Playa Sámara to Carrillo
PLAYA SÁMARA
Playa Sámara, about 15 kilometers south of Garza, is a popular budget destination for Ticos, surfers, and travelers in search of the offbeat. The lure is its relative accessibility and attractive horseshoe-shaped bay with a light-gray beach.
Sámara can be reached directly from Nicoya by paved road (Hwy. 150) via Belén, and you can fly into nearby Playa Carrillo. The village is in the center of the beach. A cattle finca divides it from Cangrejal, a funky hamlet at the north end of the beach. Playa Sámara extends south about two kilometers to the small ramshackle fishing community of Matapalo.
Entertainment
The beachfront Bar Las Olas, at the west end of the village, is one of the livelier spots until after midnight, when the crowd gravitates to the no-frills Tutti Frutti disco at the Hotel Playa Sámara; the latter is a smoke-filled, sweatbox place and produces a fair share of local drunks, but it’s the happenin’ dance scene. A more mellow spot, favored by the local Rastafarian crowd, is the rustic yet always packed La Gondola (4 P.M.-2 A.M. daily), the bar of choice in town; it has darts, ping-pong, and pool. The open-air La Vela Latina video-music bar shows big games on a big screen.
PLAYA SAMARA TO CARRILLO
Sports and Recreation
Jesse’s Surf School (tel. 506/8373-3006, www.samarasurfschool.com) rents surf boards and offers lessons, as does C&C Surf School (tel. 506/2656-0628). And Pura Vida Dive (tel. 506/2656-0643, www.puravidadive.com) offers dive trips.
Tio Tigre Tours (tel. 506/2656-0098, www.samarabeach.com/tiotigre) has sea kayaking, horseback rides, a dolphin spotting tour, and more, as does Skynet Tours (tel./fax 506/2656-0920, info@skynettours.com).
Wingnuts (tel. 506/2656-0153, www.samarabeach.com/wingnuts, $55 adults, $35 children) has a canopy tour.
Accommodations
CAMPING
The swampy Bar Aloha Camping (tel. 506/2656-0028, $5 pp) and Camping Los Cocos (tel. 506/2656-0496, www.samarabeach.com/campingcocos, $4 pp low season, $5 pp high season, $5 pp camper-van) both play second fiddle to the more appealing Camping and Bar Olas (tel. 506/2656-0187, $5 pp camping, $15 s or $25 d huts), with a lively beachside bar and restaurant with shaded campsites with lockers. It also has basic palm-thatch A-frame huts with loft bedrooms.
$25-50
The Italian-run Cabinas Paraíso (tel./fax 506/2656-0741, $25 s, $30 d) has four clean, simply furnished rooms with king-size beds, fans, verandas, and private baths with hot water. There’s also a large unit that accommodates four people. It rents snorkeling gear and mountain bikes and has a simple open-air eatery. A lesser quality but similarly priced alternative is Casa Valeria B&B (tel. 506/2656-0511, fax 506/2656-0317, casavaleriaf@hotmail .com), with eight clean, simply furnished rooms plus four beachfront bungalows.
I like the bargain-priced Tico Adventure Lodge (tel. 506/2656-0628, www.ticoadventurelodge.com, $20 s or $30 d low season, $30 s or $50 d high season), made entirely of teak and offering nine rooms in a handsome, sepia-toned, two-story unit with glazed rough-hewn timbers. It also has an apartment and a villa for rent. The C&C Surf Camp is here.
A good bargain, the German-run Hotel Belvedere (tel./fax 506/2656-0213, www.belvederesamara.net, $45 s or $78 d room, $65 s/d apartment low season; $55 s or $90 d room, $75 apartment high season) has 12 pretty, Swiss-style chalets (ranging from doubles to two apartments with kitchens) with attractive bamboo furnishings, mosquito nets, whitewashed walls, fans, and private baths with hot water. Some rooms have king-size beds; some have air-conditioning. A stone-walled whirlpool tub sits amid lush gardens and a pool. Rates include breakfast and tax.
Another value-priced winner is the German-run Bed & Breakfast Entre Dos Aguas (tel./ fax 506/2656-0998, www.hoteldosaguas.com, $40 s or $45 d low season, $45 s or $50 d high season), a charming tropical take on a stone-and-timber Swiss chalet set in a groomed hillside garden, 400 meters inland. It has seven pleasing rooms with rustic wooden furnishings, tile floors, fans, and circular private bathrooms with walls of river stones and hot water. There’s a stone bar and a shaded patio. Rates include breakfast and tax. No credit cards.
$50-100
The Hotel Casa del Mar (tel. 506/2656-0264, www.casadelmarsamara.com, $30 s or $40 d shared bath year-round, $55 s/d private bath low season, $75 s or $85 d private bath high season), run by French-Canadians, is a relaxing and well-run bed-and-breakfast with 17 modestly furnished rooms with attractive decor, fans, private baths, hot water, and heaps of light through louvered windows (two rooms have a kitchenette). There’s a whirlpool tub. Rates include breakfast and tax.
Charm and character pervade Hotel Giada (tel. 506/2656-0132, www.hotelgiada.net, $55 s or $65 d low season, $65 s or $80 d high season), with 13 rooms with faux terra-cotta tile floors, sponge-washed ocher and cream decor, bamboo beds (some are king-size), and wide balconies. There’s a pool and a pizzeria. Rates include breakfast and tax.
The striking Mirador de Sámara (tel. 506/2656-0044, www.miradordesamara.com, $80 -95 s/d low season, $90 -105 high season) commands the hill overlooking Sámara. German-owned, it sets a high standard. Six large apartments each sleep five and have full kitchens, plus four new rooms. They’re clinically clean, with simple hardwood furnishings and floors, mosquito nets, and balconies. A beautiful pool fed by a water cascade is inset in a multitiered wooden sundeck. A tower contains an open-walled restaurant serving nouvelle cuisine. This property has lots of steps.
Hotel Sámara Beach (tel. 506/2656-0218, www.hotelsamarabeach.com, $55 s or $69 d low season, $89 s or $92 d high season) is a two-story, 20-room complex with private baths and hot water. Rooms are spacious and bright and have air-conditioning, king-size beds, and patios. The hotel has a small swimming pool, plus a bar-cum-restaurant under thatch. Rates include tax and breakfast.
Hotel Las Brisas del Pacífico (tel. 506/ 2656-0250, www.lasbrisascostarica.com, $65-90 s/d low season, $80-115 s/d high season), about 600 meters south of Sámara, is a German-run hotel with 38 rooms with whitewashed stone walls and private baths with hot water (some have a/c; others have fans). Facilities include an open-air restaurant facing the ocean, two swimming pools, two whirlpool tubs, and a shady lounging area under palms. Separate bungalows sit on a hill, with ocean views.
The Hideaway (tel. 506/2656-1145, www.thehideawaycostarica.com, $85 s/d low season, $100 s/d high season) opened in 2008 inland of the very southern end of Playa Sámara. Its stylish, gleaming white modern architecture impresses. The 12 huge air-conditioned guest rooms are in irregular fourplex units and have equally huge bathrooms, pleasant furnishings, Wi-Fi, and most other mod-cons. Meals are served, and there’s a scimitar-shaped pool. The delightful owner, Rosy Rios, was planning movie nights on a large flat-screen TV.
Villas Playa Sámara (tel. 506/2656-0104, www.villasplayasamara.com), at the southern end of Playa Sámara, two kilometers south of Matapalo, operates as a time-share for Costa Ricans. For self-catering villas, consider Villas Kalimba (tel. 506/656-0929, www.villaskalimba.com).
$100-200
Sámara Treehouse Inn (tel. 506/2656-0733, www.samaratreehouse.com, $85 -115 s/d low season, $95-125 s/d high season) is a thoughtful and irresistible addition, and the nicest place in town. Made entirely of glossy hardwoods, the four thatch-fringed tree-house units with open patios (with hammocks and lounge chairs) face the beach; each has terra-cotta floor, bamboo bed, and lively fabrics, plus TV, ceiling fan, delightful modern bathrooms faced with dark-blue tiles, and wall-of-glass oceanview windows. It offers secure parking and a lovely circular pool in the landscaped forecourt, plus a fully equipped, wheelchair-accessible ground-floor apartment.
Lodge Las Ranas (tel. 506/8859-0144, www.lodgelasranas.com, $75 s or $95 d low season, $95 s or $115 d high season), two kilometers east of town on the Terciopelo road, offers a lofty perch. Here, rustic furniture (including canopied log beds) and stylish contemporary elements combine. A serpentine pool studs a hillside terrace.
Food
I breakfast at La Casa de Coco (tel. 506/2656-0665, 7 A.M.10 P.M. daily): it has huge omelettes and pancakes, plus lunchtime casados, sandwiches, and even chicken curry ($6) at night.
Late risers might opt for breakfast at Shake Joe’s (tel. 506/2656-0252, 11 A.M.-9 P.M. Tues.-Sun., $3-10), an offbeat hangout with oversize sofas with Guatemalan fabrics, plus rough-hewn tables and hammocks strewn around the gravel courtyard; it serves a French toast breakfast with tuna salad and eggs, plus smoked salmon, salade Niçoise, and ravioli.
The airy Restaurante Las Brasas (tel. 506/2656-0546, noon-10 P.M. daily) has heaps of ambience thanks to its effusive use of exotic logs. It serves Mediterranean fare, including gazpacho ($4) and paella ($9), plus surf-and-turf. Similarly, I like the creative menu at the no-frills, thatched, beachfront Restaurante El Ancla (10 A.M.-10 P.M. Fri.- Wed., $5-10), serving beef stroganoff, garlic sea bass, and calamari.
When things get too hot, head to Heladería Era Glacial (1 A.M.-7 P.M. daily), in Patio Colonial, for ice cream.
You can buy groceries at Super La Sámara.
Information and Services
Inter-Travel (tel. 506/2656-0302, 8 A.M.- 8 P.M. daily), in Patio Colonial, is a tour information service that also sells Interbus tickets and has an Internet café. Internet Sámara is one block south.
The post office and police (tel. 506/2656-0436) are by the beach, near the soccer field.
A medical clinic (tel. 506/2656-0992) and pharmacy (tel. 506/2656-0123) adjoin each other on the north side of the soccer field.
Lavandería Sámara (tel. 506/8870-0448, 8:30 A.M.-5:30 P.M. Mon.-Sat.) offers same-day free delivery for laundry. La Vida Verde (tel. 506/2656-1051) competes, using biodegradable soaps and detergents.
Sámara Language School (tel. 506/2656-0127, www.beachspanish.com) offers Spanish language courses.
Getting There
SANSA and Nature Air fly daily to Playa Carrillo.
Tracopa Alfaro buses (tel. 506/2222-2666 and 2685-5032) depart San José for Sámara from Calles 14, Avenidas 3/5, daily at noon and 6:30 P.M. ($6.50, five hours). Empresa Rojas buses (tel. 506/2685-5352) depart Nicoya for Sámara from three blocks east of the park 13 times daily 5 A.M.-9:45 P.M. ($1.75).
Buses depart Sámara for San José at 4 A.M. and 8 A.M.
Interbus (tel. 506/2283-5573, www.interbusonline.com) operates minibus shuttles from San José ($35) and popular tourist destinations in Nicoya and Guanacaste.
PLAYA CARRILLO
South of Sámara, the paved road continues over Punta Indio and drops down to coral-colored Playa Carrillo (5 km south of Sámara), one of the finest beaches in Costa Rica. An offshore reef protects the bay. The fishing hamlet of Carrillo nestles around the estuary of the Río Sangrado at the southern end of the bay.
Playa Carrillo
To check out native animal species that are hard to see in the wild, follow signs to La Selva (tel. 506/8305-1610, 9 A.M.-9 P.M. daily, $8 adults, $5 children), inland at the southern end of the beach. This wildlife refuge has coatis, tamanduas, peccaries, agoutis, monkeys, and even jaguarundis. Guided tours are offered at 9 A.M. and 5 P.M.
Café Internet Librería Onda Latina (tel. 506/2656-0434) has miniature golf.
Rick Ruhlow (tel./fax 506/2656-0091, www.costaricabillfishing.com) and Costa Rica VIP Sportfishing (tel. 506/2637-7262, www.vipsportfish.com/carrillo.htm)offer sportfishing.
Carrillo Tours (tel. 506/2656-0543, www.carrillotours.com) offers all manner of tours locally and far afield.
Accommodations and Food
I like the U.S.-run Hotel Sunset B&B (tel. 506/2656-0011, fax 506/2656-0009, puertocarillosunset@yahoo.com, $65 s/d), a beautiful hilltop property with a marvelous wooden deck inset with pool, and an open, thatched bar and restaurant with views. It has eight air-conditioned rooms with solar-heated hot-water showers. Rates include breakfast.
The hillside Hotel Esperanza (tel./fax 506/2656-0564, www.hotelesperanza.com, $88 s/d low season, $120 s/d high season, including breakfast) is a family-run bed-and-breakfast set in a delightful garden. Recently remodeled (the new exterior is ghastly), it has seven attractively furnished rooms—some larger than others—arrayed along an arcade. A restaurant, for guests only, specializes in seafood. A new level with five suites was to be added.
Carrillo has garnered several new hotels of late, including the Italian-run Puerto Carrillo Hotel (tel. 506/2656-1103, www.puertocarrillohotel.com, $50 s or $65 d low season, $60 s or $75 d high season), with eight air-conditioned rooms with pleasant contemporary furnishings, all with cable TV, and Wi-Fi.
At Hotel Leyenda (tel. 506/2656-0381, www.hotelleyenda.com, $105 s/d low season, $125 high season), two kilometers south of Carrillo, a pleasant contemporary hotel enfolds a courtyard with pool. Decor is a bit uninspired, but standard rooms are spacious and have kitchenettes plus ceiling fan and air-conditioning. There’s a “VIP House” ($420 low season, $500 high season) with its own pool. This hotel has come up with a fascinating concept: It provides shuttles to the beach, with mobile portable toilets and showers!
About three kilometers south of Carrillo, El Sueño Tropical (tel. 506/2656-0151, www.elsuenotropical.com, $45-85 s/d low season, $95-195 s/d high season), now owned by a Tica-gringo couple, is a bargain, and I like the tropical motif throughout this lushly landscaped setting. It has 12 clean, simple, recently renovated air-conditioned bungalow rooms with terra-cotta tiles, queen- or king-size beds, direct-dial telephones, and free Wi-Fi; there is also a suite. The hilltop restaurant has a soaring palenque roof. There’s a pool and a separate kids’ pool. Howler monkeys abound in the surrounding forest. Rates include breakfast.