Making the most of Playas del Coco
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Playa Del Coco, one of the oldest fishing towns in Guanacaste, is now a lively beach, with many fun activities.
A brand new cruise dock is planned. There is a water taxi service between key tourist towns like Coco, Tamarindo, Flamingo, Hermosa and Papagayo.
Passengers get to spend the day in town, souvenir shopping, adventure tours,or just relaxing in a restaurant while admiring the colorful scenery while sipping a fruit cocktail or any delicious local drink.
Playas del Coco is affectionately called "El Coco" by the locals or "Coco Beach" by Canadians, Americans and Europeans.
Getting around
Excursions offered: A float trip on the Corobici River or a zip line experience through the rainforest canopy. Or you could take a zodiac in for a landing at a beach with a village a 5-minute walk away, or snorkel at the Playa Ocotal black sand beach with its many coves and clear water.
Many places will rent sea kayaks, which are perfect for exploring the rocky headlands to the north and south of the beach as well as the nearby beaches. You will find no shortage of tour companies around town that can book these and many other activities.
If you plan to travel outside the towns: protection against mosquito bites is very important, wearing lightweight long pants, long sleeved shirts and using insect repellents with high concentrations of DEET is recommended by the CDC
Nearby places
Costa Rica is Spanish for rich coast. As such, one can expect to find this place to be the ideal tropical paradise. A native song is that the Virgin Mary came down to Costa Rica and never went back to Heaven.
Costa Rica is often called the Switzerland of Central America.
There is such biodiversity in Costa Rica not only because it's a land bridge between North and South America, but also because the terrain is so varied and there are weather patterns moving in from both the Pacific and Atlantic/Caribbean. There are impressive volcanoes, mountain areas, rivers, lakes, and beaches all throughout the country. There are many beautiful beaches - most of the popular ones are on the Pacific side but the Caribbean has many excellent beaches as well.
Money
The local currency is Colón(es). The rate of exchange is about 575 Colones for 1 US Dollar. You can find ATMs in most places. They normally dispense US Dollars and Colones. Traveler's checks are rarely used.
Staying connected
Spanish is the main language in Costa Rica. English is used widely in areas populated by international tourists.
The emergency number in Costa Rica is 911
Cafes which offer free WiFi for customers are fairly easy to find in tourist areas.
Opening Hours and
Shopping hours Mon-Sat 0900-1800/1900. There may be variations between areas.
Costa Rica is a Catholic country and it's holidays are mostly church-related. Most businesses, including banks, close on official holidays. The country closes down entirely during the biggest holiday time, Easter Holy Week, but only during Holy Thursday, Friday and Saturday, by Holy Sunday, some services might be available, but don't count on it in remote parts of the country.
Most Ticos now take the whole Christmas holiday week through New Year as an unofficial