bodhijack

small stores, nice restaurants, cafes. ( actually, we're looking for something like puerta vallarta!)

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Oooohhhhh, maybe you should sit down. Costa Rica has nothing like Puerto Vallarta. Not that Costa Rica isn't nice in its own right -- it is -- but if you're expecting PV and its cobblestone streets, or any of the well-known Mexican resorts, you're going to be disappointed.

Does it have to be Guanacaste? Manuel Antonio on the Central Pacific coast has some shops and a good selection of restaurants. No one would mistake it for Puerto Vallarta however.

Linda137

Sounds like you might be happiest in one the larger towns so you have choices for meals and shopping. Are you flying into Liberia? What areas do you plan to visit? Remember, getting around takes time due to the condition of the roads. There are a lot of nice beaches and the sunsets are fantastic. Once you do some reading, you'll get an idea if Costa Rica is for you.

shillmac

Tamarindo has lots of fun shopping and restaurants, but is just such a circus with all the unrestrained development in progress. Same for Playa Langosta, right next to Tamarindo.

Brasilito is small and hopping with great little restaurants (at least 2 or 3), but not so much going on with shops.

One of the things you might enjoy about ANY of the many Guanacaste beaches is that there are just so few people. Especially some of the more obscure ones like Playa Panama up near Playa Hermosa. Speaking of Hermosa, it is nice and calm in a horseshoe bay. There are a few good restaurants in that area.

As others have mentioned, just expect it to be a different experience from what you've previously known.

I agree Manuel Antonio would fit the bill for both shops and restaurants, but most hotels are up above the beach, in the hills, so you have lovely views, but are never "steps from the water".

bodhijack

thank you all for your replies........