I always say that the times in my life when I’ve been the happiest are the times when I’ve seen, like, a sunset.
-Chris Evans
Playa Samara, Costa Rica
We arrived to Playa Samara on the Costa Rican public bus, which goes through rivers and woods, and which also serves as a shipping service for washing machines (from my experience). The public bus in Costa Rica is a story within itself.
Playa Samara was my favorite beach we visited on our Costa Rican trip (Nosara, Gijones, and Carrillo were also visited). The sunsets had to be one of the most colorful displays I have seen in the sky. The sun is always more spectacular when setting on the west coast.
We stayed at Las Brisas del Pacifico, where we received our own cute cabin and a full complimentary american breakfast everyday for a very reasonable price. They also have a pool and the hotel is right on the beach!
Las Brisas del Pacifico
The first stop was the bar of course for a quick Pina Colada. The bartender spoke perfect English and informed us that he actually went to college in New York. Side note: I met a surprising amount of Americans living in Costa Rica, which made me wonder why I am still living in America.
We then went on to explore the beach and came across…
One of my favorite parts about Playa Samara how remote it is. It isn’t crowded and commercialized like beaches in the US. I also loved the subtle nightlife/restaurant scene. The are small restaurants and bars lining the beach that are lit up at night. You can stop by during sunset for dinner or stroll on the beach from your hotel to the bar, being guided by the moonlight.
After stopping for a drink to take in the views, we headed to a pizza restaurant, Ma Ma Gui. The pizza here is excellent if you are a sucker for thin crust. They also have chess and checkers to play while you have a beer.
The second day in Samara we decided to rent a Kayak and paddle to the nearby island (easier said than done). You need to paddle into the waves which are crashing into the shore and make sure to avoid the coral reef surrounding the island (explained by a man drawing you a map in the sand of where and where not to paddle). If you decide to rent a two person kayak with your boyfriend, it is one hell of a relationship tester.
You can also rent snorkel gear and bring it with you to the island. The coral here isn’t that impressive, but there are some really neat fish. It is also fun to snorkel and kayak around freely without a guide.
Snorkel gear, not my best look.
After snorkeling, we headed back to the mainland (only flipping our kayak once). The man that we rented the kayak and snorkel gear from was kind enough to let us taste some of the tuna he caught in the ocean that day.
At night we stopped by Bar Aribba where we ordered this delicious plate of paella:
On the third day, we took a day trip to Playa Carrillo.
Where was the prettiest sunset you’ve ever seen?
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