On day two of our “Playa/Beach Tour” of western Costa Rica we started with Playa Samara.
However, in order to get to Playa Samara from Playa Tamarindo (where we are based) we had to take on a two hour trek. This included going through Santa Cruz and Nicoya. We heard that Nicoya is one of the most pleasant cities in the area. With its bright buildings and bustling streets all contribute to the welcoming atmosphere. Translation, the roads are tight, the streets are busy and you won’t get from one side of the city to the other without going more then 5 km an hour. Maybe on foot the city has something to offer, but in a car it just gives me a headache. Not to mention that the first thing you see when arriving into Nicoya (from hey 21) is a Burger King, you know its not pleasant city you were expecting.
One good thing about the trip through Nicoya is that the route was direct and no chances of getting lost were given. Now we are only 35 kms away from our destination – Playa Samara (all on paved roads).
Arriving in Playa Samara we immediately felt like we were in a pleasant town. It felt safe, quiet, relaxing, and lots of opportunity to explore the various shops along the main street. It was as expected busy with vacationing Tico and foreign families. We found a parking spot and had no problem finding our way to the beach!
The beach was absolutely beautiful. We arrived at low tide so there was a lot of sand between the town and the foot of the water.
The beach itself was surprisingly not overly busy. There were a number of individuals resting in the shade of the palm trees lining the beach area… some even had a hammock strung up.
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