Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [219]
Mar y Sol (2654-4151; www.marysolflamingo.com; mains ₡3400-14,000; lunch & dinner) For a special night out, you can’t go wrong at this hilltop treasure with stunning panoramic sea and sunset views. It’s run by the French-American Taulere family, including accomplished chef Jean-Luc. Go for the specialty, filet mignon and lobster brochette with béarnaise and lemon butter.
Angelina’s (2654-4839; mains ₡4500-18,000; 5-9:30pm) The stunning interior of this gorgeous restaurant is surpassed only by the masterpiece on your plate. The creative fusion menu features such dishes as Dorado Tico – plantain-encrusted mahimahi with mango-avocado salsa, coconut-jasmine rice and jalapeño-rum glaze. After dinner, pop in for a cocktail at the adjacent Yellowfin Lounge (drinks ₡3900 to ₡7000; open from 5pm to midnight).
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
The closest airport is at Tamarindo (Click here), which has regular scheduled flights and is about 16km away by paved road.
Bus
Buses depart from the traffic circle near the entrance of town and travel through Brasilito on the way out. Schedules change often, so ask locally about departure times as well as the best place on the road to wait for the bus.
Liberia ₡1200; two hours; departs every hour from 4:30am to 6:30pm.
San José (Tralapa) ₡4800; five hours; departs 2am, 9am and 2pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am, 10:30am and 2pm on Sunday.
Santa Cruz ₡870; one hour; departs nine times per day from 5am to 10pm.
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Playa Brasilito
Underrated Brasilito has managed to avoid the overdevelopment that’s plagued much of northern Nicoya. It might be that the gray-sand beach here isn’t as pretty as the nearby strips of palm-fringed white sand, and the lack of resorts and big hotels gives the town a laid-back atmosphere. This is still very much a working fishing village. Playa Brasilito is popular with weekending Ticos and travelers ‘in the know,’ who are drawn here for the relaxed beach scene, pleasant swimming, cheap accommodations and spectacular Pacific sunsets.
Brasilito Excursiones (2654-4237; www.brasilito.com), which operates out of Hotel Brasilito, can book horseback rides, sunset sails and two-tank dives.
Internet is available (₡1200 per hour) at Hotel Nany, but you won’t find any bank or gas station. The nearest ATM is in Playa Flamingo.
SLEEPING
The town of Brasilito consists of a few small stores and sodas, as well as some great budget and midrange accommodations. In addition to the hotels below, a number of budget cabinas have popped up along the dirt road 200m east of the bridge.
Cabinas La Gloria (2654-4878; d/tr US$40/50; ) Run by an amiable Tico named Santos, these spruced-up rooms with air-con, fridge, coffee maker, cable TV and free wi-fi are a bit upmarket but a great deal if you’re a traveling trio. It’s 200m south of the plaza.
Cabinas Ojos Azules (2654-4346; www.cabinasojosazules.com; s/d US$40/50, tr or q US$60;) The best budget option in town is a somewhat ramshackle collection of rooms featuring big, comfy beds, some with saucy mirrored headboards. Fancy doubles are upstairs, and simpler downstairs quarters fit up to eight people. All units have bathroom with hot water, and there’s a small shared kitchen. It’s 200m south of the plaza.
Hotel Brasilito (2654-4237; www.brasilito.com; r with/without air-con US$46/39; ) On the beach side of the plaza, this recommended hotel is the perfect place to slow down and chill out for a few days. The rooms are simple and clean, though you’ll scream with joy when you take a steamy shower with some serious pressure. If it’s available, splurge for the sea-view room in the front that has a private hammock-strung patio ideal for soaking up the sunset, after which you can hang out at the popular restaurant. The friendly owners speak German, English and Spanish, and will help arrange tours.
Hotel Nany (2654-4320; apartotelnany.com; d/q US$65/105; ) This is an impressive Tico-run complex complete with its own internet cafe, steakhouse, supermarket, swimming