Last January, I visited Costa Rica for the third time and (quite lazily) did the exact same trip along the Pacific Coast as the two years before, except for some small variations.

One of those variations was that I didn’t stay in Jaco, but in Playa Hermosa, to be right in front of the famous break in Central Costa Rica. The hotel I stayed in was good, the view even better. It’s entirely geared towards surfers, being right on the beach and all. From what I can remember, the food in the hotel was good, except for the fact that can’t get a beer along with your food (they don’t have a permit to serve alcohol). That’s not a big deal though, because you can get a beer to take away right next door.

Cabinas Las Arenas is excellent if you’re on a low budget tour, it was only $20 for a room I believe. I didn’t exactly choose the hotel because of its low daily rates, but simply because it still had availability. I was glad however to have stayed there for a few days. Just enough to get a couple of good wipeouts at Hermosa but also to have a couple of decent rides there.

Pros:

• Excellent view of the beach (no need to get out of your hammock on your own private balcony if the waves aren’t good enough)
• Surfer-friendly crowd
• Cheap

Cons:

• No alcohol being served in the restaurant
• No air-conditioning (this might be a con for you, I usually don’t mind that much, as long as there’s a ceiling fan).