Costa Rica Cabina Guidebook
Surf / Seclusion
Peaceful Beach with Big Waves
Playa Avellana is the closes beach to our home. It is a well-known surf beach and boasts beautiful sunsets and has a lovely seclusion feel to it. When the tide is low and the rocks are exposed you can find tiny tide-pools filled with sea creatures. Small fish, crabs, sea snails, and much more. This beach is the perfect getaway when you want to unplug and indulge in nature as it is surround by a beautiful scenery.
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Playa Avellanas
Playa Avellana is the closes beach to our home. It is a well-known surf beach and boasts beautiful sunsets and has a lovely seclusion feel to it. When the tide is low and the rocks are exposed you can find tiny tide-pools filled with sea creatures. Small fish, crabs, sea snails, and much more. This beach is the perfect getaway when you want to unplug and indulge in nature as it is surround by a beautiful scenery.
Fun/Family Beach
Beach Activities, SUPER kid friendly waves,
Local Vendors for Gifts
Besides the beauty, Playa Tamarindo is the complete opposite of what you will find at Playa Avellana. The Beach here is HUGE and has much more activities going on.
The sand stretches as far as the eye can see and is the place to be for beginning surfers, horse-back riding, catamaran boats tours and MUCH more.
Here you can rent chairs and umbrellas, play volleyball, throw frisbees, and enjoy delicious snacks that locals walk around with.
You can also find beautiful Costa Rican hand-made gifts ranging from hand-crafted bowls, jewelry, and pottery. There are many locals who walk around selling their goods. You can always try and bargain prices and get better deals with them versus buying from one of the shops in town.
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Tamarindo
Besides the beauty, Playa Tamarindo is the complete opposite of what you will find at Playa Avellana. The Beach here is HUGE and has much more activities going on.
The sand stretches as far as the eye can see and is the place to be for beginning surfers, horse-back riding, catamaran boats tours and MUCH more.
Here you can rent chairs and umbrellas, play volleyball, throw frisbees, and enjoy delicious snacks that locals walk around with.
You can also find beautiful Costa Rican hand-made gifts ranging from hand-crafted bowls, jewelry, and pottery. There are many locals who walk around selling their goods. You can always try and bargain prices and get better deals with them versus buying from one of the shops in town.
Food scene
A list of my favorite Restaurants in Avellana's, Tamarindo and Negra.
Here you will NOT find a large selection of Restaurants, shops and stores. Avellana's is very quiet and a lot of the places do not stay open late-night and some restaurants close for slow season.
The number one spot people know/talk about is,
Lola's - A Beach Bar & Restaurant right on the beach in the sand. You can sip cocktails, lounge in hammocks and visit with their local mascot Lolita, who is a HUGE PIG! A tourist attraction that has the priciest menu items.
$$$ 11am-5pm
Now, if you want more of a local spot I HIGHLY recommend visting Gregorio's which is on the opposite side of the beach that Lola's in on and up a few meters from the actual beach itself. You can get cheap beer and a great amount of food for little to nothing. Do not expect much here, it isn't anything but a local joint. May get slow service but the woman who cooks is a local and is a master at creating delicious Casado plates. (Typical Costa Rican Dish made up of rice, beans, chicken, salad.)
$
Do you like Italian? If so, you're in luck. There happen to be two Restaurants within walking distance of each other.
Mauna Loa - Our next door neighbor to our home. Walk out of our gates and make a Left, the are the first building you will walk up on to. Yes it is Italian, with items ranging from home-made lasagna to salads, and pizza.
Cheap beer and a unique atmosphere.
$$
***As of now, I know Mauna Loa, is closed till December***
iL Rustico - Up the path from Mauna Loa, you will find another Italian Restaurant. This place is more upscale and swanky for sure. It is a perfect spot to spend a romantic night with a loved one. We love to split a bottle of wine and indulge in their Pizzas. These are kids who travled from Italy with their Grandmothers recipe book. I absolutely recommend stopping by even if its for a glass of wine and an appetizer.
$$$ 530pm-930pm
Blus - The only place we have never eaten at and I'm not sure why. You can see their location from iL Rustico just a few meters up the street. Their reviews say the food is spectacular and yet like I mentioned we've never been here. Try it out for yourselves and let us know what you think!
$$$ 530pm-?
Las Olas - One of our other close neighbors, Las Olas looks like you cannot access it because of the gate and possible guard that is on duty. But, you absolutely CAN access it. Just walk through the gate tell the guard you going to eat or walk the board walk to the beach between the mangroves. YES this is a secret spot a lot of travelers miss out on. Definitely make your way down there and see this board walk.
Now as far as the food goes its pretty good with a wide selection of items. One of the only spots open for breakfast besides Gregorio's in the area. Staff is super friendly
$$
Right behind our rental, there is a shop that you can see between the tree's from the back patio of the property. This is LITERALLY a hole in the wall place but, you can get food here breakfast, lunch, dinner, beer, and snacks. It's not a huge selection but it is something and VERY close. Not much out door seating but check it out. This is as local as it gets go say hi and hang out with the people at night, its fun and entertaining.
Closes around 9pm
142 personas locales recomiendan
Playa Avellanas
Here you will NOT find a large selection of Restaurants, shops and stores. Avellana's is very quiet and a lot of the places do not stay open late-night and some restaurants close for slow season.
The number one spot people know/talk about is,
Lola's - A Beach Bar & Restaurant right on the beach in the sand. You can sip cocktails, lounge in hammocks and visit with their local mascot Lolita, who is a HUGE PIG! A tourist attraction that has the priciest menu items.
$$$ 11am-5pm
Now, if you want more of a local spot I HIGHLY recommend visting Gregorio's which is on the opposite side of the beach that Lola's in on and up a few meters from the actual beach itself. You can get cheap beer and a great amount of food for little to nothing. Do not expect much here, it isn't anything but a local joint. May get slow service but the woman who cooks is a local and is a master at creating delicious Casado plates. (Typical Costa Rican Dish made up of rice, beans, chicken, salad.)
$
Do you like Italian? If so, you're in luck. There happen to be two Restaurants within walking distance of each other.
Mauna Loa - Our next door neighbor to our home. Walk out of our gates and make a Left, the are the first building you will walk up on to. Yes it is Italian, with items ranging from home-made lasagna to salads, and pizza.
Cheap beer and a unique atmosphere.
$$
***As of now, I know Mauna Loa, is closed till December***
iL Rustico - Up the path from Mauna Loa, you will find another Italian Restaurant. This place is more upscale and swanky for sure. It is a perfect spot to spend a romantic night with a loved one. We love to split a bottle of wine and indulge in their Pizzas. These are kids who travled from Italy with their Grandmothers recipe book. I absolutely recommend stopping by even if its for a glass of wine and an appetizer.
$$$ 530pm-930pm
Blus - The only place we have never eaten at and I'm not sure why. You can see their location from iL Rustico just a few meters up the street. Their reviews say the food is spectacular and yet like I mentioned we've never been here. Try it out for yourselves and let us know what you think!
$$$ 530pm-?
Las Olas - One of our other close neighbors, Las Olas looks like you cannot access it because of the gate and possible guard that is on duty. But, you absolutely CAN access it. Just walk through the gate tell the guard you going to eat or walk the board walk to the beach between the mangroves. YES this is a secret spot a lot of travelers miss out on. Definitely make your way down there and see this board walk.
Now as far as the food goes its pretty good with a wide selection of items. One of the only spots open for breakfast besides Gregorio's in the area. Staff is super friendly
$$
Right behind our rental, there is a shop that you can see between the tree's from the back patio of the property. This is LITERALLY a hole in the wall place but, you can get food here breakfast, lunch, dinner, beer, and snacks. It's not a huge selection but it is something and VERY close. Not much out door seating but check it out. This is as local as it gets go say hi and hang out with the people at night, its fun and entertaining.
Closes around 9pm
Oh where to begin in Tamarindo for food!
I want you to know how special Tama is for food and the people there cooking it. The scene here is a melting pot of cultures and everyone serves up something special
Here are some rules for eating in Tama:
Rule one, not always do the fancy looking places have the best food. I've actually have experienced some of the worst food at the nicer looking joints.
Rule two, walk around and REALLY take it all in. There are places on the main street, up alley streets, on the beach side, off the beach, up the main dirt road and along every path way.
Rule three, deep breaths you will absolutely find a place that suits you.
My Absolute Go-To Spots
1. Longboards - My main spot, because of the BBQ food, sauce and people. Specials run every day, MUST try the BBQ sandwhich or burger here with fries and a beer for $9.
2. Breakfast Grinds - Such a lovely spot to drink coffee and look out at the AM surfers on the beach. Enjoy delicious breakfast sandwiches or fresh fruit plates here.
3. Bar Jolly Roger - Same location as Breakfast Grinds, but not open till 2pm. Live music at night and a must GO for wings on Wednesday they have 25 sauce selections and the deal is 12 wings for $7.50 and $2 Imperials. Im telling you, I've never had wings as amazing as this place. Give the Cauliflower "wings" a try too.
4. La Princessa - Oh this cute little spot is run by the kindest lady, Cheap delicious coffee and fresh baked made pastries of all kinds. Cinnamon rolls, Bagels, Breads, and so much more. This is located in the food court by WildPanda and LongBoards
5. Little Lucha - Taco joint near "Breaking Bread" $3 tacos that pack a punch of flavor. I can easily eat 3-6 tacos here and you cannot beat the prices. Check out their VW Bus they converted into a little bar.
6. People's - An Italian spot right on main street past "The Diria Hotel" on your left. You can sit right on the beach and listen to the waves smash against the shore while enjoying Lunch or Dinner here. I recommend it for Dinner one night, it is a very special spot. Great for families, friends or couples and VERY reasonably priced for the atmosphere and food.
7. Patagonia - Never eaten here but its ALWAYS packed. I've heard it is absolutely fantastic. Not a lot of seating so it is hard to get large parties in.
Volcano / Al Vaquero - The two most noticeable spots when you drive into Tamarindo on your right side. Here you can get beer from the brewery and they have a pretty killer happy hour deal. You can sit beach side and enjoy food on the patio or out on the picnic tables in the sand. Live music on certain nights. The nachos "as big as your ass" are fantastic!
Sharky's - Your typical American Sports bar. There are Specials every night of the week including ladies nights, karaoke night, college nights and Beer Pong Tournaments on Sunday.
El Mercadito - Food Court Area behind Patagonia Restaurant
1. Lush
2. Pop's
3.
336 personas locales recomiendan
Tamarindo
Oh where to begin in Tamarindo for food!
I want you to know how special Tama is for food and the people there cooking it. The scene here is a melting pot of cultures and everyone serves up something special
Here are some rules for eating in Tama:
Rule one, not always do the fancy looking places have the best food. I've actually have experienced some of the worst food at the nicer looking joints.
Rule two, walk around and REALLY take it all in. There are places on the main street, up alley streets, on the beach side, off the beach, up the main dirt road and along every path way.
Rule three, deep breaths you will absolutely find a place that suits you.
My Absolute Go-To Spots
1. Longboards - My main spot, because of the BBQ food, sauce and people. Specials run every day, MUST try the BBQ sandwhich or burger here with fries and a beer for $9.
2. Breakfast Grinds - Such a lovely spot to drink coffee and look out at the AM surfers on the beach. Enjoy delicious breakfast sandwiches or fresh fruit plates here.
3. Bar Jolly Roger - Same location as Breakfast Grinds, but not open till 2pm. Live music at night and a must GO for wings on Wednesday they have 25 sauce selections and the deal is 12 wings for $7.50 and $2 Imperials. Im telling you, I've never had wings as amazing as this place. Give the Cauliflower "wings" a try too.
4. La Princessa - Oh this cute little spot is run by the kindest lady, Cheap delicious coffee and fresh baked made pastries of all kinds. Cinnamon rolls, Bagels, Breads, and so much more. This is located in the food court by WildPanda and LongBoards
5. Little Lucha - Taco joint near "Breaking Bread" $3 tacos that pack a punch of flavor. I can easily eat 3-6 tacos here and you cannot beat the prices. Check out their VW Bus they converted into a little bar.
6. People's - An Italian spot right on main street past "The Diria Hotel" on your left. You can sit right on the beach and listen to the waves smash against the shore while enjoying Lunch or Dinner here. I recommend it for Dinner one night, it is a very special spot. Great for families, friends or couples and VERY reasonably priced for the atmosphere and food.
7. Patagonia - Never eaten here but its ALWAYS packed. I've heard it is absolutely fantastic. Not a lot of seating so it is hard to get large parties in.
Volcano / Al Vaquero - The two most noticeable spots when you drive into Tamarindo on your right side. Here you can get beer from the brewery and they have a pretty killer happy hour deal. You can sit beach side and enjoy food on the patio or out on the picnic tables in the sand. Live music on certain nights. The nachos "as big as your ass" are fantastic!
Sharky's - Your typical American Sports bar. There are Specials every night of the week including ladies nights, karaoke night, college nights and Beer Pong Tournaments on Sunday.
El Mercadito - Food Court Area behind Patagonia Restaurant
1. Lush
2. Pop's
3.
Grocery Stores
Villareal is an amazing local town stop at one of the many bars and hang with some of the locals if you get a chance.
Super Economico - Calle Principal, Provincia de Guanacaste, Villareal, Costa Rica
On your right coming from Liberia or Tamarindo
On your left coming from the Cabina
- Cheap prices and has everything you will need aside from fruit, produce and meats.
Maxi Pali Tamarindo - Avenida de los Almendrales, Provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica
- This store is almost exactly like Wal-Mart. They even carry similar brands. I recommend shopping here first for all your needs. This will be what you recognize coming into town on your left side. Just pass the fork in the road
The big Fruit and Vegetable Market in Vilareal
Frutas y Verduras - shop here for all your veggies and fruits they have a great selection of items and very reasonable prices. You wont need an address for this, because you cannot miss it.
Villareal
Villareal is an amazing local town stop at one of the many bars and hang with some of the locals if you get a chance.
Super Economico - Calle Principal, Provincia de Guanacaste, Villareal, Costa Rica
On your right coming from Liberia or Tamarindo
On your left coming from the Cabina
- Cheap prices and has everything you will need aside from fruit, produce and meats.
Maxi Pali Tamarindo - Avenida de los Almendrales, Provincia de Guanacaste, Costa Rica
- This store is almost exactly like Wal-Mart. They even carry similar brands. I recommend shopping here first for all your needs. This will be what you recognize coming into town on your left side. Just pass the fork in the road
The big Fruit and Vegetable Market in Vilareal
Frutas y Verduras - shop here for all your veggies and fruits they have a great selection of items and very reasonable prices. You wont need an address for this, because you cannot miss it.
There are a few places in Tamarindo to do some shopping, here are a few of our favorite spots we like. We try to shop as local as possible and will always visit Vilareal stores first before visiting the "bigger" stores.
The Best of the Best is
Auto Mercado - This store is heaven. It reminds me of our nice grocery stores back home. It has A/C and it almost feels like you've traveled to another place until you start looking at price tags and cant make heads or tails. Anyways, back to the grocery side of things. At Auto Mercardo you will pay a little more for the amenities here. However, the products the offer are top knotch.
I highly recommend stopping through their bakery section and snagging some fresh baguettes (roughly $1 each) for dinner or some pastries for snacking. You wont regret checking it out. They also have alcohol here, a bit pricey for bottles. You can get bottles of alcohol cheaper at Super Economico over in Vilareal. However, this grocery store can be your one stop shop if need be.
Las Palmeras - On the main road in Tamarindo before "The Diria" hotel. This is more of a convience store. This is a great place to restock on beer/liquor and ice if you're at the beach in Tama all afternoon. There is snacks and other cold drink items here.
Vindi - On the other side of Tamarindo up the dirt road past Longboards/Sharky's
A mini version of Auto Mercardo, same selection of items and pricey.
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Tamarindo
There are a few places in Tamarindo to do some shopping, here are a few of our favorite spots we like. We try to shop as local as possible and will always visit Vilareal stores first before visiting the "bigger" stores.
The Best of the Best is
Auto Mercado - This store is heaven. It reminds me of our nice grocery stores back home. It has A/C and it almost feels like you've traveled to another place until you start looking at price tags and cant make heads or tails. Anyways, back to the grocery side of things. At Auto Mercardo you will pay a little more for the amenities here. However, the products the offer are top knotch.
I highly recommend stopping through their bakery section and snagging some fresh baguettes (roughly $1 each) for dinner or some pastries for snacking. You wont regret checking it out. They also have alcohol here, a bit pricey for bottles. You can get bottles of alcohol cheaper at Super Economico over in Vilareal. However, this grocery store can be your one stop shop if need be.
Las Palmeras - On the main road in Tamarindo before "The Diria" hotel. This is more of a convience store. This is a great place to restock on beer/liquor and ice if you're at the beach in Tama all afternoon. There is snacks and other cold drink items here.
Vindi - On the other side of Tamarindo up the dirt road past Longboards/Sharky's
A mini version of Auto Mercardo, same selection of items and pricey.
Welcome to our little town of Pinilla. Watch for the dogs that roam they like to act like stop lights in the middle of the road.
This is the town closes to the Cabina and does have a little store in case you may have forgotten something or have ran out of beer or coffee.
The name of the store is "Minisuper y Licorera Jose Pablo" and is open from 6am-8pm
Pinilla
Welcome to our little town of Pinilla. Watch for the dogs that roam they like to act like stop lights in the middle of the road.
This is the town closes to the Cabina and does have a little store in case you may have forgotten something or have ran out of beer or coffee.
The name of the store is "Minisuper y Licorera Jose Pablo" and is open from 6am-8pm