Popular Towns

A church, a soccer field and a bar are required for a residential area to be considered a town in Costa Rica. In a Catholic nation where soccer is king and the liquor is cheap, one might imagine that towns here are hardly few and far between. Most, excluding the capital city of San Jose, have their own special appeal, ranging from the old west cowboy culture in Guanacaste, to the strong Rasta vibe and Caribbean flavor of the eastern shores. In between, bicycles are often the main form of transportation over unpaved roads that cut between corrugated tin roofed buildings.

If you find yourself in rural Costa Rica, don’t expect the roosters to allow you to sleep in past 5am, or for the town ATM to still have money after 4pm. In the popular beach areas, the central culture is becoming dominated by foreigners, while the locals are moving inland or to shanty towns just out of view. While the influx of “permanent visitors” may lead to higher quality accommodations and dining options, unfortunately the infrastructure is likely to be as far behind as the rest of the country. But don’t knock ‘em before you try ‘em as these towns are popular for a reason. You can’t beat watching a Tamarindo sunset while dining on the sand, or catching a last minute snorkeling trip from one of the many tour operators lining the main road in Manuel Antonio.