The next leg of our Costa Rica trip started with a 5 hour overland drive from Santa Elena/Monteverde as we headed down the Nicoya Peninsula to the coastal town of Samara. Samara is on the Pacific Coast and boasts a long beach with a gentle surf. Neighboring beach towns have bigger waves and a bigger surf contingent, but Samara suited us perfectly.
Monkeys in the trees on our way into Samara
my new friend
We stayed at the Mirador de Samara which is a bit older, but offered us some space to spread out. Our hotel suite included a beautiful double terrace, kitchen, living room, bed room and spacious bathroom. We were just a few steps away from the pool which allowed me to start and end each day with a dip. The hotel is situated up the hill from the beach which made for excellent views.
Sunset view from the Hotel
Day view of the ocean from our terrace
The only down side to our hotel was the many stairs we had to climb each day after a long day in the sun.
Just some of the many steps at the Mirador de Samara
Samara is known for its low key vibes and a little bit of a hippie presence. There are a lot of young western backpackers in the area. The downtown of Samara offers a variety of restaurants and bars as well as a “Natural Center” with vegetarian foods, organic markets, spas, and other businesses.
Evidence of the bohemian presence in Samara
The Samara Natural Center
Being an early riser, I started taking morning walks on the beach before my travel companions were awake. It was lovely to enjoy the beach before the peak heat of the day and before many people were out. Many of my favorite photos from the trip were taken on those morning walks.
The tide going out in the morning
Squiggles in the sand from the crabs retreating in the morning heat.
A local fishing boat beached after the mornings catch
Shells on the beach
The beach in Samara was wonderful and very spacious. Palm trees offered much needed shade and the cove was large enough that you could spread out if you wanted. The waves were large enough to be fun but small enough to float and relax.
The view from my towel on the beach
While in Samara we mostly relaxed and enjoyed the local food and drinks. After 6 days of hiking, climbing, zip lining, canyoning and rappelling we were ready for the chill portion of our trip. However, we did manage to get up the energy to take a kayak trip down the Rio Ora to it’s ocean end point at Playa Camaronal. Playa Camaronal is an animal refuge area with focuses its preservation efforts on the sea turtle. Unfortunately we weren’t there during hatching season so we didn’t see any turtles. Nonetheless, the untouched and natural windswept beach was a lovely place to rest before kayaking back.
Kayaking down Rio Oro with the surf of Playa Camaronal in the distance
The natural and more rugged beach at Playa Camaronal
Leaving Samara was hard to do, as it signaled the beginning of the end of our vacation. But, after three days of fun in the sun, it was time to return to San Jose for one last day before our departure.
wanderific 