The best beach towns of Costa Rica
Manuel Antonio
Esterillos and Villa Paraiso is the best place to stay when visiting Manuel Antonio. World famous Manuel Antonio is the best National Park in Costa Rica and is highly recommended. Therefore, it is very popular with many tourists. Although Manuel Antonio is a fantastic place to visit, Esterillos and Villa Paraiso is the best place to stay. Villa Paraiso is 45 minutes before Manuel Antonio and is centrally located and closer to the other destinations you will want to visit. Manuel Antonio is a small park so you can see almost everything in a day. It is recommended to hire a certified guide as they carry spotting scopes, know how to find animals, and are very knowledgeable. you are guaranteed to see multiple types of monkeys, some up very close. And if you are lucky, you can see more rare animals like the sloth.
Surrounding Towns
The towns of Esterillos and its close neighbors remain quiet little gems along the popular South Pacific Coast. While they have maintained their peaceful and Tico charms, they are able to provide all your basic needs at the local grocery stores with ATMs and restaurants. Some of the best restaurants in the larger area are right here in Esterillos. The best restaurant this side of CR is in the small town of Esterillos Oeste and called Los Almendros. Esterillos is not a tourist trap, so the beaches remain pristine and barely used. If you’re looking for a little more action or some lively nightlife, the bustling tourist town of Jaco is just 20 minutes north where you can find almost anything you might need or want. The streets of Jaco are lined with cute shops and restaurants, and you can find things like banks, health centers, pharmacies, a post office, and larger grocery stores. The closest large grocery store is in Parrita, 15 min south. Because it is not a tourist town, its stores cater more to the local Ticos but will have the same amenities of banks, pharmacies, etc.
Beaches
Beaches are the main reason people visit Costa Rica and Esterillos has some of the best! Esterillos is one of the closest tranquil beaches to the San Jose International Airport. The pristine, vast and typically uncrowded beaches of Esterillos are right down the street. A quick (less than 5 min) drive will put you on the beach of Esterillos Este. If you get there early, you may be lucky enough to find sand dollars and unique shells! In Sept and Oct you may even spot a whale in the distance. During turtle mating season, you will occasionally see turtle tracks that lead to their nests. If you are in Esterillos Oeste and go by the surf shop you may want to ask Gorge if there are any hatches coming up. (he runs the turtle rescue) The baby turtles are amazing to watch as they journey down the beach to their new homes in the ocean. Esterillos is a surfer's beach. You will see world class surfers at this beach. The waves are very fun to play in but can be dangerous. If you would like to relax in calm waters you can go to Esterillos Oeste, near the mermaid statue. Here there are tide pools with calm warmer water. The best time and place to watch the surfers is when high tide is just before sunset at the Esterillos Oeste beach. Watching surfers at sunset is amazing and not something you will soon forget.
Activities
Centrally located, Villa Paraiso is surrounded by destinations you will want to visit and activities you will want to do. Top if the list is Manuel Antonio - read more here. Then Isla Tortuga with its white sand beaches and snorkeling. And you can't forget horseback riding down the pristine beaches of Esterillos Este. The stable is right down the street from Villa Paraiso. Other favorites include Rainmaker and mangrove boat tours outside of Parrita. For souvenir shopping there are Jaco's shops and Dominical's street market along the beach. Dominical also has one of the most impressive waterfalls. If you are looking for more guided tours and activities the tourist town of Jaco has many tour companies that offer everything from ziplines to ATV tours.
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It's all about the towns and the people
Best family vacation ever! We will be back next year.... and the next year....
- Mike Simms
We loved the Villa and the towns were wonderful. One of the best places in CR.
- Juan Garcia
Count us in for next year!