Rainy season doesn’t mean the same thing across the entirety of Costa Rica. Nor does it start suddenly or retain consistent intensity. So our drive to Guanacaste Province’s drier Pacific coast during the earlier part of the season promised plenty of sunshine. That was our plan anyway, and it actually worked. We could take a break from damp days and trade it in for clear skies on the beach for awhile.
Now let’s be transparent, I’m not a beach person. I’m just not. Nor am I a “sit around and do nothing all day” person. My ideal vacation would tax the average traveler; I know my relentless pace exhausted some of my extended family who joined us last summer for the Michigan trip. My immediate family doesn’t seem to mind though, or they’ll skip a day and recharge while I do my own thing. So this beach thing might be interesting. Could I actually “relax” for a couple of days?
In Town
Tamarindo serves up Costa Rica for the same demographic that enjoys cruise ships. I’ve traveled extensively and sometimes I’ve been in coastal ports when a cruise ship pulls in. Suddenly a flood of tourists spills down a gangplank and inundates the town. Shops fill, beaches pack, alcohol flows, and people indulge. Local customs and decorum disappear as everything switches to Margaritaville. That’s how Tamarindo felt but without the ships. I can’t even imagine what happens to this place during the dry season when it really gets busy.
Nonetheless, many people clearly enjoy this lifestyle and lots of places cater to it. I went in knowing that when I added Tamarindo to the schedule and I’m not complaining. I shouldn’t expect Tamarindo to bend to my peculiar wishes; rather I needed to find a way to coexist with it.
On the Beach
Well the beach was nice. Waves rolled on long swells and I watched surfers riding atop them for awhile. Vendors walked the shoreline selling refreshing fruit juices, handmade trinkets, and even horseback rides. I sat in the shade. Someone could get a nasty sunburn at this low latitude, I figured. Then I walked around the beach and up to the water. If I got too bored I could always grab an Imperial at one of the dozens of beachfront bars, but I never did. So yes, I did all the normal beach stuff for awhile and before long I craved something different.
By the Pool
So we wandered back to our rented condo. I’d seen the town, I’d seen the beach and now I had no idea what to do for the rest of the day. I knew I couldn’t sit inside until nightfall, but — not gonna lie — the air conditioning felt pretty nice on a broiling day. My younger kid decided to head down to the pool and convinced me to join him. Actually that was a game-changer. The pool felt so nice it became my newfound Tamarindo buddy. Now I truly felt relaxed.
Tamarindo has a split personality. The town adjoins a single narrow road along the beach, making it noisy, crowded, dusty and a bit chaotic. Meanwhile, adjoining condo and resort properties insulate themselves from the Tamarindo whirlwind with gates and guards. It’s like the town didn’t even exist once we crossed the line onto private property. We might as well have been in Florida or some other part of ‘Murica over there, by appearance, layout and patronage. I think this particular crowd wanted some familiarity while vacationing abroad, and for a couple of days that felt fine to me too.
And Wildlife?
We came to Costa Rica partially because of the wildlife, but we certainly didn’t expect to find much in Tamarindo. Nonetheless our first monkey encounter happened there along the beach. A Mantled Howler Monkey was hanging out in the rafters of a bar! I didn’t expect a monkey and I only had my phone camera with me so this image will have to do. I thought it might be someone’s pet because it just sat there without a worry in the world, eating a piece of melon apparently stolen from one of the tables. Then it left the bar and went on its way to who knows where. It sounded like the setup of a bad joke: “A monkey comes into a bar…“
By the way, they call it a Howler monkey for a reason. They do howl quite loudly, right around sunrise and sunset. The sound is unmistakable. Naturally my kids did NOT enjoy waking up in Tamarindo at 6:00 every morning to the sounds of a simian serenade.
All right, enough with the relaxing. Let’s go do stuff.
Articles in the Costa Rica Series
- Intentions and Observations
- In the Shadow of the Volcano
- Exploring La Fortuna
- Brew Day
- Relaxing in Tamarindo
- Beyond the Beach
- On To Monteverde
- Completing the Circuit
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr
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