• Surfing. For surf lessons and rentals, we recommend Marcos and Mariana at You Are Costa Rica located on the main road about 70 meters from the beach. They are great! http://www.youarecostarica.com 
• Onda. This is a hotel and restaurant on the main road on the way to the beach.  They have fun events like trivia on Thursday nights, Sunday Funday BBQ with Jake, and Sushi night on Monday night. https://stayonda.com/our-locations/playa-grande/ 
• El Beachclub Night Market.  Every Wednesday the market is expanded to include live music and a variety of vendors. Highly recommend. 
• Las Olas Brewery in their new location, check out https://www.facebook.com/lasolasbrewing
• Estuary Tour. You will see an abundance of wildlife if you take a tour up the estuary that separates Playa Grande from Tamarindo. You will go through a mangrove forest that has many bird species, monkeys, iguanas, crabs, crocodiles, and more. You can take an “unorganized tour” by going to the end of the beach in Playa Grande Estates and simply asking one of the boat operators for a tour or you can take an organized tour through http://www.youarecostarica.com or https://www.playagrandeshuttleandtours.com 
• The Store. Nearly every Friday night , there is live music at one of the restaurants in the building containg The Store (formerly Wilmar). There can be some large, fun events here where tourists dance with locals and many of the country's most popular music acts visit. 
• Sugaree's in the Grateful Hotel In Playa Grande Estates next to the estuary this venue has live music for Grateful Dead and reggae enthusiasts several nights a week.  Sunday Funday is a good chance to have some cocktails, food and listen to live music on Sundays.  You can swim here for free if you buy food or drinks. You can have them call the water taxi for an easy trip to Tamarindo. https://thegratefulhotel.com/ and 506-8707-9939
• Massage. If you need an amazing massage, look no further than Carli who will come to Casa Suenos Grandes and give you an unforgettable massage. 506-8659-6334. Carlidowell@gmail.com 
• Scuba Diving and Snorkeling. For an incredible experience that will create a life time of memories, we highly recommend White Tip Diving:  https://www.facebook.com/sabridive/
• Turtle Tour. Turtle watching tours are offered through the MINAET office on the main street between Las Olas  and Hotel Las Tortugas. Contact the Playa Grande MINAE office directly to book a tour to see the Leatherbacks at 2653-0470.
• Pool Hangout. One of our favorite activites is to vist a local hotel and restaurant and hang out in the pool. So long as you are buying food and drinks, this is OK. We do this at the Grateful Hotel in Palm Bech Estates, at Hotel Tortugas just off the main beach, and at Seis Playas, which is on the way to Tamarindo and has an amazing pool. You have to pay an entry fee but that gets applied to your food and drink tab. Very relaxing: https://www.seisplayashotel.com/ 
• Other Tours: our friends at You Are Costa Rica offer many other tours, such as: ziplining, ATV tours, horseback riding, Palo Verde National Park tour, tour of Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Arenal Volcano, and many more! http://www.youarecostarica.com

El Huerto 

This is the restaurant where you turn to come to Casa Suenos Grandes and it is walking distance from the house. They serve great wood-fired pizza, steaks, seafood and salads. This place is one of our favorites - the pizza really is amazing. Call ahead for easy pick up or dine in. +506 2653 1259 http://elhuertodeplayagrande.com

Casa Inti

Peruvian inspired healthy and declicous cuisine. This restaurant is on the main road and is connected to Amigo Realty. It is about 40 meters east of the road turnoff by El Huerto restaurant. 

https://www.facebook.com/casainti.playagrande/ 

Padoka Brazilian Bakery

You can buy fresh breads, coffees, pastries, rolls and sweets at this little bakery, which is also connected to Amigo Realty on the main road about 40 meters east of El Huerto. https://www.facebook.com/padokabrazilianbakery/ 

Pots and Bowls

Great coffee and breakfast. They have smoothies, breakfast scrambles and avocado toast to name a few. Just take the road from our house to El Huerto, take a left and walk about 40 meters.  506-8843-5352 and https://www.facebook.com/potsandbowls

Beach Break Surf Cafe

Located in the Indra Inn very near our house, this new cafe serves up specialty coffee, smoothies, bagels and bowls. We haven't tried it yet! https://www.beachbreakcr.com/

Cafe Norte

This is located just before the Store on the main road on the way into town. We have not eaten here yet, but the reviews online are positive. https://cafe-norte-cr.negocio.site/   +506-6406-6897

The Store

There is typically a restaurant behind the Store although the businesses seem to change quickly. There is a newer Argentian food stand that has delicious choripan and sandwiches. 

Chilito's Sports Bar

This is right in front of the Store on the way into Playa Grande. They have good burgers and similar food. 

Kikes Place

Serves typical Costa Rican food in a relaxed atmosphere. They also have a pool table and a pool. Just at the end of the road from our house. One of our favorite spots to hang out. 506-2653-0834

Hotel RipJack Inn

Located right next to a short path to the beach. This place has a great atmosphere with a large variety of foods from healthy salads to great burgers. It is common to see monkeys swinging from the trees. They also have a reasonably priced happy hour from 4-6 every afternoon with 2 for 1 drinks and cheap appetizers. https://ripjackinn.com and 506-2653-1636

Cantina Diez

A new restaurant just north of Rip Jack serving tacos, burritos and other Mexican food. Also serving burgers. Facebook page

Las Tortugas Restaurant 

Great location and view with reasonable prices. https://lastortugashotel.net 506-2653-0423 Their food has also improved a lot lately. 

La Marejada 

Relaxed dining experience with a variety of seafood options and excellent homemade pastas. They also have a sushi night. http://hotelswell.com 

Update: the restaurant does not appear to be open post-pandemic.

Sugar's Monkey

This hotel has a small restaurant located inside that serves breaksfast and also has pizza nights on the weekend. It is located next to La Marejada on the same side street as RipJack. https://www.facebook.com/SugarsmonkeyHostel 

Taco Star

The only restaurant in front of the beach. Amazing staff.  Good burritos and tacos. They also offer smoothies, beer, and soft drinks.

Café Mar Azul

Located in Palm Beach estates. Has delicious breakfast and lunch. https://cafemarazulplayagrande.business.site and 506-2215-3277. 

Retaurant Cantarana

Located in Palm Beach Estates as part of the Hotel Cantarana. Very good mix of Costa Rican cuisine along with North American staples like pancakes and french toast. Excellent juices and smoothies. https://www.hotel-cantarana.com/bistro 

Sugaree's in the Grateful Hotel 

In Playa Grande Estates next to the estuary this restaurant offers a variety of dishes and live events for Grateful Dead enthusiasts.  Sunday Funday is a good chance to have some cocktails, food and listen to live music on Sundays.  You can swim here for free if you buy food or drinks. You can have them call the water taxi for an easy trip to Tamarindo. https://thegratefulhotel.com/ and 506-8707-9939

Las Olas Brewery

The local brewery with dinner options on various nights of the week. They have great IPA and Ginger beer https://www.facebook.com/lasolasbrewing 

REMEMBER: do not leave valuables in your car while at the beach or leave items unattended on the beach. 

Main Playa Grande Beach

If you walk down the trail out the back of our house, you will arrive on the beach near the Big Rock. This is the very northern end of the main Playa Grande beach. If you walk south (turn to the left) you will walk along the main Playa Grande beach. The first area you will come to is a group of palm trees where people hang out in the shade. You can usually buy a “pipa” (coconut with straw) from a local vendor. The next main hangout spot is near Taco Star and the lookout wood tower, and the spot after that is at the end of the path from RipJack Inn. Between these two locations is the main “hangout” area where locals and visitors mingle nightly to watch the amazing sunsets. The beach continues south from there for a couple of kilometers along Palm Beach Estates to the end of the beach where the estuary meets the ocean and where you can take a quick boat shuttle across to Tamarindo.

Playa Ventanas

When you come to the Big Rock on the beach, if you turn and walk to the North (turn right), you will come to Playa Ventanas. This beach is better suited for swimming than the main Playa Grande beach as the waves are not as large. We recommend that you walk at least 100 meters past the Big Rock to get away from the small rocks hidden underneath the water. It really does not get more relaxing than on this beach. Sometimes, there will be only a handful of people or you may be the only person there! If you keep walking towards the end of the beach, you can find the trail that leads over the hill and  to Playa Carbon, a black sand beach.  Use caution as there have been vehicle breakins at the parking areas near this beach.

Playa Carbon

If you keeping going north from Playa Venatanas at low tide, you will reach Playa Carbon, a secluded, remote and undeveloped black sand beach with lots of birds and wildlife. There is some pretty good snorkeling at this beach.  UPDATE: due to recent incidents and for safety reasons, we do not recommend going to Playa Carbon or on the trails around the beach.

Playa Tamarindo

Across the estuary from the southern end of Playa Grande is the beginning of the Tamarindo Beach. You can get to Tamarindo either by taking a very short boat ride across the estuary (for a $1.00) from Palm Beach Estates, or you can drive about 25 minutes from Playa Grande. Tamarindo is a much more “touristy” town than Playa Grande and has a lot of shops and souvenir stands. For a nice dinner or lunch, we highly recommend Pangas Beach Club https://pangasbeachclubcr.com and 2653-0024. The restaurant has excellent seafood and amazing sunset views. We also really like Pico Bistro for breakfast or lunch. https://www.facebook.com/Pico-Bistro-Tamarindo-394840954311327/ and 8841 5338. There are many other fine restaurants that you can research on TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g309253-Tamarindo_Province_of_Guanacaste.html 

Bahia de los Piratas (Pirate's Beach)

One of our favorite local beaches that is very relaxing and good for swimming. There are small vendors selling ceviche and drinks and you can sit under the trees all day and just relax. We recommend that you bring a cooler and beach chairs. The road to get there can be a little rough, but it is worth the journey. To get there, you go back to Matapalo but instead of turning right in Matapalo toward Huacas, you go straight and go across to the other side of the main town square. Then turn left and then you will take a right in about 50 meters. There should be a sign towards Howler Monkey Farm. Go on this road for several kilometers until there is a fork in the road and take the left fork (after you pass the Monkey Fart Bar). Keep driving for about 5 more minutes until you arrive at the beach. If you are adventurous, you can swim out to the large rock just offshore, which has a small cave to explore. 

Playa Minas

Located very close to Pirate's beach. You take a right hand turn down a road approximately 1 km before reaching Pirates Beach. This road can be a little rough and we would recommend only doing it with a four wheel drive vehicle. 

Playa Conchal

One of the most beautiful beaches in all of Costa Rica, Playa Conchal gets its name from the sand that is created from ground shells. The waters are turquoise, and the view is amazing. To get there you have to park in Brasalito and walk about ten minutes south along the beach.  You will be able to get a 1-hour massage for $20.00 and there are vendors selling food and drinks. The further south you walk, the more private the beach becomes. It is definitely worth a visit!

Playa Flamingo

Playa Flamingo is a good place to relax and have some food and drinks. This is a more developed area but still has a nice beach. We recommend the Mariner Inn for food and drinks and a nice view. For a good beach location, try right across from Margaritaville. Bring your hammock.  The harbor in Playa Flamingo is also where you can find a fishing or a sailing charter. 

To get to Playa Grande from the Liberia airport, you will want to turn right on the main road (Route #21) when leaving the airport. The easiest thing to do is to always follow the brown signs with a sea turtle on them for Marino Las Baulas National Park.  Once you reach the town of Belen (approximately 28 kilometers on Route 21 from the airport), you will pass a Super Compro on your right. At the next intersection, there is a gas station. Turn right here on Route 155. You will see signs for Tamarindo and Flamingo. 

After about 3 kilometers, the road makes a hard left. Follow this road for approximately 30 minutes. You will come down the large hill into the small town of Huacas. You will want to drive straight through Huacas. Do not turn left towards Tamarindo and do not turn right towards Flamingo. Keep going straight until you come to the small town of Matapalo. Just before the stop sign, you will see Matapalo's town square your right. When you reach the stop sign in Matapalo, turn left and then go across the one-lane bridge (yield to oncoming traffic). 

Continue on this road for another 10 minutes or so. You will go up and over a large hill, past the  sign for Corona del Cabo, and then you will see the Wilmart store on your left when you come down the hill. Keep going straight past Wilmart and past the Las Ventanas development. You will pass Café Pueblo. When you reach El Huerto Restaurant on the right hand side of the road, turn right immediately after El Huerto and just before Indra Inn (you will see a large orange pumpkin underneath the El Huerto sign). You will travel on this dirt road for about 400 meters. You will first bend slightly to the left and then you will come to a T in the road. At the T, go to the right towards Sol y Luna Lodge. You will first pass a small white house. Our house is the next white house immediately adjacent to (south of) Sol y Luna Lodge. You will see a small wood sign that says Casa Suenos Grandes. If you go past the green lights of Sol y Luna Lodge you will know that you have gone too far. When you park and walk to the house, please  watch your step and be mindful of the ground gutters surrounding the house. 

In general, when coming from the airport, you will want to follow signs for Marino Las Baulas National Park and El Huerto Restaurant. If you get lost in Playa Grande, you can also always ask for Sol y Luna Lodge. We recommend that you download the Waze app as it has better maps and directions in Costa Rica than Google maps. 

If you would like to be picked-up from the airport and brought right to the house, we highly recommend our very good friend Tim who can give you a taxi ride for a very reasonable price.  His Costa Rica phone number is +506-8519-0918. We recommend contacting Tim on WhatsApp.

Renting a Car

Renting a car in Costa Rica is a bit of a crazy business and you can read many articles online about it. However, it really comes down to the following:

1. The price that you are quoted in online searches through travel websites like Priceline, Hotwire, Orbitz, etc. is not even close to the price that you will pay for a rental car in Costa Rica. The main reason is that you are required by law to purchase Supplemental Liability Coverage (SLC) when you rent a vehicle. There is no way around paying for this. However, you can decline to pay for the Loss Of Damage Waiver (LDW) if you can provide proof from your credit card company that the credit card company will cover damages to the vehicle. Call your credit card company and ask that they email you a letter of coverage that you can show the rental car company, if necessary. Being able to decline LDW will save you substantial fees. Depending on the rental car establishment, you will have to insist on declining this. So, bottom line, you have to pay for SLC but can waive LDW and you may have to show proof, in writing, that your credit card company will pay for damage. 

2. Book your vehicle far in advance if you are coming during the high season (December through March). During this time of year, there are sometimes not enough vehicles to go around, and if you delay, you might pay a hefty price and/or be left with very few options.

3. You are better off renting through the Costa Rican website for the rental car companies. Here are some near Liberia:

• Hertz: https://www.hertzcostarica.com/
• Budget: https://www.budget.co.cr/ (does not have the best reputation, but we have rented from them before without any problems – just watch what they are charging you!)
• Enterprise: https://www.enterprise.com/en/car-rental/locations/costa-rica.html 
• National: https://www.natcar.com/ (who we most often use) 
• Alamo: https://www.alamocostarica.com/
• Dollar:  https://www.dollarcostarica.com/en/
• Adobe: https://www.adobecar.com/en/

All of the people we have encountered that work for the car rental companies speak excellent English, so do not worry if you do not speak Spanish very well but do speak English. Also, you will not need to rent a GPS (waste of money) as you can easily use the Waze app on your smart phone instead. 

Driving in Costa Rica after dark is not as dangerous as some people make it out to be. However, you will want to go slow and keep a close eye out for pedestrians and bicyclists as sidewalks and road shoulders are very rare in Costa Rica. Also, the driver of the vehicle should have his or her passport in his or her possession while driving.   

Grocery Stores

• Miranda’s Pulperia: This is a very small mini-mart located at the end of the westernmost road from our house (next to Kike’s Place). They are open from 7 to 7 everyday and have various items.
• The Store: The Store (f/k/a Wilmart) is located before you enter Playa Grande on the left-hand side of the road. They have a good selection of various items and have added a bar and restaurant in the back. They will also deliver to the house for free if you order $100.00 or more. 506-2249-0387.
• Super Compro in Huacas: This grocery store is located in Huacas which is about 8 miles from Playa Grande on the way to Tamarindo. They have a decent selection and is the closest location for an ATM. 
• Super Mercado in Tamarindo: Located in Tamarindo, this grocery store and probably has the largest selection in the area. They also sell housewares, electronics, etc.
• Automercado: Located in the Garden Plaza Shopping Center, just off the highway on the way into town, this is the most “upscale” grocery store. They have a wide selection of quality items, although it can be rather expensive. 

ATM

The closest ATM is in Huacas at the Super Compro supermarket. You can withdraw dollars or colones.

Police 

If you have an emergency, dial 911. The house’s address is “contigua a Sol y Luna Lodge, Playa Grande”

• Tourist Police-Flamingo: 506-2654-5086
• Tourist Police-Tamarindo: 506-2653-0283, 506-2653-0117
• Policia-Matapalo: 506-2653-8269

Medical Care

• Beachside Clinic 24hr-Huacas: 506-2653-9911, 506-2653-5053
• Beachside Clinic-Grande (next to Kike’s): 506-2653-2767
• Huacas Medical Center: emergency 506-8813-3046, appt 506-2653-6866
• Hospital Metropolitano-Huacas: 506-4701-4947
• Pacific Emergencies-Huacas: 506-2653-8785, 506-8378-8265
• Beachside Clinic Pharmacy-Huacas: 506-2653-6311
• Pharmacy Metropolitano-Huacas: 506-4701-4947