Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [220]
Conchal Hotel (2654-9125; www.conchalcr.com; d incl breakfast US$85; ) Rooms at this recommended hotel are simply stunning – whitewashed walls are offset by exposed wooden beams, ceramic tiling and elegant bathroom. London native Simon, the owner, and his staff make every effort to make your holiday comfortable and memorable. And like with any self-respecting British hotelier, you’ll also find great curries at the onsite Papaya restaurant (mains ₡2200 to ₡9900).
EATING & DRINKING
Soda Brasilito (8812-0252; mains ₡1300-10,000; 7am-8pm) This little green shack on the main plaza attracts locals and tourists alike who swear this is the best place in town for genuine Tico cuisine including beef, chicken and fish dishes.
La Casita de Pescado (2654-5171; mains ₡1800-9800; 9am-9pm) Located directly on the beach, this little Tico-owned eatery has cheap yet delicious seafood dishes including octopus, shrimp, fish and squid dishes.
La Guinguette (mains ₡2000-9000; lunch & dinner) He’s Tico. She’s French. And when Yohann and Geraldine combined their talents, the result was this fabulously imaginative fusion restaurant that’s part Costa Rican soda, part French gastropub and 100% pure passion. You’ll find a few meat dishes on the daily changing menu, but the house specialty is fresh seafood, caught that morning just meters away. We sampled a wonderful filet of loro (parrot fish) in a vanilla sauce, one of many sauces on offer including lobster and curry. ‘I’m French, so of course I love sauce,’ says Geraldine. Between them and their Romanian waiter Andrei, the staff speak English, Spanish, French, Romanian and Portuguese. The simple open-air restaurant is located on the main plaza, 50m from the beach.
Outback Jack’s Roadkill Café (2654-3465; mains ₡2700-9000; 6am-11pm) A good spot for a beer, this open-air restaurant-bar attached to Hotel Brasilito looks out on the beach. Though its Ozzie-themed decor would have you believe otherwise, the cuisine is more about international basics with a Tico accent.
Il Forno Restaurant (2654-4125; mains ₡2800-12,900; lunch & dinner;) This recommended Italian restaurant is in a romantic garden, and has such delightful menu items as thin-crust pizza, homemade pastas and risottos, and enough fresh eggplant dishes to keep vegetarians happy and healthy.
Happy Snapper (2645-4413; mains ₡3500-10,300; 8am-noon; ) Got kids? Bring the whole family down to this thatched-roofed, friendly seafood restaurant with a swimming pool (free for customers), plus TVs and a huge grassy lounge area.
Indira Bar (2654-4028; noon-late) That crumbling puke-green cement structure on the beach is NOT an abandoned building. This local hole-in-the-wall (literally) has no food, no atmosphere, no decor – just cheap beer and loud music.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Buses to and from Playa Flamingo travel through Brasilito; Click here for details. There is a bus ticket office at the north end of Brasilito – look for the blue house with the ‘Tralapa Agencia’ sign.
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Playa Conchal
Just 1km south of Brasilito is Playa Conchal, which is widely regarded as the most beautiful beach in all of Costa Rica. The name comes from the billions of conchas (shells) that wash up on the beach, which are gradually crushed into coarse sand. The ocean water is an intense turquoise blue, which is indeed a rarity on the Pacific coast. If you have snorkeling gear, this is the place to bust it out.
On weekends, the beach is often packed with locals and tourists, plus countless vendors hawking everything from cold beer and barbecued snacks to beach chair and snorkel gear rentals, horseback rides and Jet Skis. But on weekdays, especially during low season, Playa Conchal is pure paradise.
The easiest way to reach Conchal is to simply walk 15 minutes down the beach from Playa Brasilito. You can also drive along the sandy beach