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Playa Hermosa Review

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Playa Hermosa

Category: Beaches
Location: Playa Hermosa

Fodor's Review:

Just over the rocky ridge that forms the southern edge of Jacó is Playa Hermosa, a swath of gray sand and driftwood stretching southeast as far as the eye can see. Despite its name, there's nothing really pretty about it. The wide beach lacks palm trees or other shade-providing greenery; its sand is scorchingly hot in the afternoon and frequent rip currents make it unsafe to swim when the waves are big. But board-toters find beauty in its jaw-dropping surf breaks. The beach's northern end is popular because it often has waves when Jacó and other spots are flat. For nonsurfers, outdoor options include horseback and canopy tours in the nearby forested hills or ultralight and hang-gliding flights along the coast. But all of these can be done from other beaches. As for the town itself, there's really not much. Most of the restaurants, bars, and hotels have cropped up one after the other on a thin stretch separating the highway and the beach. From August to December, olive ridley turtles nest on the beach, on nights when there's not much moonlight.

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