It's Rodeo Time in Playas del Coco!

Dias del Fiesta El Coco 2018 schedule of events.
Yes, we know it's in Spanish, sorry!

It's party time once again in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste! Mid - to the last weekend of January is the popular Dias del Fiesta, where the downtown streets will be overtaken by people, parades and food carts - so much fun for the entire family!

One of the biggest events during Dias del Fiesta will be the cowboy rodeos! If you've never been, or even if you have, you'll see typical Costa Rican families attending all of the rodeo events scheduled throughout the weekend. Sometimes there are amusement rides set up for the kids as it's a really big celebration!



Horses will be paraded through the streets as the local cowboys show off their riding skills. Who knew? It's not something we heard about before visiting Costa Rica. We always thought eco-tourism, surfing and volcanoes. Not cowboys! Learn more about the Cowboy Culture in Costa Rica!

People will be partying in all the local clubs and bars, not so much in the streets, but you never know! Costa Ricans do know how to celebrate. 


For another look at the fun to be had during Dias del Fiesta in Playas del Coco, check out this YouTube video by Hector Morales:

Be sure to check up on sea turtle watching and beaches in Playas del Coco! And remember, low season rates apply to our condo April through October annually :) Find out about How to Get Here - the closest airport to our condo is in Liberia.

Pura vida,

Ed & Connie

🌴🐵🐸🐢🐳

  

Best Beaches in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Once you've settled in to our 1-bedroom, ocean-view condo in Playas del Coco, you'll have access to some of the best beaches in Guanacaste, Costa Rica! Besides the cocoa-colored sands of beautiful Playas del Coco, you'll be near 3 other unique beaches worth visiting. Let's take a look!

Playa Hermosa:
An 8 km drive north, Playa Hermosa is famous for it's black sand that sparkles with a touch of gold, which is rumored to provide healing properties. The calm waters of Playa Hermosa are popular for swimming, as well as scuba diving and snorkeling.

Playa Tamarindo:
About 1.5 hours south, this picturesque, white sand beach is seemingly endless! It's a perfect beach for walking, people watching and beachcombing. Activities available on Playa Tamarindo include surfing, sunset cruises and ATV tours. 

Playa Conchal:
About an hour south, you'll find Playa Conchal and the mega resorts of Costa Rica's Pacific Coast. It's perfect for surfers looking to ride the big waves. Plus the abundance of waves means a huge selection of beachcombing shells! Even though Playa Conchal is popular with surfers, it's also a great beach for swimming, snorkeling and deep sea fishing excursions.

For more information on the beaches of Guanacaste, read:
The Beaches of Playas del Coco, Costa Rica!

And remember, you can save big on our condo in Playas del Coco, Costa Rica, during Green Season (April to October), with rates as low as USD $25 per night!!

Pura vida!
Ed & Connie
🌴🐒🍹🐠🐢👙🌴

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Get Your Zen On in Costa Rica

If you're looking to get your zen on in Costa Rica, besides the annual Envision Festival held in February, and after staying at our one-bedroom, oceanview condo in Playas del Coco, of course, we recommend a surf and/or yoga retreat at Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort in Nosara.

This Balinese-style resort is truly beautiful and serene, while offering jungle immersed accommodations ranging from single rooms with shared bathrooms to two-bedroom bungalows. As an added bonus, all rooms include one yoga class per day!

Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort has an outdoor restaurant, a juice bar and a yoga studio, as well as a gym and a full-service spa, heavenly!! And besides yoga, you can take a pilates class, or arrange a lesson at Del Mar Surf Camp. Plus they offer Spanish Immersion classes, cuan genial es eso!

Read: Nosara, One of the World's Best Surfing Towns!

And remember, you can save bing on our condo in Playas del Coco, Costa Rica, during Green Season (April to October), with rates as low as USD $25 per night!!

Pura vida!
Ed & Connie
🌴🐒🍹🐠🐢👙🌴

VIDEO: Scuba Diving Playas del Coco

When you're visiting quaint Playas del Coco, you'll be able to enjoy tons of things to do such as horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking. But if that's all you do, you're missing half of what Costa Rica has to offer!

The spectacular Pacific Ocean provides opportunities to enjoy activities including sailing, kayaking and surfing, but the real treasure is found below the surface. Take a look this amazing video by YouTuber, Alberto Bortoni: Scuba Diving Playas del Coco.

Wow. Just WOW. There's really nothing else to say except here's our personal pick for the Best Dive Shop in Coco: Deep Blue Diving Adventures, owned by Oliver Bloemeke and his wife, Franziska. And be sure to read: Riding the Waves: Surfing in Costa Rica!

Remember, you can Rent Our Costa Rica Condo for as low as USD $25 per night in the Green season (April through October)!!

Pura vida,

Ed & Connie

🌴🐒🍹🐠🐢👙🌴

   

Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio

One of the most scenic drives we enjoyed in Costa Rica was traveling south inland and then down the coast from our ocean-view condo in Playas del Coco to stunningly beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park.

The first thing we notice along the way was the increasing heat and humidity as we left the relative comfort of the northern climate in Guanacaste. It's perfect that the drive allowed us to climatized as we went. And don't be fooled, the 365-km journey took us a good day to drive. Read: Driving and Car Rentals in Costa Rica. 

Gaia Hotel & Reserve

When we visited Manuel Antonio, we were lucky enough to stay at the chic, boutique Gaia Hotel & Reserve, an amazing eco-friendly 5-star boutique hotel experience. This gorgeous terraced property offers gourmet dining and 24/7 room service, as well as a spa, a gym and an inviting outdoor pool, which we had to ourselves every evening. Heavenly! And since award-winning Gaia is located on a private nature reserve, we also took the complimentary guided tour to explore the properties trails while viewing orchids and wildlife.

Gaia Hotel & Reserve Studio 

We left the resort and followed our GPS map of Costa Rica while driving to the Manuel Antonio National Park entrance. Here we were bombarded by ticos (locals) yelling at us to 'Park here! Park here!', and as it was a little confusing as to where the road did actually end, we parked in one of theses lots with the yellers. In the end it was safe and secure, which is all that really mattered to us.

Although Manuel Antonio National Park is the country's smallest national park, it packs a big punch into a small space of 1,983 hectares (7.66 square miles). It's rugged natural beauty and 4 beaches tucked beneath the lush green mangroves is as about at pristine and gorgeous as it gets. The only thing that really got to me was the incredible heat after having been in the north and then in an air-conditioned vehicle for hours on end. There were families having picnics, hikers everywhere and just a few people actually enjoying the ocean waters including a handful of surfers. 

Manuel Antonio National Park

Surrounded by tropical rainforest, Manuel Antonio National Park is home to 4 species of monkeys, 109 species of mammals and 184 bird species. It's important to note that the park is open from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and is closed on Mondays. The admission fee is USD $16 per adult, while children 11 and under are free. The park offers swimming areas, lookout points and washrooms/showers. Local guides are available for tours at a cost of $51 per adult and $35 per child. Oh, and once you've left the park, you're ticket becomes invalid. So in other words, don't leave the park to have lunch and expect to get back in without paying another entrance fee. Read: Wildlife Viewing in Costa Rica.

Quepos is a bustling, former banana-driven town that's a seaside neighbor to Manuel Antonio. It's streets are full of restaurants, including popular sodas, along with shops and casinos. There's also a new marina full of huge to-die-for yachts. The only tricky part we experienced was consistently finding the turn off road to get to our hotel on the hillside, which took more than a few attempts on one occasion but of course, was more than worth our temporary confusion.

For more information or to make your reservation at Gaia, visit Gaia Hotel & Reserve and Manuel Antonio National Park. 

And remember, you can Rent Our Costa Rica Condo for as low as USD $25 per night in the Green season (April through October)!!

Pura vida!
Ed & Connie

     

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Everything You Need to Know About Costa Rica

2017 is YOUR year to finally visit Costa Rica, 

what are you waiting for??!

Rent Our Costa Rica Condo today!

For more information on Costa Rica, be sure to read our articles:

Fast Facts on Costa Rica

5 Things You Need to Know About Renting a Condo in Costa Rica and

Rent Our Costa Rica Condo in Playas del Coco, which provides links to information on airports, beaches, driving tips/car rentals and weather.

Pura vida,

Ed & Connie

🐒🌴🐢🐳🍹

      

Dias del Fiesta Playas del Coco

It's almost party time once again in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste! The last weekend of January is when the popular Dias del Fiesta is held, where the downtown streets will be overtaken by people, parades and food carts - so much fun for everyone!

One of the biggest events during Dias del Fiesta in Playas del Coco will be the cowboy rodeos! If you've never been, or even if you have, you'll see typical Costa Rican families attending all of the rodeo events scheduled throughout the weekend. Sometimes there are amusement rides set up for the kids as it's a really big celebration!



Horses will be paraded through the streets as the local cowboys show off their riding skills. Learn more about the Cowboy Culture in Costa Rica!












For another look at the fun to be had, check out this video by Hector Morales:

And here's copy of the Dias del Fiesta El Coco schedule of events! Yes, we know it's in Spanish, sorry!

And be sure to check up on sea turtle watching and beaches in Playas del Coco! 

Pura vida,

Ed & Connie

🌴🐵🐸🐢🐳