Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [234]
Lola’s on the Beach (2652-9097; meals ₡5500-11,000; lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) Lola’s is the place to hang out, in low-slung plank chairs on a palm-fringed stretch of Avellanas sand, if the water is looking a bit glassy. Try the amazing poke (Hawaiian raw-fish salad) or green papaya salad with a beer.
PLAYA NEGRA
In Playa Negra there is a variety of surfer-oriented places.
Kontiki (2652-9117; www.kontikiplayanegra.com; dm US$10; ) Along the road from Avellanas, this low-key Peruvian-run place has a rambling collection of tree-house dorms on stilts that are frequented by both surfers and howlers. In the middle of it all is a rickety pavilion where guests hang out in hammocks and benches. There’s a small restaurant serving up traditional Peruvian dishes.
Aloha Amigos (2652-9023; r with/without bathroom from US$25/15; ) Friendly, self-described ‘haole from Hawaii’ Jerry and his son Joey keep basic, screened cabinas with shared cold-water bathroom and more expensive doubles with private hot-water bathroom. There’s a spacious shared kitchen in the center of the grassy grounds, and the atmosphere is about as chilled as it gets.
Café Playa Negra (2652-9351; www.playanegracafe.com; s/d/tr/q US$25/40/55/70, with air-con US$37/52/67/82, all incl breakfast; 7am-9pm; ) This small hotel has a handful of sparkling-clean rooms upstairs from the cafe at street level. Ranging in size to accommodate pairs or small groups, these stylish, minimalist digs have cool, polished concrete floors, elevated beds neatly covered with colorful bedspreads and open-door bathroom. The shared deck facing the road has lounge sofas and big pillows, and amenities include laundry service, internet access and a free continental breakfast with homemade baguettes – a superb deal for these prices. The cafe serves Tico-Peruvian food (mains ₡4500 to ₡6000).
Mono Congo Surf Lodge (2652-9261; www.monocongolodge.com; r/ste from US$60/95; ) This large, open-air, Polynesian-style tree-house lodge is surrounded by howler-filled trees and is the pinnacle of tropical luxury in Playa Negra. High-ceilinged, polished-wood rooms are exquisite, and private bathrooms have hot water and Spanish tiles. A patio has hammocks, and a star-watching deck on the roof provides 360-degree views of the area.
Hotel Playa Negra (2652-9134; www.playanegra.com; s/d/tr/q US$81/93/105/116; ) This charming hotel, right on the beach at Playa Negra’s reef break, is a collection of 10 spacious, circular bungalows with thatched roofs, bright tropical colors and traditional indigenous-style tapestries and linens. Each cabin has a queen-sized bed, two single beds, and a bathroom with hot water and roomy showers. There’s also a thatched-roof international restaurant (mains ₡2700 to ₡7000) and a surf shop with internet access (₡1600 per hour).
Pablo Picasso (2652-9158; mains ₡1250-4000; 6am-9pm; ) ‘Burgers as big as your head’ is the house specialty at this US-owned restaurant. Other Yank comfort items include whale-sized fish tacos and Philly cheesesteak subs. Too full to move? There are six simple cabinas for rent (double with/without air-con US$45/30).
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Getting There & Away
The new daily bus to Playa Avellanas departs Santa Cruz’s Terminal Diria at 11:30am and 6pm (₡800, 1½ hours), passing by most of the above businesses. Buses to Santa Cruz depart at 5:30am and 1:30pm. Note that there are no afternoon buses on Sundays.
The daily bus to Playa Negra leaves Santa Cruz at 8am; the bus for Santa Cruz departs at 1:30pm from the V on the main road (₡800, 1½ hours).
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PLAYA JUNQUILLAL
It’s hard to pronounce and almost as difficult to find. Junquillal (say ‘hoon-kee-yal’) is a 2km-wide gray-sand wilderness beach that’s absolutely