Nice beach towns, Costa Rica

[MarkWithaC]

DP and I are thinking of a December trip to Costa Rica. We really want to stick to the Pacific not Caribbean side, and want to travel around a bit but then stop for a good few nights to relax. We'd love to do this in a beach town that has nice beaches, a few cafes/restaurants/food shops and a laid-back vibe and is fairly quiet ie not very full of tourists and no loud thumping music and drunken hordes at night. So Manuel Antonio, for example, doesn't sound like our scene.

It should also be handy for day trips by public transport (we won't have a car) to things like sanctuaries/waterfalls/interesting towns/coffee farms.

I'm leaning towards self-catering, probably via Airbnb, but am open-minded about a (reasonably priced) lodge or B&B or something, although again we'd like something low-key and relaxed.

Is this too much to ask? I've read a few blogs that say CR beach towns aren't that great. I'm really hoping not.

I can't help as I haven't been, very jealous though as this is somewhere I really want to go. It was a toss up between Costa Rica and Borneo for our honeymoon, but was the wrong time of year for Costa Rica, I didn't want to wait 6 months to go on honeymoon.

If your in or near the Hertfordshire region, I can highly recommend a travel agent in old Welwyn called off Broadway travel who specialise in Taylor made holidays, and very knowledgeable, they done our honeymoon and it was exactly what we were after.

We enjoyed Samara on the Pacific coast and loved Cahuita on the Carribbean cost (best wildlife spotting there).
We went in July/August 2023.
@Imisssleep2 I'm guessing you're talking out UK summer time - there was no more rain in CR than when we went to Borneo. Probably less actually. Fab storms overnight in both, but dry days.

P.s. @MarkWithaC we were also using public transport and don't like loud busy places!

I'm not in that area, unfortunately, but thank you. I think a tailor-made trip is probably beyond my budget, although I am mildly tempted as it's not somewhere I feel that confident about.

Montezuma was wonderful and I think would tick your boxes, although I'm not sure how accessible it would be by public transport.

Thank you. I had looked briefly at Samara; I'm considering the Nicoya Peninsula as I'm interested in the fact that it's a Blue Zone. The thing giving me pause is that it looks like there are more/bigger national parks further south; Corcovado appeals to me in particular.

I'm very much hoping that the rainy season will be more or less over by mid-December, but weather info online seems variable...

We also loved Carmen beach and the Malpais tide pools.

The beaches in Costa Rica were a bit on the wild side - great for wildlife on the beach and beach volleyball / kayaking etc but not really the pretty lie on the beach type beach like you'ld get in the Maldives or Mauritius. Its not really a beach destination.

Pacific coast has the bigger hotels, Carribean is quieter. Not sure about public transport, didn't see any - have heard of people who hired a driver over there. I didn't find anywhere that full of tourists and its amazing place for wildlife, rainforest, ziplines, watersports etc just not a destination would choose if beach is your priority. If its an add on then fine.

Samara? A third world hovel where you'll pay Honolulu prices. Costa Rica is vastly overpriced. Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama... anywhere but Costa Rica.

@Konfetka 🤷 we had an amazing trip, thank you! Yes it's European prices but beautiful, friendly, easy to travel around, wildlife.
Cahuita beaches were beautiful.
Samara certainly not a hovel.
For those wanting to spend less, our accomodation for 3 was no more than $50 a night. Activities are expensive, including just walking in national parks (although these are much much cheaper on Caribbean side).

@MarkWithaC Corcovado looked great but we didn't have enough time. Have a fab trip.

I know it's expensive compared to most of Central and South America, but that's because they don't go in for massive overdevelopment, and a lot of the facilities and accommodation etc aim to be more sustainable, employ a local workforce etc. I'm happy to pay higher prices for this.

Thank you. When I say 'beach', I don't mean lying on beaches as much as just being near them – walking along them etc. I do specifically want to spend time on the Pacific side as I love rugged, wild coastlines.

And it would be just for a few days of down time, after we've travelled around a bit doing cloud forest/rainforest trips, seeing some towns etc.

There are some beautiful beaches in the area around Manuel Antonio, but it is a very busy area with thousands of tourists (it was rammed when we there just after new year), so if you're looking for a laid-back vibe I'd avoid both Jaco (which is very popular with American second-home owners/snowbirds), and the area around Quepos/Manuel Antonio NP.

I suspect that south of MA though it gets a lot quieter, so maybe look at Dominical and Uvita?

Would second Samara, we stayed in a really relaxing hotel just up the beach from town. Absolutely loved it. We spent a month travelling around and went to most of the usual places, loved Tico’s surf school in Samara as well. I was a complete beginner and they were amazing!

The hotel we stayed in was Beachfront Bahia, nice rooms (was around £100 a night and right on the beach!)

Thank you. I want to visit some nature reserves/national parks; did you go to any on the Nicoya Peninsula and if so would you recommend them?

Thanks, yes, this is my impression of MA.
I've looked at Dominical and Uvita. Opinions online are varied; some love them, some say Dominical in particular is v unfriendly, and some people found Uvita too busy.
I feel like I'm going to be making decisions in the dark!

Its great for a few days at the end and walking along the beach, just might get a monkey or two join you and some volcanic ash on the beach. They were fine for us and we all loved Costa Rica. We found it similar to European prices. We went in August so may have been emptier then.

I feel like I'm going to be making decisions in the dark!

Yeah, it can feel like that. But use Google Maps/Streetview to get a sense of what it looks like on ground and read a variety of reviews online. I find that the more you read/research the more you get to know whether a place is what you're looking for. Samara does look really nice if you have a recce on Google Maps - small enough to not be overly touristy and big enough to have a few amenities like coffee shops and restaurants.

Thank you. That does sound like it ticks some boxes

I'd love it if a monkey came to say hi on the beach! (as long as it didn't take my phone hostage or anything) . And I like volcanic beaches, at least for walking along/looking at and admiring rather than spending the day lying on.

Tamarindo, Jacó and Montezuma! Buses to all of these from San José (not necessarily direct, though).

I know you said Pacific side but Puerto Viejo was my favourite place in the whole of CR.

Yeah, I am a little torn about this – it does sound like there are some wonderful things on that coast – but think I want to see wild Pacific coastlines, on this trip anyway. I went to a Caribbean island a few years ago and, although I'm not saying I've 'done' the entire Caribbean or anything , I feel like something different.

We had a coati, a family of raccoons and some monkeys, gecko all on the beach which was just off the rainforest though there was a steakhouse restaurant there which seemed to be what the raccoons were after.

You might be able, if public transport allows to do both sides - it wasn't that far from one side to the other where we were, a few hours across.