Hi Deborah,
There is golf in some of the surrounding residential communities and resorts, including Hacienda Pinilla and Reserva Conchal. No bowling alleys or movie theaters in town. There is a theater in Liberia, about an hour away, that shows movies in English. There is a live music scene here, with Latin, reggae, blues, rock, and acoustic artists – both expats and locals.
A farmers’ market just started up, featuring homemade specialty items from expats, like hummus, sauces, and such. Anyone is welcome to set up a booth. Several are also featuring their arts and crafts. Art shows are infrequent and there aren’t too many galleries in town. But the people here tend to be “artsy” and creative so I think that sort of thing would go over well. The art scene is pretty informal, with a lot of murals, artists hanging paintings in hotels and restaurants, that sort of thing.
In general Tamarindo – and Costa Rica as a whole – is a very Do It Yourself type of place. You get an idea and just act on it. There’s a lot of freedom for that. So any ideas you had to introduce to the community, organizing art shows or dances, etc. – just go for it.
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