Looking forward to your report. Passports in hand? Called the credit card company to let them know you will be in CR?

Very excited for you! Looking forward to hearing your tales...

Yes, passports are in hand, and credit card companies have been informed. We just got back from dropping the dogs at the boarder. I will finish my last minute packing. I am coloring my hair and doing my nails this afternoon!

Yes, I always time my color jobs around my travels.!

Day 1 - Tuesday
The alarm went off at 2:15am, and we were "up and at 'em" Easy one hour drive to parking lot near Midway Airport, and short shuttle ride to airport. Our flight left at 6am, and we met up with DD in Atlanta, and boarded our 10am flight to Liberia. No food served on plane, but we able to purchase a couple of tasty sandwiches for $8.50. Arrived in Liberia at noon. Immigration was a breeze, and a shuttle was waiting to take us to National Car Rental where we had reserved a 4WD Toyota Rav4. We were on our way in one hour from arrival. It was an easy ride to Nicoya where we stopped for a few groceries. Shortly thereafter the pavement ended, and we were on a rough gravel road. We arrived at Marlin Bill's at 3:30 where we were to meet the house caretaker who took us to the house. We were totally tired, and only unpacked a few things. We went to dinner at El Pepperoni, which is close to the house. I had ravioli and DD and DH had calzones. The portions were generous and quite good. Our bill was under $30. We took showers and went to bed early. It had been a long day. The house we rented is very nice, cable TV, internet, 2 1/2 baths and 2 bedrooms. We have a beautiful pool and a 3 minute walk to the beach. We are in Playa Peleda.

Day 2 - Wednesday
We are in Playa Pelada. We were up early. We made a pot of the local coffee, and it is delicious. We did a little exploring of the area. Checked out our pool, and walked a short distance to the beach. The sand is smooth as glass and the waves were rolling on. There was only one sunbather at the beach. DD went for a swim in the pool. We decided to go to the bank to exchange some money. One person at a time is allowed to enter, and you are scanned with a wand for weapons. Then you take a seat and wait your turn. There are two people seated at desks to serve you. Since there were over 30 people ahead of us we decided to come back another day. We then went to lunch at Marlin Bill's. I had a Dorado sandwich, DD had turkey and DH had a burger. No compaints, and the bill was under $40. We got directions, and went a short distance down the road to a fish market, which is actually a small house where a fisherman sells fish from his freezer. We bought a nice size Dorado filet for $8.00. We stopped at Cafe de Paris on the way back for some fresh bakery delights. We checked out the surfer beach at Playa Giones, and spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool. We saw our first Coati Mundi alongside the road. We kind of have a plan not to drive at night, as advised by the locals. We will eat our major meal at lunch time.

Thanks for the report. Can you just use your ATM instead of waiting to exchange money? We use ATMs exclusively while travelling.

Yes, you can certainly use an ATM. Our bank would charge us a fee of $5.00. We did go to the bank today, and there was no waiting.

Da3 - Thursday
We slept a little later this am. We went to the bank, and there was no waiting. We then drove into Nosara, and went to the Super Mercado. This is a nice store that carries a lot of American brands. The upstairs carries miscellaneous household items. We stopped at a beautiful Catholic Church, and looked for the post office. I saw a flag out front, and went inside only to find out I was in the Police Station! The post office was two doors down, and I was prepared in my best Costa Rican to purchase cinco stamps to US. As I stumbled over my request, the clerk answered me in perfect English! We went to Rosie's Soda in Playa Guiones which is next door to Marlin Bill's. My DH and I each had a Cosada, which was quite good, and the DD had a ham and cheese sandwich. Our bill was $22.00. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool. We went to Olga's on the beach at Playa Paleda to catch the sunset and grab dinner. DH and I each had tacos carne and DD had a burger, all good. The sunset was pretty. Dinner was $34.00. When we got back to the house we had to shoo a crab out with a broom!

Love reading your report! My family of five (me, spouse, and three young adult kids)will be there at the end of this month. We are staying in Playa Guiones. I will be searching out your report for good eats and activities. What's the daily weather like?

The weather has been mixed sun and clouds, but very hot. There have been brief showers in the afternoon or in the night. We have not had to curtail any of our activities. Where are you staying in Playa Guiones? I think you might enjoy the horseback riding. They go right by our house a couple of times a day on the way to the beach....looks like a lot of fun.

Looking forward to more!

Day 4 - Friday
DD spent the am at the pool, and she is paying the price tonight! DH went to gas up the car. I should note that the gas stations are full service, and it is customary to tip the attendant. We noted we had gotten some white paint on the frontend of the rental. The station attendant rubbed some stuff on it, and a tiny bit of paint, and DH was "good to go"!
DH went off to get a massage and DD and I walked to the beach. Well, the waves got us, knocked us around, and DD lost her prescription glasses to the ocean! Pool time in the afternoon, while DD rested. A couple of Ticas came by in a truck loaded with fruit. We bought a bag of oranges, and two mangoes for $3.00. Dinner tonight was at Panchos, chicken fingers for the DD, chicken enchiladas for me, and tacos for the DH. Bill was under $40.00, drinks included.

Having fun reading your report. Just a heads up about mailing things from Costa Rica. We sent post cards one trip, and none of them ever made it to the states. Their mail is notoriously unreliable. We were staying at one hotel, and the American owner asked us to mail a stack of her bills for her once we got back to the U.S. We didn't even know her, and she trusted us more than the CR postal service. We mail our post cards once we get back to the states - quicker and more reliable. I hope your daughter has an extra pair of glasses so she can still see beautiful CR!

Thanks for the headsup on the postal service....it does not surprise me. I will let DD know. She does have her regular glasses.

Skacian - we will be staying in a condo near Harmony Hotel. I am concerned about our drive to the Liberia airport when we leave CR (we arrive via San Jose). Our flight out of Liberia leaves at 1:00 pm. How early do you think we need to leave Playa Guiones?

It took us 2 1/2 hrs. to drive from Liberia to Playa Guiones. When you leave out of Liberia you have to pay the departure fee, and then be in line two hours before your flight home. I know exactly where you are staying.....nice area with lots you can walk to, including the beach.

Day 5 - Saturday - Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!
We slept in this am. We heard there was a fisherman down by Olga's that sells fish, so we headed down there. He had a freezer full of fish that he had caught last night. We bought a red snapper that he fileted for us for a little over $10.00. We went to Pancho's Supermarket, which is the closest market to our store. We were pleased to find English is spoken there. You must try a "Trit", which is an ice cream cup with graham cracker crust....so good. We did the pool in the afternoon, and the sunset at 6pm. We have some neighborhood dogs that have adopted us. We put fresh water out for them, and they follow us to the beach, so cute. We went to Pancho's for dinner tonight, as they had a band. It was actually a trio, and the music was mellow enough you could be heard when you talk. DD had a burger, DH had tacos, and I had the pasta w/pesto and artichokes. We all had drinks, and the bill came to $44.00. The place was packed, and we had a good time.

Pancho's is the closest market to our house....lol

Day 6 - Sunday
Today was a day of rest. We had considered going to Mass, as the church is so beautiful, however we were concerned about the heat as there is no AC, so we passed on that. DH went to the market. He paid $12 for a 12 pack of water. We do drink the water at the house, but thought we would like to have some to carry on our excursions. We did laundry. Went to the pool.....lots of monkeys in the trees. There was a large family at the pool today. I guess we have been spoiled having the pool all to ourselves. DH grilled the red snapper tonight, and it was to die for!

Day 7-Monday
Today was a day of errands....We stopped by the banco, but the wait was too long. We made a reservation at Miss Sky Canopy Zipline for DD for tomorrow am. The cost is $65.00, cash only. We went into Playa Guiones and reserved transportation via van for DD to return to Liberia on Saturday for her fight home to Ohio. The cost is $45.00, which saves us a trip. I purchased a beautiful bag of the local style for $30.00. DD did some shopping. We had to pick up a couple of the creme puffs at Cafe de Paris. We did our cash exchange at the bank there, with no waiting. We had lunch at the Gilded Iguana, which is probably the best food we have had so far. The waiter was kind enough to put our creme puffs in his fridge, while we ate. DD had a breakfast sandwich...DH had a burger, and I had quesadillas. We also had an order of sweet potato chips....so good! We came back, and did the jacuzzi until it started to rain. The howler monkeys were very active today....lots of iguanas roaming around. DD walked down to Pancho's where she has made friends with the gringo that tends bar. DH and I went to Il Pepperoni for pizza, which we enjoyed. The bill was less that $20 including drinks, tip and tax.














We drove into Playa Guiones and made a reservation

Day 8 - Tuesday
We got up early to have DD at Miss Sky Canopy Tour by 7:30. She said it was so much fun even though she was scared at first. We relaxed at the pool, and went to dinner at Rancho Tico in Nosara, which was excellent. There were four of us, as we invited a girl DD has made friends with. DH and DD each had the filet mignon and I and the guest had jumbo shrimp. We are every last morsel! The total cost for the four of us including drinks, etc. was $93.00.

Hi, I will also be traveling to Playa Guiones at the end of the month. I am traveling solo. Flying into Liberia and driving down to Playa Guiones. any tips on the drive or anything else you can share with me?

It is an easy drive to Nicoya, and then be prepared for potholes and bumps. Playa Guiones is a lovely area with lots of restaurants, and most everything you need. Exchange your money at the bank there. The best Super is in Nosara village, but it is very expensive. Have fun!

Day 9 - Wednesday
It was a hot morning, so we spent a couple of hours at the pool. DD has some sore muscles from yesterday's zipline. We had lunch in, and took a ride in the afternoon over to Pancho's for beer and nachos. We stopped a few doors down at the Sekrot Spot for Gelato. This is a "must have". Poncho's was having deep dish pizza, so we went back for dinner. The pizza was $12.00.

Day 10 - Thursday
We had a 9am reservation with David at Monkey Quads in Guiones. He took us up into the hills with a stop at Playa Ostional where the Ridley turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the black sand beach....beautiful. From there we went to San Juanilla Beach, another beautiful beach with lots of shells and seaglass. It was a private tour for just the three of us. Did a load of laundry and cooked in tonight. We did buy some shrimp from a truck alongside the road. Stopped at the Sekrot Spot again for more of that delicious gelato!

Day 11 - Friday
We went to Playa Guiones to watch the surfers. Stopped in to confirm the van would be taking DD to Liberia at 8:30am to find out the van wasn't leaving until 9am, which would not get her to the airport on time. If you are not in line two hours before your flight, they won't let you board. We will be driving her ourselves. From there we drove to Samara for lunch. We had a nice lunch in a beautiful spot right on the beach. Samara is the most beautiful beach I have seen, and we have been to many Caribbean Island beaches. There were wild horses running on the beach, and the usual dogs playing in the surf. There were a lot of people considering it is the off season. Got back around 3pm, and spent time in the pool. The howler monkeys were playing in the trees. For dinner we went to Casa Romantica. DH and I had pasta alfredo and DD had a ribeye. All were very good. Our bill was $47.00. They take cash only.

Sill enjoying your report. When do the turtles nest? Having seen Samara, would you choose it over Nosara. Tough choices?

Thanks Michelle.....the turtles mostly nest in Sept. and Oct. but can be seen at other times, just not very many. We did find one nest that had hatched three days ago. Between Samara and Nosara, if I come back, I would still stay in Nosara. I would definitely visit Samara just to have lunch on the beach and chill. Nosara has beautiful beaches, but not as swimable. One is mostly for surfing, which is fun to watch, and the one next to our house is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset. There is a rumor that Samara will be forced to close their places on the beach as a preservation measure. In Nosara, the roads are not paved and building is not allowed on the beach.

Day 12 - Sadturday
We left the house at 7:45am to drive DD to Liberia airport. We stopped at the Super Mercado, as DD wanted to take home some cigarettes as they as so much cheaper here. ($2.50-2.75) We arrived at the airport and dropped her off. The departure tax is now $28.00. It is a good idea if one person in your party takes all of the passports and stands in line to pay the tax, while the others check in their baggage. On the way back we made a small detour to go to the town of Guaitil. This is a very small village, and all of the Ticos that live there make pottery. They are happy to show you the process, and they are such wonderful people. If you do go there be sure to visit more than one shop. They are having a problem with tours that come there, as Willy and Susan pay the tour operators a kickback to bring gringos to their shops. The other shops suffer for it, and they all have the same pottery. It is all beautiful. We bought three pieces, two plates and a vase. The clay they use is only found in their area, and the process has been handed down from ancient times when the Chortega indians lived there. If you can find the time to go there, I highly recommend it. It is a short easy drive on a paved road. From there we stopped for lunch at Rio Tempisque just north of Nicoya. DH had a burger and I had Cobina (fish). The bill was $23. The parking lot was visited by many Iguanas, and the place is very pretty. We stopped in town at the bakery for more creme puffs. We chilled the rest of the afternoon. We went to dinner at Rancho Tico with the owner of the house we are staying in, and it was his treat. DH and I had the filet mignon, and we were not disappointed.

Day 13 - Sunday
DH had been able to hook up with a Tico to take him fishing in the river. He picked him up at 5am, and they got back around 8am. No one caught any fish, and as DH was crossing the river to come home, he slipped and fell, scraping his shin. He was a mess. We doctored him up, and he changed into dry clothes. We stayed close to home, only leaving to go to the market to pick up coffee and Lizano to take home. We took a friend along to pick up food for her dog. I did the pool thing, and DH napped. For lunch we had shrimp with cocktail sauce we bought from a truck that goes around the neighborhood. For dessert we had creme puffs!! No dinner tonight.

Day 14 - Monday
We went to breakfast at The Guilded Iguana. I had a breakfast wrap, and DH had a "waverunner" which consisted of eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, fruit and two pancakes. The bill was $18.00. (Always be sure you check to see if a tip has been added to the bill) We spent the rest of the am in the pool. We did most of the packing. One of the local girls stopped by, as we told her she could have the food we didn't use. She had lunch with us. DH fried the dorado he had bought from the fishmarket, and we finished up any leftovers from the fridge. We went to Pancho's for a late dinner of burgers and fries. The bill was $20. We are not looking forward to leaving Nosara.