I am thinking of planning a quick trip to Costa Rica with my girlfriend in early May. We went last year and loved it and we need a break from work and the New England weather.
One of the places we went to last time was Jaco and we liked it a lot, the only reason we wouldn't go back is because the beach wasn't that great. But I am looking for suggestions for towns similar to Jaco, a nice beach and a cool little town on it that can be explored with a few options for drinks/meals etc. We are only planning on going to 4-5 days, so we need something within about 4 hours from San Jose.
Thanks very much!

Check out Montezuma and Tamarindo.

Suzie's suggestions are good. I would also add Samara and Manuel Antonio/Quepos to that.

Hey juice I live in ohio and we are leaving for the same reasons, the weather this year is unbelievable. We want to find a beach like you and I just watched a show on Tamarindo and it looked great. Good luck, Sean

Thanks very much for the suggestions so far. In addition to Jaco last year, we also hit Manuel Antonio/Quepos as well as Arenal Volcano which happens to be plan B if no beaches are appealing enough. I've heard good things about Tamarindo, is there enough going on there during the day and at night in case my girlfriend and I get bored laying in the sun or want to go out for a couple of drinks or dinner at night?
I haven't heard anything about Montezuma or Samara before. Any further input on those places?
Thanks again!

Tamarindo is the biggest and busiest of the 3 - plenty of restaurants, shops, bars and activities to keep you busy for a few days. Good selection of hotels in all price ranges. Daytrips are available and if you have a car you can drive around and explore as well.

Montezuma is smaller and funkier but also has a good selection of restaurants and hotels. I was not that impressed with the beach there but the town seemed nice enough. There are nice waterfalls in the area, a canopy tour, Cabo Blanco Reserve etc. It may be however the most difficult to get to of the 3 towns as you will need to take the ferry.

Samara is the most typically Costa Rican town of the 3 (there is a soccer field in the middle of the town) with a bunch of hotels and restaurants and a really nice beach that is good for swimming. I am not sure about the availability of activities from Samara but it seems that there is less there than in Montezuma or Tamarindo.

With the new bridge and a paved road all the way to the town, both Samara and Tamarindo may be a longer drive than 4 hours but they are not difficult to get to.

Here are some links for you:
http://www.tamarindo.com/
http://www.samarabeach.com/
http://www.nicoyapeninsula.com/

You have received some excellent suggestions. Tamarindo is a good choice for all of the reasons mentioned above. In addition to that, it affords you the opportunity to drive to Samara as well (fairly close to Tamarindo)as well as some other excellent beaches mentioned above--Playa Flamingo and Playa Conchal. Tamarindo offers more versatility, I think. But, if you don't go to Montezuma this time, you might want to consider going there the next time you visit--perhaps when you have a few more days. For the short time you will be in Costa Rica, it seems more feasible to go somewhere that is more easily accessible. Early May will be a great time to visit this area of Guanacaste!

If you are going to the Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo area, you would be better off flying into Liberia.

Read the guidebooks about where to stay in the area. There is basic funkiness at the Hotel Brasilito for $30 a night or all-inclusive luxury at Paradisus Playa Conchal for over $300 per night.

We stayed at the Hotel Sugar Beach where rooms are $110 in high season and loved it. We just hung out at the pool, beach and ate at their excellent resaurant. In the morning, you can watch the howler monkeys in the trees over your room.

There's a lot of islands in this area which would make sea kayaking interesting. It's a very nice area with many options for hotels, restaurants, day activites, and nightlife.

Otis - do you know Dr. Hackenbush?
Or Capt Spaulding??

Why, yes I do.

And Rufus T. Firefly also posts to this board.