Coast of Costa Rica

January 30, Potrerillos, Panama

We had such a great time relaxing on the beaches of Nicaragua that we continued the trend in Costa Rica, exploring the Pacific coast.

The Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, particularly the Nicoya peninsula, is known for its wonderful beaches. The region is in the midst of massive development and we saw that our first day. Lots of fancy developments are springing up. That, and the prices for lodging, quickly demonstrated that the economy of Costa Rica is very different than the countries immediately north.

Beach Bar in Junquillal

The beaches are spectacular. White sandy coves defined by rocky headlands. Cliffs plunging into the sea. Clear blue-green water. No wonder Costa Rica has been able to capitalize on its tourist potential.

Views of Tropical Paradise

However, there are some interesting wrinkles to this tourist wonderland. For example, the road along the coast of the Nicoya peninsula is not for casual drivers. Most of it is unpaved, so it has the usual collection of washboards, potholes, and dust. Drivers are crazy here. The low-key, Tica, “pura vida” attitude disappears when they get behind the wheel. Apparently, vehicle inspections are quite rigorous so most vehicles are in good shape, and the drivers put them to the test. The dirt roads are incredibly dusty because drivers fly so fast down the road.

A quiet stretch of road

As we headed further south down the peninsula, we made good use of our dual sport motorcycles, having fun getting through the many river crossings. On morning, we went through nine rivers in about 30 miles.

Eventually, we pulled in to the surf spot of Santa Theresa, near the south end of the Nicoya Peninsula and found a great place to stay for a while. I found a Spanish teacher, so we stayed a week. Days were rigorous – swim before breakfast, Spanish class for me, lunch, swim, read, nap, walk, swim, sunset, happy hour, dinner. Day after day!!! My Spanish teacher is a professional surfer (as is her seven-year-old daughter!), as well as a clothing designer, so I learned about that culture, too. Amazingly, after a week, we managed to drag ourselves away.

Adventure travel is tough work!!

A gecko at the “all you can eat buffet.”

Our hotel has some fierce guard dogs.

Why most people visit Santa Theresa

Happy Hour

Once we got off the Nicoya Peninsula and further south along the coast, we realized how dry Guanacaste was. The flora got much lusher, and we hit some rain. Full tropical downpour – just like some one was dumping a bucket of water on me. This added an interesting wrinkle to some of the bridges we were crossing. Already, in the dry, they were quite something. They are one lane, made of old railway rails laid across, with occasional rails missing and a few sheets of metal covering some of the holes. Add lots of traffic and the torrential downpour, and I really felt like I was adventure touring.

For most of Costa Rica, this is the tourism high season because it is the dry season. But for one region, it is the low season, because Pavones is all about surfing, and the big swells don’t come this time of year. Pavones is the home of the world’s longest left break. It’s also on a beautiful peninsula (that Costa Rica shares with Panama) with lush hills and long beaches. We made some friends there and did some relaxed exploring before crossing to Panama yesterday.

Now we are visiting our friend Denny, who is just moving here from Washington State. He has been scouting good motorcycle roads for us, and we are looking forward to exploring Panama. It’s here that the road ends and we will have to turn around.