Playa Esterillos, Costa Rica: Where horses (and people) run free

The first time we stumbled upon beautiful Playa Esterillos while driving south from Jaco in 2008, I felt like we'd found a little slice of heaven. We've made a handful of repeat visits there since (all photos in this post are from 2010).

Things to do in and around Jaco, Costa Rica

In January 2010, Scotty and I made a second trip to one of our favorite countries, Costa Rica. On our first trip there together in 2008, we'd spent about two weeks in both Jaco and Dominical combined. This time, we had plans to venture further south down the Pacific Coast to explore some new, less visited and more remote places and also hike to the summit of Costa Rica's highest peak, Cerro Chirripo. 

Sometimes, we can be just a tad ambitious. ;)

But after several long flights to get from Alaska to Central America, we were in need of some serious r&r and decided to stop in the nearest beach town to San José- Jaco- to decompress for a few days.

In Jaco, this was my favorite way to begin the day: hanging out with my love over a homemade breakfast in our studio room at ApartHotel Vista Pacifico in Jaco. 

The vase on the table is ours too, purchased from a man who sold them out of his backpack while we sat at an open-air restaurant in the heart of Jaco Beach. 

This is one of the few souvenirs we've ever bought while on trips together. While traveling, we try to keep our bags as light (or not) as we packed them and limit shopping for souvenirs. But sometimes it's a treat to take home something locally-made to remember our trips by.

On our second trip to Costa Rica in January 2010, we didn't mess around with taking the bus and rented a car right at the airport. It made all the difference in allowing us to see small towns and stop whenever, wherever. Like here:

 Overlook above Jaco Beach- January 2010

Since our first trip in 2008, construction had begun on a new highway that left the route to the coast faster and more direct than the old windy mountain road. We were able to reach Jaco in around two hours with little traffic.

Grocery store on the edge of town in Jaco

Jaco is a great place to unwind, eat some good food, and even enjoy some nightlife if you're looking for it. This is our kind of fun:

We enjoyed watching the sun sink into the magnificent Pacific (and watching for a "green flash")...

... from Clarita's Beach Bar (and serving the best shrimp ceviche I've ever had!).

And they have a pool table so of course I had to get my hustle on. ;)



The environment at Clarita's and other bars and restaurants is mostly relaxed and casual. Local and tourists frequent the same places (for the most part) and one night we even went to a karaoke bar where we seemed to be the only tourists. A gimicky theme park Jaco is definitely not, and that, my friends, is a very good thing.



It means that the beaches are beautiful and uncrowded, even if no one is sweeping away the driftwood.


When I see new high rises being built, I wonder how long it will stay that way. One thing Costa Rica has going for it is its relative remoteness in comparison to places like Cancun or Puerto Vallarta. But when tourism is your lifeblood, one might see it differently.



On an exploratory drive one afternoon, we saw evidence of old abandoned buildings in the mountainous area above town.

Costa Rica is a place where you really don't have to venture far away from town at all to be completely surrounded by nature.

Cutter ants

On a small jungle road we also saw these little guys (and narrowly missed running over their leaf assembly line)!

Check out the video below to see them (and Scotty) in action. Just ignore my narration- evidently I was a "little" excited about the leaf-cutters...

On the road south out of Jaco are the towns of Playa Hermosa and Playa del Coco, communities with many beachfront restaurants and both small and larger hotels. We've been to one restaurant in the area several times, Restaurante and Bar Vista Hermosa. The food was good, but the view is what I remember most: spectacular waves and some seriously skilled surfers. Next time we're there, I'd love to try out this local place, too, and possibly stay here at Surf Inn Hermosa.

A forty-five minute car ride south of Jaco leads to another remarkable beach that isn't just fun for people... I'll be back with more tomorrow!

Getting to and enjoying Costa Rica (a short guide)

Anyone who loves to travel probably has one place they daydream of most when they really need an adventure, a change of pace, or just a break from it all. For me, that place is Costa Rica.

And when I was in my mid-twenties and before most of my travels, it was the one country I absolutely had to see.

Everyone who had been there raved about Costa Rica's natural beauty, great surfing, and friendly people.


Plus, the previous summer we'd actually become friends with a native Costa Rican who was in Juneau for the summer with his Californian girlfriend. Upon their departure back there, "J" told us to visit him any time.

Six months later, during a very snowy mid-January 2008, Scotty and I were actually on our way. He had been there before we met, a pre-Alaska sabbatical of a few months in and around Jaco, a beach town on the Central Pacific coast. Costa Rica had been at the top of my travel list for years and so it became the second country we visited together outside of the U.S. (the first was Mexico on our Big Trip in 2007).

At 19,730 square miles, Costa Rica is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined. With just over a month long spent in the country (over two, two-week trips), I've seen a good part of it, the Central and Southern Pacific Coast. I've also been to a few towns inland when Scotty and I hiked to the summit of Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica's highest peak. Our trips took place in mid-January 2008 and the same time of year in 2010. (Most of this post centers around the 2008 trip, with a few 2010 references.)

On both trips, we flew into the capital city, San José. From there, we had planned to immediately continue on Jaco, 80 miles west of San José.

Overview



Jaco is home to approximately 10,000 residents (according to Wikipedia), and attracts visitors with its great surfing, lively nightlife, and plenty of options for accommodations, dining, and exploring the surrounding flora and fauna. 

Center of town in Jaco

The town is walkable, with a main road running 2.5 miles down the center and parallel to the beach.



Flights

How to find the cheapest flights belong to another post entirely, so here's my very short Cliffs Notes version: For both trips we purchased our flights about three months in advance which seems to yield the best fares.

There are other airports in Costa Rica, but flying into San José is the most common. In 2008, we flew with Alaska Airlines from Juneau to Seattle and Seattle to Los Angeles, then with Lacsa, a Costa Rican carrier, from LA to San José International Airport (SJO). In 2010, our flights departed the U.S. for San José via Atlanta.

Getting around

"Helpful" road signs 

From San José, there are three common ways to get to Jaco or other destinations:

1) Take a bus. This is what we did upon our first arrival into the country in 2008. Please note: It is NOT a good idea to do this after three long flights, including a red-eye.

Completely exhausted after our marathon flights, upon arrival we randomly picked a taxi driving from a teaming crowd soliciting passengers outside the airport and asked to be dropped off at the Coca-Cola Bus Station in a somewhat seedy-looking part of the city (inner city bus stations usually are seedy, right?).

After waiting for at least an hour while keeping a close guard on our backpacks, we boarded a bus to Jaco and, packed into a small seat, tried to nap while the bus lurched through twisting mountain roads for the next torturous three and a half hours. It was very hot and there wasn't much fresh air as only some of the windows were open an inch or two. I promised Scotty (and myself) we would not take any more buses in the future.... unless they were a lot nicer or for shorter distances.

Once we reached Jaco, the bus dropped us off at the bus stop near the Best Western at the end of town.

2) Take a shuttle. Wikitravel lists Easy Ride Shuttle Services as an option, but many hotels have services or can recommend them. Prices appear to range from $80-$90 US one-way from SJO to Jaco.

2) Rent a car. On our trip in 2010, we decided to circumvent the dreaded taxi-driver barrage outside baggage claim and booked a car in advance with Alamo (yes, they have Alamo in Costa Rica). All we had to do was meet an Alamo rental car agent at baggage claim and then take a short ride in a shuttle across the highway to the off-site rental facility. This method proved to be perfect for us, allowing us greater independence as we traveled between towns and the ability to explore off the beaten path. However, driving in Costa Rica is not for the faint of heart... (post to follow).

Accommodations

In Jaco, we caught a cab and asked to be taken to the Hotel Kangaroo, a hostel recommended in my Lonely Planet guidebook.

We stayed there for the next two days in a simply-furnished double with a private bathroom on the second floor.

Double room with ensuite bathroom at Hotel Kangaroo

Upon leaving to head farther south down the coast, we asked to book a second stay in the same room for when we returned to Jaco on our way back to San José. However, when we returned a week later, the staff at Hotel Kangaroo were only able to offer us a room downstairs in the interior of the building without a window so we decided to look elsewhere. While Hotel Kangaroo is great for those on a budget or without their own wheels (walking distance to the beach), we wanted a more relaxing experience before heading home.

Instead, we decided to try out another place listed in the Lonely Planet and so, happily discovered the lovely ApartHotel Vista Pacifico. Perched up on a hill at the edge of town, Vista Pacifico is like a little slice of heaven.


Our affordable studio room, located underneath the owners' on-site residence served as the perfect place to unwind after a day at the beach or a night on the town.

Incidentally, Vista Pacifico also happens to have a pool. And if you've been reading for a while you all know what that means... (Pure. Bliss.) I neglected to take a picture of it, but here are some.

Our rental car in 2010 at Vista Pacifico with Jaco and the ocean in the background

There is (limited) secure on-site parking available and an unbeatable view all-around.


Recommended resources:

Accommodations

Budget:

Hotel Kangaroo

Recommended for a budget stay if you're looking to save money and enjoy being surrounded by backpacker and surfer types. Hotel Kangaroo is located on the opposite end of town from Vista Pacifico and walking distance to the beach and several good, local places to eat. A caveat: The neighboring roosters don't limit their cook-a-doodle-doing to sunrise.

Mid-range:

ApartHotel Vista Pacifico


This place is a true gem and it's no wonder Vista Pacifico is currently the #2 place to stay on Trip Advisor. The owners Jan and Greg are wonderfully welcoming and the location is close enough to town for those with transportation to be in central Jaco in less than ten minutes.

Hotel Perico Azul

This hotel is currently voted #1 of Jaco's hotels on Trip Advisor and I would love to stay here on a future visit, especially to be within walking distance of the beach.

Groceries 

Mas o' Menos
This large grocery store in the center of downtown Jaco gets a mention because it is THE one-stop place to buy groceries, especially for travelers on a budget like us. It's also the source of what was a very positive experience with the local Ticos* (Costa Ricans) (*more on this to come).

Parking, however, can be a bit of a challenge in the center of town. Fortunately, Mas o Menos has its own small parking lot. Both fortunately and unfortunately, it is patrolled by a guard. That said, I would recommend to park there only while shopping and not "extending" your shopping trip to other places- the guard will notice and let you know it, too.

Soon I'll be posting more about our travels to Costa Rica and why it is still one of my favorite places to get away to for both a relaxing and adventurous vacation. Or, as our Tico friends might say, to experience the "pura vida"!

Before the blog: Where we went

 Island camping near Juneau, Alaska- July 14, 2013

When we got back from our trip to North Carolina (and Minnesota, and Seattle) at the beginning of June, I looked at the calendar along with my mere hours left of annual leave left and thought... you have got to be kidding me! Really, just how exactly was I going to get through the next couple of months without going anywhere? As I've mentioned before, Juneau is a really small town with no roads in or out.

So instead of the agony I imagined being stationary would feel like, a surprising thing happened: June and July just flew by! Seriously, how is it August already??

We've been hiking...

 Trail to Dan Moller Cabin- July 7, 2013

...camping,

Island camping- July 13, 2013

... boating,

... fishing, 

They caught it; I netted it!

... and enjoying everything summer in Southeast Alaska has to offer. (Sometimes all in the same day.)

(When we're not busy working, of course.)

 My office

Scotty's "office"

My half summer in New York City feels like it happened a million years ago instead of just last summer.

For the most part, summer has been fun because weather-wise we've mostly been incredibly lucky. With clear and sunny skies and way average temps, this summer in Alaska has actually felt like a real summer and the best weather of all the summers I've spent in my seven years up here.

But while Scotty and I are hanging out near home and work for now, something I've been meaning to do is to write about are our past travels- interspersed with local adventures. I'm interested in doing this for three main reasons:

1. To pacify my vagabond tendencies... it is so hard to not hit "purchase" on plane tickets right now, but we're saving up for a good cause. Still, there may be a trip or two coming up- we shall see...

2. To share travel information with friends and family who will soon be traveling to some of the places we've been, including Costa Rica and the Hawaiian Islands.

3. To refresh my memory about some amazing places I simply don't want to forget and hope to see again someday.

Here are some places we've traveled to that I plan to share more of:

Costa Rica (Jaco, Dominical, Zancudo, Uvita)
Spain (Barcelona, Costa Brava)
France (Seté)
Hawaiian Islands (Kauai, Maui, Oahu, Big Island of Hawaii)
Mexico (Todos Santos, La Paz, Cabo Pulmo)
Australia (Sydney, Port Maquarie, Terrigal)
Ecuador (Quito, Manta)
Various parts of the U.S. (In putting together this page, I realized I've been to all but five states!)

I hope you'll enjoy reading about some past travels and hopefully find some useful information. After this summer, there are plenty more travels in store for Scotty and me. As Tom Petty would say, right now waiting (to travel) is the hardest part. But then, staying put really isn't so bad when your backyard looks like this.

Fireweed fields in full bloom- July 14, 2013