My trip to Costa Rica was perfect. I don’t know what it was — the people, the weather or the food, but I’ve never had a place touch me so much. I felt so connected to everything there.
I went for four days, from March 1-5. While I wish I could have stayed longer, the time I was there was the perfect amount to be able to enjoy a lot.
Planning this trip to Costa Rica was a little nerve wrecking. I didn’t know anyone who had been to Libera. I was scared that I made a mistake flying into Liberia instead of San Jose, but I am so glad that I did.
Here is a rough itinerary of some of the things that we did. Also, if you want to enjoy the area, without being overwhelmed by tourists, I highly recommend that you stay closer to Flamingo beach, instead of Tamarindo, which is the more touristy part of Guanacaste — a province of Costa Rica that borders the Pacific Ocean.
Trip video highlights:
Day 1:
We arrived there on a Wednesday around 12:30 PM. I had made arrangements with the hotel for a car service which was $90 from the airport to the hotel. Something held my driver up so I ended up negotiating with another company at the airport for a lower fare— $60. I recommend just going to the airport and talking someone down on the price. The driving time from Liberia to where we stayed, Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa was 1.5 hours away. During the ride, I spotted a fruit stand and our driver pulled over for us to buy from fresh coconuts, mangoes, and passion fruit.
Once we got ourselves settled in we went for massages at the Onzen Spa where Reinaldo and Janie gave us the best massages.
After our massages we got dressed and went to a small restaurant/ bar called Las Brisas where on Wednesday night, the locals all go out for music and dancing. This was probably one of the highlights of the trip. Everyone was dancing and having a good time, the ambiance was amazing, and you could feel like simplicity and fervor of the culture.
Day 2:
On Thursday, we had continental (complimentary) breakfast at the hotel restaurant with an omelette bar. Then we just relaxed by the pool and the beach during the day and at night we went into the party area of Guanacaste, called Tamarindo. We got there a little early so we could eat dinner. We ate at this restaurant that was basically on the street so it was nice to people watch. After we went to Pacifico Beach Club, where a reggae band plays every Thursday. We also met some really nice people from New Jersey (originally Costa Rican, but migrated to the U.S. when they were kids). Hi, JJ and Alex!
Day 3:
Of course we had to have some adventure. We went horseback riding and zip lining at Hacienda El Roble. I highly recommend going there, the staff was very helpful and kind. The area we stayed in was a little more relaxed so we decided to head back to Tamarindo and check out the Friday night life.
FYI: cabs can be expensive, but I don’t recommend taking anything but the hotel-provided cabs. They’re safer and more reliable. Each trip to Tamarindo costs us around $50 round trip.
Day 4: We went to the pool/ beach again, and decided to check out some local restaurants at a neighboring town, Brasilito. At sunset, we walked on this beach called, La Playa Conchal, which is basically made up of broken conch shells.
Day 5:
We went home! 😦
Helpful tips:
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- Take cash, it’s easier to negotiate with cash.
- Always ask local people (your server, hotel people, store owners) where the best parties are for that evening.
- As fun as Tamarindo was, it does have a big drug problem. We actually saw police officers searching people for drugs. So be aware of your surroundings. If you’re taking a purse, make sure it’s secure and if you carry your wallet or any valuables in your pocket, make sure it’s in the front one.
- Pack a lot of bug spray and mosquito repellant bands, they helped us so much.
- Don’t pack fancy shoes — almost everyone at the clubs and bars wore either flip flops or sandals.
- When eating at local restaurants, stay away from drinks with ice since it’s not made from purified water.
Pura Vida!
.
Sabrina Malhi 