My first visit to Playa Hermosa, on the Northern Pacific Coast of Guanacaste, was back in 2002. My friend and I were tired from the stressful life of working in the entertainment industry in New York City. Our personal trainer’s father had opened a little six room hotel right on the beach and we couldn’t wait to shake off the winter chill and relax by the ocean.

Our first trip to Costa Rica, the year earlier, was a long, seven hour drive through the dark on bumpy roads from San Jose to Nosara, so this time we decided to fly into the Liberian Airport and rent a car for what back then was an hour’s drive to Playa Hermosa, but now, with updated highways, it’s only 40 minutes.

We relaxed, swam in calm seas, strolled on the beach, ate seafood, and checked out the nightlife in nearby Playas Coco — where even the monkeys danced on the town’s rooftops. We hiked in nearby Rincon de la Vieja to see monkeys swing from branches along the trails and watched beautiful sunsets with a glass of chilled white wine from our lounge chairs. The week went fast, but this quaint beach town stayed dear to my heart and I went back again the next year and in 2007 had my wedding at that same, little six room hotel from my first trip.

Back then, the town was only on the brink of development. You could see the beginnings of the construction of high rise condos in the surrounding hills above the ocean, but there were only a few restaurants in the town and a couple of spots to eat on the beach.

My husband and I decided to go back for a quick weekend getaway to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We arrived in early afternoon to a little house a friend had kindly lent us, dropped our bags and headed to the 2nd entrance to the beach. We noticed a lot more amenities, restaurants, boutique hotels, and shops clustered along the entrance road than my previous visits, but the town still had a laid back and relaxed feel.

Playa Hermosa lies in a protected hamlet lined with almond and coconut palms. Upon entering, it was as beautiful as we remembered — with a wide span of light gray sand and calm blue waters. I am not one to lie directly in the sun slathered in lotion. I enjoy swimming in the clear waters, but when the sun gets too much, I love to relax under a palm tree, shaded by its protection, and gaze out to the sea. There were other visitors, but it was not in any way overcrowded. As I looked down the beach, we could see a few small boats on the shoreline, people with snorkeling gear or a boogie board, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (SUP) for rent, but we were happy just to swim and relax.

The beach is only two kilometers long, so we decided to stroll down to the northern end, as I looked up at the skyline, there were a lot more condos built up in those surrounding hills, but not enough to take away from the beauty of the place. We stopped for a refreshing swim when the mood took us and relaxed under the trees, with our eyes closed, listening to the natural sounds surrounding us.

We passed the afternoon like that until we started to get a little hungry and headed to Aqua Sport to take in the beautiful sunsets with a cocktail and a “boca” (appetizer). They have simple lounge chairs and tables set up on the beach and a casual menu of casados, fish tacos, burgers and sandwiches. The food is good here, but people come for the fantastic views of the ocean and the sunset. We ordered some patacones with frijoles molidos, my husband had a mojito and I had a glass of crisp white wine, and we sat back to enjoy the sunset. The sky turned brilliant colors of orange and red and the clouds reflected pink. We lingered a little longer as the sun dropped out of sight, enjoying nature’s beauty, but it was time to head back to the little house to get ready for some tasty cuisine on the other end of town.

It was a short drive to Niromi, which means “forest” in the Chortega indigenous language, in the Hotel Bosque del Mar — located on the southern end of the beach at the 1st entrance. The restaurant is beachfront and open air with beautifully landscaped gardens throughout the property and its own little jungle canopy visited by monkeys, birds and iguanas. It was already dark and although we couldn’t see the ocean, we could still hear its soothing waves and feel its breeze. Our waiter was friendly and efficient and recommended the red snapper for dinner. My husband took him up on his offer and was not disappointed. I had the grilled mahi mahi and it was clearly fresh and cooked perfectly. Both came with potato puree and salad, and then we looked at the desserts over a glass of champagne. We chose a classic chocolate cake that was dense, rich and hit the spot.

The Hotel Bosque del Mar, Playa Hermosa has a fantastic location and this end of the beach is quieter than where we were staying. It has a modern design of wood and glass with an onsite spa, Jacuzzi, and pool. I asked if I could see a suite at the front desk before heading back home for the night. The receptionist was very obliging and we were shown a junior suite with its own living room and garden view. The room was spacious and clean with excellent bedding and large windows. I will definitely keep this place in mind for our next trip here.

The following day we decided to go snorkeling in Playa Penca which is around the bend from Playa Hermosa, only a short drive away. We stopped by a local supermarket for some fruit, cold cuts and water and then bought some fresh baked bread and pastries from Panaderia Tico’s Bakery for our picnic lunch.

We then drove towards Playa Cocos and turned right at the top of the hill. There is no entrance fee and you can park and head to the beach on foot. There is a rocky reef on the left hand side of the beach to explore, so we waded out in anticipation. We saw cornetfish and triggerfish and even a moray eel. Large groups of wrasse and damselfish also rest near the rocks, cornet fish, triggerfish, foureye butterflyfish, and Cortez and Passer Angelfish also frequent these waters.

We stayed out for an hour or so and worked up an appetite, but there wasn’t much shade at this beach, so we decided to head back to the car to have our picnic lunch at Playa Panama, another beach a bit further south from Playa Hermosa. Playa Panama is great for swimming. The ocean is very calm here and the sand is super fine. This beach was still pretty isolated. The town has gotten a lot more amenities over the years, but the beach itself is still pristine. We enjoyed our simple picnic under the shade of a coconut tree and watched some sailboats out in the distance.

For our evening meal, we chose Ginger’s. It’s a couple blocks up from the beach. This place was one of our favorites from our last visit and I was so pleased to find that the food was still delicious. The décor of the restaurant is open-air Balinese style; modern with dark wood floors and details. The food is Asian-fusion tapas and all combine the best of Asian with Costa Rican traditions. We ordered the ginger rolls — which combine salmon, mango and avocado with a spicy chili sauce, chicken samosas with a cilantro and yogurt sauce, crispy tuna rolls and firecracker shrimp.

It was a great finish to our getaway weekend. We couldn’t fit in everything, but here are some other activities in the area.

Eatery:

• Roberto’s is inside the Gaviota Tropical Hotel on the beach with consistently good reviews. They serve rice dishes, burgers, tuna steaks and specialty sauces like chicken with Caribbean sauce and shrimp with avocado.

Nearby Activities:

• For SUP and kayaking, no reservations are needed as there are people right on the beach renting both — although more have kayaks than SUPs.
• Playa Ocotal, just a few minutes north of Playa Hermosa, is a tranquil strip of light gray sand where you can also enjoy snorkeling, SUP, and kayaking. The waters here are also calm and turquoise and you can see the Catalina Islands — a popular diving spot in the distance.
• Playa Conchal is as its name suggests — consists of crushed tiny shells. The Westin Hotel and golf course are located here for one of the most luxurious, all-inclusive accommodation options in the country.
• Playas del Coco is the largest village in the area. It doesn’t have the most beautiful beach, but it does have the most nightlife and restaurants. It’s the classic Costa Rican story of a small fishing village turned tourist hotspot, where most of the locals work in the tourism trade. The beach itself is three kilometers long and offers all the local water sports; such as: snorkeling, SUP, kayaking, and fishing. It’s the closest departure point for dives to the nearby islands and the fishing here is excellent. Go with a local to catch mahi mahi, sailfish, and marlins.
• Rincon de la Vieja National Park has nine craters and is home to pumas, jaguars, howler and spider monkeys, sloths, kinkajous and tapirs. The volcano rises up 6,217 feet. There are hikes to the hot springs featuring a bubbling pool of mud, streams and waterfalls. You can also take designated trails on horseback or mountain bike.

Diving:

• The Catalina Islands is a popular diving spot to see the marine life that lives in the caves and corals in the area. Sea turtles, octopuses, eagle rays, moray eels, seahorses, giant manta rays and whitetip reef sharks are typically seen there.
• The Bat Islands are for experienced and advanced divers due to the strong currents at this site. Bull sharks, up to 12 feet long, can be spotted living in these rock formations.

 

 

Getting there:

From Poas San Jose Airport Office to Playa Hermosa Guanacaste: Approximately 4 hours via Route 1 to Route 27 onto Route 253 in Communidad, then follow Route 254 and 159 to destination. Check out the Waze route here -> From Poas (SJO) to Playa Hermosa.

From Poas Liberia Airport Office to Playa Hermosa Guanacaste: Approximately 40 minute drive on well-paved roads. Take Route 21 and turn onto Route 253, left to 254, and left on Route 159. Check out the Waze route here -> From Poas (LIR) to Playa Hermosa.

 

Recommended Car Category:

The drive from the airport is possible with a Sedan, as Liberia is a small but modern and thriving city, and the main infrastructure is well developed.

However, for exploring the spots that are less visited, an Intermediate SUV or larger is recommended for their higher ground clearance, as the roads may not be fully paved or could be in disrepair. During Green Season, this is particularly relevant as weather damage to roads could make a 4x4 necessary in more remote places.

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Soundtrack:

What song could be more fitting for this idyllic beach spot than “Sunny Days” by a band inspired by 80s music?