Playa Grande is (somewhat) worth the walk

  Montezuma, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The coast of the Nicoya Penninsula has some incredible beaches, but the one that gets the most press is the Playa Grande (Big Beach). Additionally, there's a waterfall past the beach that flows directly into the ocean instead of a river. So, despite a local map saying it was a 2 hour walk to the cascade, we set out for it. After about an hour's walk, we got to the end of Playa Grande and still didn't see a waterfall so we stopped and went swimming.

Just a synopsis of the walk...
It's 80+ degrees, the sun is beating directly on you, the sand on the beach retains the heat and burns your feet, there is a path, so if you decide to go, stick to it...we didn't and regreted it.
Much of Costa Rica was formed by volcanos and there are volcanic outcroppings along the way.

Volcanic Outcropping

It looks like you can follow the outcroppings, but looks are deceiving. Several times we were climbing down the sides of these things as sweat was dripping in our eyes and our feet were slipping in our shoes.

Sticking to the path is somewhat better, but you still have to walk along the sand and the rocks get in your shoes or Teva's or what have you so you're constantly shaking them out. However, the upside is that the soles or our feet are now baby smooth from the dermabrasion.

Now...Playa Grande:
It is a very long, flat beautiful beach. The waves and body surfing is amazing and the water is warm, but not too warm. There's hardly anyone on the beach with you, so there's lots of privacy and if you're into an all-over tan, no one will say a word to you. While we were in the water, we actually saw Rays swimming beside us hunting for food, and one of the coolest images I've ever seen was three Rays, side by side, riding a wave in...amazing.
You'll spend a good part of your time in the water because it does get hot on the beach. Then, you have to head back. Now you are hot and probably hungry and thirsty AND you have a one hour hike ahead of you. So if you do decide to go to Playa Grande go prepared with food and water and leave early. There is an eco-park on the way to Playa Grande which is a nice pitstop:

Entrance to Park

An "iguana"

If you're into Geology, the Nicoya Pennisula is pretty impressive. There's the igneous volcanic out croppings and as you walk along the beach you can see the metamorphic sills and dikes caused by earthquakes. My college geology professor would be so happy.

Land Formation

There is a Website that talks about how Playa Grande is haunted and people have passed out from fear when they were on the beach at night. The site goes on to say that you cannot camp on the beach at night but you can walk it. First, some locals have told us they have never heard such a thing before. Secondly, after having done the walk, you wouldn't want to walk back in the pitch dark with a flashlight, it's a little dangerous. So, I don't believe in the haunted beach myself, but if someone can tell me about their first hand experience with the celestial beings of Playa Grande, I'll be happy to update this.


For lunch we went to Sano Banano. They have a nice patio out back and a great menu. I had a Mahi Mahi Sandwich that was excellent and our server had a great personality. BTW, tipping is more rounding up the bill, but we've been doing about 10%. Also, there is a 10% tax on all restaurant food. ****Just a word about Sano Banano and another place, Ylang Ylang. As one local put it, they talk the talk, but they don't walk the walk. Montezuma is a very ecological place; in fact, Costa Rica as a country is striving for a Zero Carbon Footprint, with Yoga studios and organic restaurants, etc. The people that own these two places seem to have put the right amount of money in the right hands. For example, there is a law that you are not to build closer than 200 meters from the hide tide mark, but Ylang Ylang is well within that 200 meters. Additionally, there are no roads to Ylang Ylang and they drive trucks across the beach, weaving around the bathers, to shuttle their guests...supposedly another violation, but they do so without problem. After hearing that, we would not go back to Sano Banano; let your conscience guide you.

The ATM is still out of service.