Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [255]
Bar.Co Nico (2655-1205; www.barco-nico.com; bocas ₡900-1600, mains ₡2500-7500; 10am-late; ) A few kilometers past the village on the turnoff for Costa de Oro, this German-run beachfront restaurant (which looks like a giant ship) has reinstated the old Tico tradition of giving away a free boca with every beer. The beer is cold and the bocas (appetizers) are delicious – what are you waiting for? There’s also free wi-fi, and Nico now rents a few simple cabinas.
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Getting There & Away
BUS
Empresa Arza (2650-0179) has two daily buses from San José that cross the Golfo de Nicoya on the Puntarenas ferry and continue through Jicaral to San Francisco de Coyote, and on to Playas San Miguel and Bejuco. Buses depart San José at 6am and 3:30pm, pass through San Francisco de Coyote at about 11:30am and 10pm, and arrive at Playa San Miguel at noon and 10:30pm. Return buses leave Bejuco at 2:15am and 12:30pm, pass through Playa San Miguel at around 3am and 1:15pm, and San Francisco de Coyote at 3:30am and 1:45pm. This service is sketchy in the rainy season and the trip may take longer if road conditions are bad.
There aren’t any other bus services frequenting this area from Nicoya – or from any other of the peninsula towns, for that matter.
In addition, there is no bus service (because there is barely an actual road) along the coast between Playa Coyote and Mal País.
CAR
Click here for information about heading north along the coast from here. Also see boxed text, for details on how you could possibly travel further south along the coast.
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SOUTHEASTERN PENINSULA
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At the very southern tip of the Península de Nicoya lies the first and one of the most pristine natural reserves in Costa Rica – and there’s a reason it has remained so untouched. An arduous drive down the rugged southeastern coastal route crosses several rivers through the thick rainforest before dropping back down toward the beach at Mal País, just north of the reserve. From the other side, it used to require hours of dusty bus rides and sluggish ferries from the mainland to access this tropical land’s end, but these days more roads in the region are slowly being paved and regular shuttles are dropping tourists right into Mal País and Montezuma, making Cabo Blanco a day trip from either burgeoning base.
Word has spread about the miles of surf breaks in Mal País and the chilled vibe of hippie outpost Montezuma – and transportation options have sprung up to meet the demands of surfers and wanderers steadily streaming in to the southeastern peninsula. Growth is somewhat limited by geography in Montezuma and the pulse there beats at the same relaxed pace, but Mal País is pumping. The beauty and wildness on either side of the peninsula can hold you under its thrall, so give yourself the luxury of time here.
As in the rest of the peninsula, Ticos in this region primarily live rural lives centered on agriculture and ranching, though the recent influx of travelers has created a number of jobs in the tourism market.
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PLAYA NARANJO
This tiny village next to the ferry terminal is nothing more than a few sodas and small hotels that cater to travelers either waiting for the ferry or arriving from Puntarenas. There really isn’t any reason to hang around, and thankfully you probably won’t have to, as the ferries tend to run reasonably on time.
If you get stuck