, www.zouksantana.com, 7:30 A.M.-11:30 A.M. daily) is a sophisticated spot for supping and enjoying a cigar, sold on-site. The same owners run the hip Café de Playa (tel. 506/2670 -1621, www.cafedeplaya.com, 7 A.M.-midnight daily), a beach club where a DJs spin tunes and special theme parties are hosted.
The hip new Tragos Martini Bar, scheduled to open at last visit, also reflects the area’s increasingly upscale trend. And the Coco Palms Beach Bar (2-9 P.M.), on the west side of the soccer field, is a nice spot for a quiet drink.
Later at night, the budget crowd and locals gravitate to the Disco Coco Mar (tel. 506/2670-0358), a no-frills disco on Saturday, and karaoke other nights.
Gamblers can try their hand with Lady Luck at the small casinos in Hotel Flor de Itabo (506/2670-0290, 8 P.M.-2 A.M. daily).
Tours and Activities
The Asociación de las Pangueros (tel. 506/ 2670-0228, rocasurf@hotmail.com), the local fishermen’s association, offers boats and guide services.
Rich Coast Diving (tel./fax 506/2670-0176, www.richcoastdiving.com) has a full-service dive center, plus a 35-foot trimaran for charter. Summer Salt Dive Center (tel. 506/2670-0308, www.summer-salt.com) also has snorkel rental plus dive trips. Coco Sea Sport (tel. 506/2670-1514, www.cocoseasport.com) has personal watercraft rental, yacht charter, and snorkeling.
A fun day trip is to cruise the local beaches with Arroyo Adventures (tel. 506/2670-0239, www.grupomapache.com), which also offers sportfishing.
Hacienda Chapernal (tel. 506/2273-4545, www.elchapernal.com), four kilometers southeast of Sardinal, is a working cattle ranch offering horseback riding, plus folkloric music and dance.
Accommodations
UNDER $25
Backpackers give a thumbs up to El Oasis Backpackers Hostel (tel. 506/2670-0501, www.eloasiscostarica.com, $13 pp low season, $15 pp high season), new in 2008 and tucked behind Papagayo Steak House in a garden with hammocks beneath palms. It has three spacious air-conditioned dorms with ceiling fans and modern bathrooms. It has a communal kitchen, lockers, and a pleasant TV lounge with Internet, plus DVD library, a laundry, and bikes and snorkeling gear for rent.
The Cabinas Marimar (tel. 506/2670-1212, $15 pp), facing the beach, has 17 no-frills rooms with fans and private baths with cold water only.
$25-50
The ever-evolving Coco Palms (tel. 506/2670-0367, www.hotelcocopalms.com, $35-60 s/d rooms, $80-150 apartments low season; call for high season rates), on the west side of the soccer field, offers 48 spacious, adequately furnished air-conditioned rooms arrayed along an atrium corridor, all with fans, cable TV, and Wi-Fi. Some have whirlpool tubs and kitchens or kitchenettes. There’s a lap pool and the delightful Restaurante Coco Sushi.
The pleasing, Italian-run Hotel Pato Loco Inn (tel./fax 506/670-0145, patoloco@ racsa.co.cr, $35 s/d with fan, $45 with a/c low season; $40 s/d with fan, $50 with a/c high season), 800 meters inland on the main drag, has attractive rooms—three triples, one double, and two fully equipped apartments—with orthopedic mattresses, central air-conditioning, and modest furnishings with hardwood accents. There’s a small but quality Italian restaurant.
New in 2008, and also to consider in this price bracket, is Hotel Luz de Papagayo (tel. 506/2670-0400, fax 506/2670-0319), with six nicely furnished upstairs rooms.
$50-100
The beachfront Cabinas El Coco (tel. 506/2670-0230, fax 506/2670-0276, cabinaselcoco@ racsa.co.cr, $50 s/d low season, $100 s/d high season) has been remodeled but remains unimpressive and is now ridiculously overpriced.
Laura’s House B&B (tel. 506/2670-0751, www.laurashousecr.net, $50 s, $60 d) is run by a delightful young Tica and offers seven lovely albeit simply furnished air-conditioned rooms in a two-story house, all with ceiling fans and clean private bathrooms. Downstairs rooms are pleasingly cool; some have bunks. There’s a pool in the courtyard with hammocks, plus Wi-Fi and parking.
Farther east, the Villa del Sol (tel. 506/8301-8848, www.villadelsol.com, $45-50 s, $55-65 d low season; $50-65 s, $65-75 d high season), set amid lawns, is a homey bed-and-breakfast with an open atrium lounge. Seven air-conditioned rooms vary considerably, though all have ceiling fans and simple decor blessed with lively colors. Five have private bathrooms and balconies plus king-size bed. It also offers six new studio apartments. There’s a swimming pool and whirlpool tub. It has secure parking.
I love 
Hotel Puerta del Sol (tel. 506/2670-0195, fax 506/2670-0650, no website, $45 s or $65 d standard, $85 suites low season; $55 s or $85 d standard, $110 suites high season), an intimate hotel with an Italian aesthetic. The 10 whitewashed air-conditioned rooms (with tropical pastels in counterpoint) feature soft-contoured walls enveloping king-size beds and melding into wraparound sofas built into the walls. All have ceiling fans, TVs, phones, safes, fridges, coffeemakers, and patios. Two are suites with refrigerators, and casitas have full kitchens. A small airy lounge has games and a TV, and there’s a garden with a charming lap pool and gym. The restaurant excels. Free scuba lessons are offered in the pool. Rates include breakfast.
Sportfishing fans should head to Hotel Flor de Itabo (tel. 506/2670-0290, www.flordeitabo.com, $55 s or $65 d standard, $85-105 s/d deluxe, $145 villas low season; $70 s or $85 d standard, $105-135 s/d deluxe, $145 villas high season), about one kilometer before Coco. It has 10 spacious standard rooms, seven deluxe rooms with whirlpool tubs, and eight bungalow apartments. The Sailfish Restaurant opens onto a pool in landscaped grounds full of parrots and macaws. There’s also a casino. The hotel specializes in fishing trips.
For peaceful seclusion, I recommend Rancho Armadillo (tel. 506/2670-0108, www.ranchoarmadillo.com, $100-146 s/d low season, $145-200 high season). This beautiful Spanish-colonial-style hacienda, on a 10-hectare hillside finca 1.5 kilometers from the beach, has six spacious air-conditioned bungalows, including a two-bedroom suite. All have fans, magnificent hardwood furniture, wrought-iron balustrades, lofty wooden ceilings, hardwood floors, colorful Guatemalan bedspreads, stained-glass windows, “rainforest” showers, coffeemakers, refrigerators, and cable TV. There’s also a house for families or groups, plus an open-air kitchen beside the swimming pool, a gym, a mirador lounge with hammocks and rockers, and a library. Meals are offered by request. The estate is available for exclusive rental during peak season, with Rick, the owner, as chef (he was for years a professional chef). Rates include breakfast.
My favorite place to relax is the 
Café de Playa Beach & Dining Club (tel. 506/2670-1621, www.cafedeplaya.com, $160 s/d low season, $200 s/d high season), a chic club with a circular swimming pool and “parachute” canopy over wooden sundeck and open-air sushi bar, plus lounge chairs on the beachfront lawn. It has a Hobie Cat and yacht. This hip conversion of the former Hotel Vista Mar has five totally remodeled rooms with a super contemporary aesthetic fitting for Manhattan or Beverly Hills. Each of the suites is distinct. And divine!
Food
Papagayo Steakhouse & Seafood (tel. 506/2670-0298, noon-10 P.M.) is a two-in-one restaurant: an open-air seafood restaurant downstairs and an air-conditioned one serving meats upstairs. The seafood menu includes sashimi and blackened Cajun-style catch of the day ($8-15). It also sells fresh fish at a street-side outlet.
Restaurante Coco Sushi (tel. 506/2670-0367, 11 A.M.-11 P.M. daily), on the west side of the soccer field, is a modestly elegant eatery with a creative menu featuring sautéed black tip shark, curry shrimp stir fry, and sushi and Japanese fare.
For prize Italian fare, head to Restaurante Sol y Luna (5-10 P.M. Wed.-Mon.) at Hotel Puerta del Sol; it serves homemade pastas ($5), cannelloni ($7.50), lasagna ($8), stuffed crepes, tiramisu, and daily specials, enjoyed amid exquisite Romanesque decor. It also serves cappuccinos and espressos, and has a large wine list and 15 types of beer.
If you want a truly classy ambience by the beach, check out Café de Playa Beach & Dining Club (tel. 506/2670-1621, www.cafedeplaya.com, 7 A.M.-midnight daily, $5-20). It serves great breakfasts and has a sushi bar, and the classy breeze-swept restaurant serves everything from salads and penne pastas to nouvelle seafood such as rum-sauce jumbo shrimp. In a similar vein, the beachfront Restaurant Claudio y Gloria (tel. 506/3670-1514, www.cocoseasport.com) competes with elegant place settings and an eclectic menu featuring ceviche, mahimahi with leek sauce ($13), and Peruvian dishes.
The tops in elegant dining, however, is the Restaurant Pacifico Beach Club (tel. 506/2670-2212, www.pacifico-costarica.com, 11 A.M.-3 P.M. daily, and 6-10 P.M. Fri.-Sun.), with a stately contemporary motif that includes an onyx-topped bar with flat-screen TVs. It serves tapas and Häagen-Daz ice cream.
Less pretentious, and my favorite place, is 
Suely’s Restaurant (tel. 506/2670-1696, sti-costarica@hotmail.com, 11:30 A.M.-11 P.M. daily), one kilometer west of town. Run by two French sisters, it has a lovely ambience, with multitiered decks beneath shade trees. The changing menu might include tuna tar-tare ($5), gazpacho ($4), pan-seared brie ($6), crusted salmon ($7), and a seafood selection with jumbo shrimp, mussels, scallops and rice with saffron sauce on a bed of leek fondue. Leave room for the chocolate volcano.
Craving a cappuccino and a brownie sundae? Head to Coco Coffee Co. (tel. 506/2670-1055, 7 A.M.-4 P.M. Mon.-Sat.). It also has bagels, fruit plates, and salads.
Information and Services
The post office (8 A.M.-noon and 2- 5:30 P.M. Mon.-Fri.) and police station (tel. 506/2670-0258) face the plaza, which has public telephones.
There’s a medical clinic (tel. 506/2670-0047) about three kilometers east of town. The Red Cross (tel. 506/2670-0190) is in Sardinal, eight kilometers east of Playas del Coco.
For Internet, I use Internet Leslie (tel. 506/2670-0156, 8 A.M.-10 P.M. Mon.-Sat., 2-10 P.M. Sun.).
Lava Max (tel. 506/2670-1860, 8 A.M.-6 P.M. Mon.-Sat.) is the place to do laundry.
Getting There and Around
Pulmitan buses (tel. 506/2222-1650) depart San José for Playas del Coco from Avenida 5, Calles 24, daily at 8 A.M., 2 P.M., and 4 P.M. ($5.50, five hours), returning at 4 A.M., 8 A.M., and 2 P.M. Buses depart Liberia (Arata, tel. 506/2666-0138), for Coco eight times daily.
Interbus (tel. 506/2283-5573, www.interbusonline.com) operates minibus shuttles from San José ($35) and popular tourist destinations in Nicoya and Guanacaste.
Taxis (tel. 506/2670-0303) park by the plaza.
There’s a gas station in Sardinal. Adobe Rent-a-Car (tel. 506/8811-4242, www.adobecar.com) has an office in Pacifico Plaza, and you can rent scooters at La Rana Rentals (tel. 506/2670-1312).
PLAYA EL OCOTAL
This secluded gray-sand beach is three kilometers southwest of Playa del Coco within the cusp of steep cliffs. It’s smaller and more secluded than Coco, but it gets the overflow on busy weekends. The rocky headlands at each end have tidepools. Ocotal is a base for sportfishing and scuba diving. At Las Corridas, a dive spot only a kilometer from Ocotal, divers are sure of coming face-to-face with massive jewfish, which make this rock reef their home; black marlin are occasionally seen.
Ocotal Diving Safaris (tel. 506/2670-0321 ext. 120, www.ocotaldiving.com) rents equipment and offers various dive trips, including a free introductory dive daily, plus snorkeling. It also offers deep-sea fishing ($425 half day, $645 full day up to four people).
Accommodations
The bay is dominated by El Ocotal Beach Resort & Marina (tel. 506/2670-0321, www.ocotalresort.com, $120 s or $162 d standard, $241 s/d junior suite, $283 s/d suite low season; $157 s or $180 d standard, $278 s/d junior suite, $341 s/d suite high season), a gleaming whitewashed structure that stair-steps up the cliffs at the southern end of the beach. It has 71 attractive air-conditioned rooms with fans, freezers, two queen-size beds each, satellite TVs, direct-dial telephones, and ocean views. The original 12 rooms are in six duplex bungalows; newer rooms have their own whirlpool tub, sunning area, and pool. Three small pools each have ranchitos for shade, and there are tennis courts and horseback riding, plus a fully equipped dive shop, sportfishing boats, and car rental.
Playa el Ocotal
Hotel Villa Casa Blanca (tel. 506/2670-448, www.hotelvillacasablanca.com, $85 s/d standard, $105 s/d suite low season; $195 s/d standard, $125 s/d suite high season) sets a standard for beachside bed-and-breakfasts, although at last visit the public structures were deteriorating. The upscale Spanish-style villa is set in a lush landscaped garden full of yuccas and bougainvillea. The small swimming pool has a swim-up bar and a sundeck with lounge chairs. Inside, the hotel epitomizes subdued elegance with its intimate allure: sponge-washed walls, four-poster beds (six rooms), stenciled murals, and massive bathrooms with deep tubs and wall-to-wall mirrors. The 14 rooms include four suites (two are honeymoon suites). You can relax in a whirlpool tub, and there’s a patio restaurant and grill.
Food
The rustic and offbeat beachfront 
Father Rooster Restaurant (tel. 506/2670 -1246, 11 A.M.-10 P.M. daily, $2-10) run by Steve, a friendly Floridian, is the hip, happening place to be. It serves seafood dishes, quesadillas, burgers, and Caesar salads, plus huge margaritas ($4.50). It has a sand volleyball court, pool table, darts, and occasional live music.
If you’re feeling flush, try the cuisine at El Ocotal Beach Resort (tel. 506/2670-0321, www.ocotalresort.com), which one reader raves about.
THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO PROJECT
In 1993, the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) began to push roads into the hitherto inaccessible Nacascolo Peninsula. The government also leased 2,000 hectares surrounding the bay as part of the long-troubled Gulf of Papagayo Tourism Project of the ICT, begun in 1974 but left to languish until a few years ago, when development suddenly took off exponentially with the enthusiastic backing of the Rafael Calderón administration. The mini-Cancún that began to emerge was intended to push Costa Rica into the big leagues of resort tourism.
Headed by Grupo Papagayo, a conglomerate of independent companies headed by Mexico’s Grupo Situr, the 88-kilometer-long coastal concession was planned as a 15-year development. Developers and environmentalists squared off over the project. An independent review panel expressed concern about illegal activities and environmental degradation. In March 1995, the former tourism minister and 12 other senior ICT officials were indicted as charges of corruption began to fly.
The Nacascolo Peninsula is an area of archaeological importance with many pre-Columbian sites. When it was discovered that the bulldozers were plowing heedlessly, the government issued an executive decree to declare the peninsula a place of historic importance. To improve its image, the Grupo changed the name of the project to Ecodesarollo Papagayo, or Papagayo Eco-Development. Then the company went bankrupt, bursting the Papagayo bubble. The bulldozers remained idle. In 1999, North American investors took over and more conscientious development resulted in the opening, in 2004, of the Four Seasons Papagayo resort. Development is ongoing.