It’s been a few days (we had to work, sorry!), but as we move in on completing our second week in Tamarindo, we are definitely getting to know the locals and our way around town. We have come to recognize Fridays by the buses bringing people into town and the streets bustling with more newcomers than usual. Tamarindo is home to approximately 500 and sees in influx of 500 – 1000 more on the weekends. In high season, as many as 5,000 people can be found here.
Mornings are an amazing time in Tamarindo. With the sun rising at 5:00am, it doesn’t take much after 6:00am for you to be convinced it’s time to get up. Plenty of tropical birds tweet, twerp and chirp their morning gossip, providing a nice background ambiance of what would normally be a typical Saturday morning.
Playa Tamarindo – Our Breakfast Table
By 7:30am, it’s best to find some breakfast. Many restaurants along the main road offer beach-side dining, such a Copacabana, and have have excellent breakfast options for around $6.50. Plato Tipico is perhaps our favorite – scrambled eggs, rice, beans, salsa, cheese, and a tortilla, accompanied by a plate of fresh fruit, coffee (espresso or tea) and a home made juice. They also offer omelets, crepes, fruit and yogurt and more.
We’ve come to love starting our days this way – the calm, soothing environment coupled with the serenade of ocean waves is going to be missed back at our quaint home in Northwestern Wisconsin.
Playa Tamarindo – 3 Geeks Reading on the Beach
The beaches here in the Rich Coast offer nearly an endless amount of activities such as horseback riding, ATVing through the local highlands, learning how to SUP (Stand Up Paddle) board, and of course, surfing. Perhaps known best for surfing, the locals here have it down to a science and aren’t afraid to take you out for a day to catch some waves. Maybe we’ll try that later.
We’ve personally enjoyed jogging from the main beach to the southern most tip, near the bend and rocks that lead to Playa Langosta. The sand provides an added challenge to running but a dip on the ocean afterwards to cool off makes up for it. Several restaurants, such as the Tamarindo Beach Club, offer beach and adirondack chairs to simply plop… and get into your favorite book, MP3 collection, or that Celebrity News Gossip addition you haven’t told anyone about. Did someone say cocktail?
Tamarindo Surf Boards
What’s said about the sun here is true, be careful. Contrary to people’s belief (and my mother-in-law’s constant free-flow of ‘advice’) the green season in Costa Rica is not only a good time to visit, but a GREAT great time to visit. There are less people competing for beach space, prices are lower for nearly everything and most importantly, the sun takes refuge behind the clouds many times a day. This is a welcomed event, as it allows your body a brief break from the intense sun and a chance to cool off. We’ve all agreed it would be a different experience if the sun was out, and HOT, all day long and every day here.
SPF 30 is definitely a recommended minimum, and sun hats are advised.
Sandals – by Meghan Bauer
Other activities along the beach include sport fishing, catamaran trips (usually 5 hours in length), taking a small boat into the Las Baulas National Marine Park, personalized surfing lessons, and without question, as many chances as you’d like to get high and “wake and bake”. Not that I publicly endorse such activities, but the people here are some of the nicest, outgoing people I’ve ever met – and nicer than MOST places I’ve traveled to throughout the United States. So maybe we’re missing something….
Deck Chairs on the Beach
If you’re looking for a “pure” trip to a fantastic beach, then I think you’ll appreciate Tamarindo.
Costa Rica, however, is NOT for everyone. A guest along side us yesterday at the Tamarindo Diria Hotel was complaining about the area, the lack of attentiveness of people here, and that in the United States – customer service is much better. Unfortunate really, as I don’t think this woman understood what this country and Tamarindo is about. This “high maintenance nut” (as Meghan alluded to) should have probably stayed in San Diego, or Palm Springs, where she could have spent $40 a drink and had something NEW to narcissistically bragged about to her chump like friends. There’s a reason why we chose Costa Rica to visit, and I’ll write about that later, but running into a woman like this wasn’t part of it.
Jerry, Reading in Tamarindo
As promised, I’ll leave you with some of our best beach images and warm thoughts and wishes to our amigos (mom, dad, Fletch, Ann, Jim, Julie, and more) and our fantastic couldn’t live without co-workers at JB Systems.
Oh yeah, and the video of the howling monkey is below too!
Pura Vida amigos, pura vida. Check in tomorrow – I’ll teach you all how to make Ceviche, BlackOps style. Hasta Manana…
Learn to Surf in Tamarindo
At Sea – Tamarindo
Chairs in the Water
Mariachi on the Beach
Reading at the Beach
Mojitos and Cerviche
Geeks In The Jungle 