| Pura Vida or "pure life" is the unofficial mantra of | | | | half hour drive depending on conditions. There is |
| Costa Rica. People are generally friendly and content. | | | | another major airport in Liberia, which gets you within |
| Life in general, or at least on the surface, seems | | | | about one and a half hours of the popular surfing |
| simpler and free from the trappings of the 9-5 lifestyle. | | | | destination town of Tamarindo. This is a great option if |
| A couple of weeks or a month in Costa Rica could do | | | | surf spots on the Nicoya Peninsula are your |
| us all a lot of good, but by the end of the second | | | | destination. Just to give you an idea of the distances, |
| week, most surfers already want to buy land, build a | | | | Tamarindo is about a nine-hour bus ride from San |
| house and move there. | | | | Hose that you will never do twice. |
| Surfing in Costa Rica has exploded in the last 10 years. | | | | The ferry system throughout Costa Rica is great. Car |
| Infrastructure has filled in, and all of the support | | | | ferries and passenger ferries can get you to some |
| services you need to have a great surf trip are in | | | | pretty remote places. Ferries are regular and |
| place. By doing a little research, you can choose the | | | | inexpensive. Plan your ferry trips to avoid getting stuck |
| best surf breaks for your skill level, and the best | | | | in dangerous port towns with no good |
| season for good consistent surf. Nightlife is always | | | | accommodations or nightlife. To get across to the |
| happening but it really depends on what you are | | | | Nicoya Peninsula, you will take the ferry from |
| looking for. Costa Rica varies greatly, so for those that | | | | Puntarenas to Paquera or Naranjo for about $10. |
| would prefer to commune with the nature by day and | | | | Safety while traveling is always a concern. You should |
| explore their inner demons by night, it's all waiting. | | | | exercise a little bit of common sense, and plan to avoid |
| Towns like San Hose, Tamarindo, and Jaco all have | | | | getting yourself into bad situations. Some areas really |
| thriving club scenes that will keep you going until | | | | don't have a police presence, and it's just better to be |
| sunrise. Most people prefer to just catch waves, eat | | | | safe than sorry. Petty crimes committed by offenders |
| great food, party a bit with new friends and get to bed | | | | under 18 are not really punishable by Costa Rican law |
| early enough to wake up for dawn patrol. | | | | and you are likely to see the kid who stole your |
| Travel within Costa Rica is fairly easy and reliable. | | | | surfboard walking down the street the next day. |
| Buses go pretty much everywhere, and schedules can | | | | Break-ins to rental vehicles are not uncommon. |
| tell you how to take advantage of the bus routes. | | | | Everyone knows you've left your wallets in the car |
| Traveling with surfboards on the buses is generally not | | | | while you are out splish-splashing around in the waves. |
| a problem, and the drivers are used to surfers, so this | | | | So, don't leave your wallet in the car. Ask your surf |
| is an inexpensive way to get around if you don't mind | | | | camp, or hotel front desk person to lock up your |
| getting bounced around on treacherous dirt roads from | | | | passport and wallet behind the counter in a safe. Don't |
| time to time. Locals use the buses regularly, and you | | | | leave anything in the car unattended that you can't |
| may notice two prices for locals and those that speak | | | | afford to lose. Public transit offers thieves and |
| Spanish, and gringos that make no effort to even say | | | | pickpockets many opportunities to snatch your goods. |
| "hola". First lesson: there's the local price, and the gringo | | | | Watch out for strangers brushing up against you and |
| price. You can haggle if you wish, or just enjoy the ride. | | | | keep your belongings under close surveillance. This rule |
| Renting a car is probably the best way to get around | | | | applies at the bus station, the bus stop, on the bus, or |
| if you can afford it. We recommend that you plan in | | | | while getting on and off the bus. Safety at night is all |
| advance and reserve a 4-wheel drive. This especially | | | | relative to where you are. You are probably fine |
| important during rainy season when road conditions | | | | wandering around Santa Theresa at night, but not |
| can get pretty nasty. A 4-wheel drive is going to get | | | | necessarily fine to wander around Puntarenas at night. |
| you closer to some surf spots, and others are | | | | If you aren't sure, do some research and ask around. |
| inaccessible without one. If you don't reserve one in | | | | Costa Rica is a surfer's playground. Waves for every |
| advance, you might show up at the rental place and | | | | level of surfer are possible, and it's a great place to |
| have no choice but to take a sedan or compact. This | | | | get in shape and take your surfing to the next level. |
| will leave you in the unfortunate position of having less | | | | Beach breaks are scattered along both coasts, and |
| clearance for potholes, and less power going up hills. | | | | bottoms vary from volcanic rock on the Pacific side to |
| Get ready to argue with the rental place about the | | | | Coral reef of the Caribbean side. I generally consider |
| condition of the car when you return it and be | | | | the Caribbean side to be a little more treacherous and |
| prepared with photos of your own to back up your | | | | unforgiving, but if you're looking for a heaving barrel |
| side of the story. Flat tires are common and you can | | | | over razor sharp coral, hey- it's great! The volcanic |
| expect to pay $10 if you return a tire with patching it | | | | rock/ sand bottoms on the Pacific side are a little less |
| first. Make sure you are insured. Check with your | | | | likely to cut you to ribbons, but small cuts to your feet |
| credit card company about their policy and how you | | | | are not uncommon. |
| will be covered in the event of an accident or total | | | | Sharks, stingrays, crocodiles, jellyfish and other scary |
| loss. You don't want to get stuck with a huge | | | | creatures of the deep are all around you. There's really |
| deductible or paying out of pocket to replace a vehicle. | | | | not much to say about this except good luck! If you |
| I once saw a Suzuki Samurai go bye-bye down a | | | | are a surfer, then you've already made peace with the |
| river before, so it can happen to you! Check your | | | | fact that any time you paddle out, it could be your last |
| insurance policy or buy extra insurance. | | | | ride. There are areas where saltwater crocodiles are |
| Driving in Costa Rica comes with certain inherent risks. | | | | known to be prevalent, like the Boca Barranca |
| The roads in and around San Hose are especially | | | | river-mouth (you can see them basking on the river |
| dangerous. There is a prevailing attitude of machismo | | | | banks about half a mile upriver from the ocean) but it |
| behind the wheel in general, and you are expected to | | | | will be up to you to assess the risk. If the waves are |
| keep up the pace by passing slow moving diesel | | | | good you will probably forget that you even read this. I |
| trucks on treacherous curves, and probably just going | | | | surfed a spot around Quepos the day after a guy lost |
| faster than you want to. Its a fine line, I've narrowly | | | | his leg to a crocodile, but our nonchalant guide opted to |
| avoided two head-on collisions on those roads just | | | | tell us that story on the way back to the camp. My |
| outside San Hose, but now I just put up with being | | | | point is that there is always a risk, which must be |
| honked at and keep my speed consistent and my | | | | weighed against your desire to surf a given break, and |
| hands at 10 and 2. In most areas it's nowhere near as | | | | sometimes you just can't possibly know. Same old |
| populated and busy, and driving is really a lot of fun. | | | | story as it ever was. |
| Road conditions can go from perfect to horrific in a | | | | Preparation for a medical crisis is up to you. Get out |
| few seconds. Expect horrific potholes, washed out | | | | your list and start adding a few things like, bandages, |
| roads, bumpy dirt road patches interspersed in | | | | isopropyl alcohol, peroxide, polysporin, diarrhea |
| otherwise perfect highways, and anything else that | | | | medication, pain reliever, condoms and anything else |
| seems abnormal. | | | | you need to stay out of trouble. In some places you |
| Finding a place to stay is easy. You can do this both | | | | could be too far away to get treatment right away, |
| ways. Virgo's will want to plan every hostel and hotel | | | | and its best to deal with minor cuts and scrapes right |
| to the day, and more adventurous types will just figure | | | | away to avoid staff infection and other complications. |
| it out when they get there. I've done both, but it | | | | Avoid over-exposure to the sun. This is actually a bit |
| depends on how you travel. Surfers tend to want to | | | | hard to do when you are surfing, but you wont be |
| follow the swell, which makes planning your | | | | adding to anyone's enjoyment if you have a class 3 |
| accommodations kind of impossible, unless you happen | | | | sunburn and are stuck laying in bed for 5 days... been |
| to be a long lost 2nd cousin of Nostradamus and can | | | | there, done that. Use a sunscreen with zinc oxide and |
| predict waves a month in advance. That being said, it's | | | | apply often. Don't worry, you will come home with a |
| a good idea to plan at least your first and last nights | | | | nice tan and be the envy of all you friends and family, |
| hotel near the airport and save yourself any | | | | even if you use a little sunscreen. |
| unnecessary travel stress. | | | | If all this sounds a little scary, don't worry. Costa Rica is |
| Flights into Costa Rica can land in two places. Most | | | | a surfer's paradise and for that matter anyone's |
| people will generally land in the capital city of San | | | | paradise. Plan and prepare for the things I've outlined in |
| Hose. There is a lot to do and see here, but don't ask | | | | this article as much as you can and just go! You are |
| me too many details. For most surfers this is a jumping | | | | guaranteed to make friends, eat well and surf fun |
| off point and we suggest you just rent a car and head | | | | waves. Don't forget to take a few day trips inland to |
| for the coast. It's about a 2-3 hour drive to Jaco beach | | | | see one of the active volcanoes or to take time for a |
| on the Pacific coast, the closest surfing destination to | | | | rain forest adventure hike. Costa Rica isn't just waves, |
| the Airport. From here you can head North or South, | | | | there are all kinds of great side trips and activities like |
| which will open a whole different range of options for | | | | hiking to waterfalls, river-rafting, horseback riding, rain |
| surf breaks, inland day-trips, and scenery. If you are | | | | forest canopy tours, wildlife, sport fishing and more. |
| headed to the Caribbean side, the port city of Limon is | | | | Don't feel bad if you can't do it all, you will probably be |
| probably your first destination. It's about a four and a | | | | back to live more of the Pura Vida! |