Garie Beach

Costa Rica... best beach/jungle combo?

I am heading down to Costa Rica in May for 10 days. The last 2 times I went were spent on the Osa Peninsula. Those trips were mostly spent hiking and looking for snakes, which was a blast. This time I am taking my boyfriend (who is not a herper). He is excited just to be on the beach, and visit a different country for the first time. I want to make it special for him! I am wondering if anyone knows of the perfect place to bring him. It must be on the coast, have beautiful beaches (preferably with the jungle right behind it- for me!) I know he said he prefers white sand beaches, but it doesn't matter. I would also prefer a quiet place that's not swarming with tourists, especially families, because it is to be a nice romantic vacation. Any help would be appreciated! I have tried to do my research, but I haven't really found anything too useful! Any recommended lodges would be a plus too. (I don't want to stay in a "holiday inn" type hotel, but he requires hot water ;) Lol... hot water in the showers in the lodge. ;) Looks like Puerto Viejo it is! So far I found a great lodge called Banana Azul.

Public Comments

1. Just down from puerto viejo a very short bus ride is a place called manzanilla. It is a very very small town on a beach. The last right as your getting into town is like a sand road. After you walk down that it you have to turn left, then take the first right. Its an extremely small place so people could point you to the few hotels. But right there behind a small white resturant is some modern type rooms that are done up fairly panamanian. Rooms are various sizes, the smallest being twenty bucks a night. They have hot showers. Right on the beach on the second story is the best resturant ive ever eaten at in my life, my mom said it was five stars but i dont keep up on those sort of statistics. Its probably the only place worth eating in the whole town. The area is quiet at night and its has beautiful beaches and swimming. For tours and jungle hikes head back into puerto viejo, also some ok resturants there too, and all the regular touristy stuff.
2. If you are looking for a jungle, the best place to go is to spend at least a weenend in Tortuguero on the atlantic side, it is the like a scene from the African queen, whith lots of canals and wildlife. Mawamba Lodge and Laguna Lodge are the best places to stay there, Tell them Gregory and Vincent Kearney recomended them. Lic.Gregory Kearney Lawson.
3. amazonian... hot water? on the beach? anywho, need to go to puerto viejo limon or montezuma-mal pais in puntarenas...