The Diva Chronicles : Costa Rica (Part III)

By MzTravelDiva ⋅ July 14, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Tamarindo Diria. source: twojetsetdivas

We conclude our ‘tale of three cities’ with the final leg of our Costa Rica trip… The Beach - Tamarindo.
Our ride from Arenal, central Costa Rica, to the Tamarindo, the western coast, proved to be especially long. If I can remember correctly, it took us about 6 hours to get there. We finally made it right before sunset, and checked-in to our ‘home’ for the next 2.5 days the Tamarindo Diria Resort. We read mixed reviews of this hotel prior to leaving for our trip, but our experience turned out to be a good one. The beachfront property is centrally located and walking distance to shops and restaurants.

source: twojetsetdivas

Once known as being a ’sleepy surfer town’, the beach was definitely awake with tons of surfing activity now. If you’re looking for clear blue water like in the Caribbean, you’re not going to find that here. Nonetheless, you will find a nice beach area, lovely sunsets, and wave riding surfers galore. Even though it was the low-key green season, the beach still had a good amount visitors, both locals and visitors alike.

The good thing about Tamarindo Diria was it’s breakfast buffet. The bad thing was that the buffet was so filling, we opted to return to our room and take a nap instead of hitting the sunshine and the beach. Wrong choice…it’s green season remember? When we awoke, the sun had been replaced by rain. The chances of beach time were now slim to none. Even though we missed the beach, we got to do a little shopping. To our surprise, there were some lovely boutiques in Tamarindo. From jewelry and clothing to artwork and crafts, you can find something to bring back here.

You can also find some nightlife in this ’sleepy town’. Later that evening we hung out at Babylon Club at a party hosted by American-based networking group, FunkyPeople Online, which organized a trip to the area as well.

Monday was our final full day in Costa Rica, and we were determined to make the most of it with….BEACH TIME! After breakfast, we headed straight for the beach. We had a wonderful and relaxing beach day…the weather was perfect! We even made a new friend.

Our friend, “surfer dog”. source: twojetsetdivas

Tuesday, it was time to head back to U.S.A. We were flying out of Liberia International Airport, which was less than an hour away from Tamarindo. When booking our trip, we decided not to include the optional airport transfer to Liberia which was offered at $135/per person. We were going to chance it, and hoped to find something more reasonable when we got to Costa Rica. It worked out, because the hotel concierge arranged a shuttle for us that was $80 for the both of us! Talk about some savings.

Visiting Costa Rica was a great experience. Friendly people, good food, and amazing natural beauty. Visiting three different regions gave us the opportunity to experience a variety of landscape, culture, and a participate in a wide range of activities.

EAT
La Palapa - our late night munchies savior. Great quesadillas!
Cafe Nari - Italian cafe, a part of Tamarindo Diria. Eb had a ‘panini’, and I had a shrimp pasta dish and a yummy pineapple drink.
Pizzaola - We had meatlovers and hawaiian.

PARTY
Pacifico - Live DJ and live percussionist, playing at the same time.
Jazz Casino - Never really heard jazz when walking past this place, but I did hear some Hip-Hop and R & B.
Monkey Bar - Didn’t get to go here, but hear its a popular spot in Tamarindo.


SHOP
Azul Profundo
Bamboo Groove
Dulce

Central America has a unique flavor and a local warmness that make it a very special place. We’ll never forget our visit to The City, The Volcano, and The Beach…and hopefully will get to visit again.

So….where are we goin’ next??