First visit

[Wendy Reimer]

Hi, my name is Wendy. I’m 53 and planning my first visit To CR with the hopes of retiring here in 5 years. I am single, Love the water and wild life. I’m extremely drawn to the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Is this only found on that coast? I’d like to find a city near the beach, have some social/nightlife and have there be a mix of Expats and locals. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Kathleen Evans]

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for reaching out! This is Kathleen and I am the new Coastal Correspondent for IL. Congrats on making a plan to visit Costa Rica and a long-term goal to retire here.

I, like you, find Caribbean blue-green waters to be beautiful. If this is your number one criteria, I would suggest you explore the area around Puerto Viejo, south of Limon. Most of the coast on that side of the country is comprised of national park (in the north), the big port city of Limon, and then smaller villages to the south, with Puerto Viejo being the largest. That is the main place you will find a variety of restaurants, nightlife, expats, and locals, etc. WITH Caribbean waters. However, keep in mind they get more rain than the rest of Costa Rica. Also, keep in mind the Caribbean side is a bit more isolated and difficult to get to.

I live on the Pacific coast and honestly, I find much more variety here in the towns/amenities than on the Caribbean side. No, the water is not sea-foam green. It tends to be a deeper Pacific blue. But there are beaches dotting the western coast which have shallow beaches also giving that lighter blue water look. You might want to search Playa Conchal – which comes to mind immediately.

Since you mention that you are single and looking for some nightlife and an expat community, you might want to look at places like Coco or Tamarindo in the north (LIR airport), Manuel Antonio in the central zone and Dominical or Uvita (SJO airport) in the south. All offer pretty beaches with nearby wildlife, great amenities, and enclaves of expat communities.

Obviously, on a short trip, it would be impossible to see all these places. So plan just to target one region and on future visits research more. I always recommend you do a lot of research online and in person before making a life-changing decision. The more you know, the better equipped you are to make a solid plan.

I hope that helps with your initial planning. Best of luck and pura vida.

-Kathleen

[Country Expert john michael arthur]

Hola Wendy,

I see that Kathleen as already given you a lot of excellent information. I agree completely that on the Caribbean side, Puerto Viejo would be the one place that fits your description of what you’re looking for.

While I live in the mountains I do love to visit the beaches. The Pacific offers many well documented areas. The Caribbean is still much more rural, but I love its vibe–especially the area around Puerto Viejo. You should definitely check it out. Housing tends to be less expensive there, too.

Look for my April Insider that will published next week–it’s all about the Caribbean side.
Best of Luck
John Michael Arthur–IL Correspondent

[Wendy Reimer]

Great information. I really appreciate the feedback. As I’ve done more research, I think I’m more inclined to give up the Turquoise blue waters for less rain. Sounds like the North Pacific coast has the least, but could be more expensive. Are there beaches calm enough for swimming in Tamarindo or Manuel Antonio? I love to sail and scuba dive and would like to be in an area where that is commonplace. Appreciate your feedback.

Wendy

[Wendy Reimer]

So disappointed to see such little engagement on the forums. It was my main reason for the subscription. As such, I’ll be cancelling my subscription. Best of luck to everyone here.

Wendy

[Kathleen Evans]

Hi Wendy,

Oh goodness. So sorry for the delay in getting back to you! Since I am new, I did not have a proper notification set up yet and completely missed your response. Please accept my apologies on behalf of IL and we hope we did not lose you as a subscriber.

If you are still here I would like to follow up…
Yes, the waters in Manuel Antonio are conducive for swimming. They have gorgeous beaches in that area. Tamarindo beach is wide and pretty, but sometimes the waves are fairly big – due to it being a great beach to learn surfing. Also, Tama does get crowded certain times of year, since it is a popular tourist destination.

You may want to look even further north up the coast. There is a place called Costa Rica Sailing Center in a popular expat beach town called Surfside/Potrero. They have a variety of different sailboats you can take out based on your skill set. Also, off the coast in that area, you will find great diving at Catalina Islands. Some of the best diving in the country.

And yes, this part of CR is going to be more expensive than the Caribbean side. But it does have a lot less rain and more amenities.

I hope that helps narrow the search!
-Kathleen

[Country Expert john michael arthur]

Hola Wendy
Sorry for the delay in answering. I and a whole host of other IL correspondents and editors were at the IL conference in Atlanta, and we were completely tied up for the entire time trying to answer the myriad questions from the 500 attendees that were there. Normally we endeavour to reply in 24 hours. The posting goes to the IL office and then it is parceled out to the appropriate correspondents.

Yes, you are right that Tamarindo area (and the whole of the Gold Coast) is full of areas for swimming and diving (and surfing.). That said, I personally like the area around Manuel Antonio better myself. As to the rains–I wouldn’t get too hung up about the rains. Even during the raining season, there are plenty of days without rain and even on the days that it does rain, the rains usually come in the afternoon–leaving you mornings/half-days full of sun. Actually, I prefer the rainy season. In the areas where the dry season is very dry (up to 5 months without a drop) it can just get too dry, brown, and monotonous for me.

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