Location

Some History and Facts

• There are actually two Playa Hermosa beaches in Costa Rica, one in the Puntarenas province and one in the Guanacasta province. The latter of which is the subject of this entry.
• A plethora of national parks lie within a short distance of Hermosa Beach, including Rincón de la Vieja National Park (Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja), Palo Verde National Park (Parque Nacional Palo Verde) and Santa Rosa National Park (Parque Nacional Santa Rosa).

Getting There

The closest you are going to get to the three beaches of Hermosa, Coco and Panama by plane is to fly into the Liberia airport. From there you have two choices, you can take one of the many buses that run between Liberia and the beaches (US $1.00, approx. 40 min ride) or secure a taxi (approx. US $35.00, 25 min ride). The Liberia bus station is located on the edge of town, 200m north and 100m east of the main intersection on the Interamerican Highway.

If you are coming from San Jose, as I was, Tralapa runs a single, daily express bus all the way to Playa Panama. The station is located on Calle 20 between Avenidas 3 and 5. The 5 hour ride leaves at 3pm and costs approximately US $5.00.

Your other option is to take a semi-private shuttle bus. Both Grayline and Interbus have two daily buses that leave San Jose at 7:45am and 2:30pm for all the beaches in this area. The cost is about US $30 and they will pick you up at most San Jose hotels.

The Trip

I picked up my ticket at the Tralapa Bus Station a few days in advance which is always a good plan, especially since there is only one bus per day. There is a small local bakery on the corner and a small soda located inside the station. But before you decide on food and drink, be warned that the bus only makes one stop where you can get off to use a bathroom or buy food, and it’s about 3.5 hours into the ride.

It was a gray and drizzly day when we pulled out of the station and the rain didn’t lag far behind. The rain, combined with the Friday traffic, proved to slow our journey immensely from 4.5 hours to a little over six. I was a little nervous because I had never been to Playa Hermosa before and I knew I would be arriving in the dark. It was also almost impossible to find a street map of the town, so I wasn’t exactly sure of the town’s layout. My worries proved to be valid as my only signal that we were coming into town was the steep decent from the bluffs I knew to be immediately before Playa Hermosa. I was still disoriented however as I never once saw a beach, or a lit main street for that matter. I simply guessed and got off with some other passengers at what turned out to be the last stop in Hermosa before the bus carried on to Playa Panama.TRAVELERS TIP: If you have never been to Playa Hermosa before a good way to spot when to get off the bus is after you spot the Sports Bar but before you spot Villas del Sol, the former will be on the right hand side and the latter on the left. The Sports Bar is about midway between the two entrances to the beach and Villas Del Sol is at the very far end of town, about a kilometer past the 2nd beach entrance.

I was not too thrilled with my situation as the bus pulled away. It left me at 9:30pm on an almost completely darkened, unpopulated street in what did not appear to be a town at all. I pulled out my papers with my hotel information on it and read the only directions that I could find “200 meters west on the 2nd beach entrance”. Ok, great, but which way are the beach entrances? Luckily one of the security guards that was stationed at the entrance to the Villas Sol Resort saw my distress and pointed me in the right direction. I was grateful, however, now I was walking down a darkened street alone with my backpack on my back and my papers in my hand. I might as well have painted a giant Bullseye on my chest while I was at it.

About a kilometer down the road I saw a sign for “Playa Hermosa” and not knowing if it was the 1st or 2nd entrance I turned down this still darker street. About 200 meters in I spotted another occupied guard post, so I stopped in front to look again at my directions. Just as the guard came out I spotted the sign for my hotel, Villas Huetares, so I thanked him and walked over.

It was nearly 10pm when I finally checked in, and the guy checking me in (I’m guessing the son of the owner in this family run place) decided that he could charge me more than the standard price considering the time of night and the rain. He was right of course, but even at $40 per night Villas Huetares is a steal, which is something of a rare find in Playa Hermosa.

The hotel, featured in the pictures below, is a completely enclosed compound (as are most all the hotels here). The grounds feature a great pool that gets lots of sun, a small restaurant, and WiFi plus two computers in the main lobby; while the rooms are spacious and clean, with A/C, cable TV and an in-room safe. I spent both my nights there.

Finally checked in, I realized I was starving since the bus trip had taken so long. I asked the guy at the hotel desk where the nearest restaurant was and to my great shock he said there weren’t any open! What? It was Friday night at 10pm in a major beach town and there weren’t ANY restaurants open? I had passed an open bar/restaurant on my way to the hotel so I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be Ginger, pictured below, however it was closing as it was only open from 5pm to 10pm daily. The bartender informed me though that Sports Bar was open and was only about 100m down the road.

Ginger 

That 100m turned out to be about 700m but I made it there safe and had a fantastic BBQ Chicken sandwich. The feel and menu was very American, like most of Playa Hermosa, but the food is good. I went back the next day for lunch and had a fair chicken burrito. It was obvious that their cooking skills were in American Cuisine, not Costa Rican. It also is the only bar/restaurant in the town with A/C, so if you are looking to escape the heat, I recommend it. Meals are moderate at approximately $8-$12 USD.

Sports Bar 

Saturday morning I was up early and went to check out the beach. I spotted Aqua Sport almost right away. A quick look inside and it was easy to see why it’s known as the place for all your water sports needs. They rent kayaks, two-person sailboats, surf boards, windsurfboards, snorkeling gear and pedal boats.

The beach itself, pictured below, is quite nice. Wide and shallow in low tide and nonexistent in high tide. This is famed as being an excellent swimming beach and I can see why as the waves were minimal. The water however, for the 60 seconds or so I stayed in it was not so pleasant. Filled with upturned sand and littered with forest debris and even some garbage. There was no way i was swimming in it, so I decided to head back to the pool at my hotel.

The pool was cool and refreshing but laying there I noticed that the overwhelming sights and sounds of Playa Hermosa are those of construction. On my walk to lunch and back I spotted no less than 3 high rises, 2 inclusive resorts, 12 hotels/condo complexes and three strip malls being built. The town has no decent supermarket, but it does have more than 10 real estate offices and the streets are loaded with For Sale signs. When I inquired about the dynamic of the town to one of the employees at Sport Bar, she informed me that all the nightlife was to be had in nearby Playa Coco, which is why the Playa Hermosa is completely dead on the weekends. I took her advice and decided to head over to Coco that night for dinner and partying.

TRAVELERS TIP: There are no taxis in Playa Hermosa, you need to get one to come from Playa Coco to pick you up. Any hotel receptionist will do this for you but be warned, prices will vary greatly depending on who you talk to. I thought I would take a sampling and asked 10 different hotels about taxis to Playa Coco. The prices ranged from $8 to $25, probably because the desk workers get a cut of the people they send to the taxi drivers.I felt immediately more comfortable once I arrived in Playa Coco. Although it can very easily be described as a Tourist Trap with the myriad of souvenir shops lining the main street, it was also a very recognizable town containing a supermarket, police station, well lit streets etc. The main street was also lined with bars, but there were a few places I wanted to check out specifically:

Zouk Zantana

This place is, well, COOL. Couches, lounge chairs and soft lighting lend to the European feel. It has a decent menu, of which I sampled the Chicken Fajitas. Meals are moderate at about $5-$10 USD and the drinks are also moderate for the area at about $4. They also serve the best Mojito I have ever had!

Lizard Lounge

Playing a combination of Top 40 mixed in with salsa and merengue, the dance floor of this lively bar was always packed with a mix of ticos and tourists alike. They sport a larger menu than Zouk Zantana but the drinks are decidedly of lower quality. The loud music and projection screen TV dominate this popular, meat-market type establishment.

Heladeria Italiana’sIf you only do one thing while visiting the area, make it a stop at Heladeria Italiana’s. Located near the huge Casino sign on the main strip you can’t miss this little piece of heaven. Imported Italian machinery and skillful hands go into making some of Costa Rica’s best gelato. The owners are friendly and the price is dirt cheap at only about $1.20 for a cone. Don’t miss it!!!

Overall, I was not impressed with Playa Hermosa and I doubt I will ever go back. In two or three years it will be most likely be completely overdeveloped and be no different than going to Miami beach or something similar and that is not what I like about Costa Rica. However, if you are into all inclusive resorts, ATV tours, and all English speaking people, then this is your place. Playa Coco is similar, however it does have the redeeming value of a happening night life, so I may very well visit there again.

I’ll leave you with the sunset over Playa Hermosa at high tide.

The Budget

I arrived late Friday night and left early Sunday morning, so for the 36 hours I was there the price was reasonable. Bus tickets to and from San Jose ($10), two nights hotel ($80), three meals ($30), taxis to and from Playa Coco ($16) and drinks, snacks, souvenirs, etc ($30) for a total of approximately $176.00 USD