Still the Best Sunset in the World

Every time I go to Costa Rica I have dinner at Villa Caletas and watch the best sunset in the world. They have an amphitheater in the bar area where most people come to watch the sunset but I prefer to watch from a table before dinner.

Crocs Casino and Resort Jaco, Costa Rica

Another new place I checked out in Jaco was Crocs Casino Resort.  Crocs is located on the beach in Jaco and at the far northern end of the beach. They bill themselves as a Las Vegas style casino. Although it is not close to the glitter of Las Vegas it is the best casino I have been to in Costa Rica. They have a large gaming floor with Vegas style games such as blackjack, poker and slots.

The resort is beautiful and sits on the beachfront. The swimming pool area is huge with lots for the kids to do. Restaurants are great with a great selection of menu items. The wine selection was good but I had brought my own wine and paid the corkage fee. They also have a high rise hotel that from I heard from the guests I talked to was very nice. The resort is kid friendly and nice enough for a romantic get-away.

My only complaint is that it is hard to find. I asked around and was told it was on the far end of the beach. But which end? There are street signs in town but it is so far north that you wouldn't expect it to be there. There are signs on the buildings but I recommended lighted signs to make them stand out. Maybe there is an ordinance against that.

I am thinking of next trip staying there.

The Pizza Shop, Jaco Costa Rica

Every time I come back to Jaco there is always something new to check out. On this trip I was turned onto a small open air pizza shop in the middle of town on the main street. The Pizza Shop is owned by a young man from the states, Kevin, who moved to Jaco recently. Where I was staying I met a group from Canada that had been there and wanted to go back so I tagged along.

Now the Pizza Shop advertises New York Style pizza which I also had and enjoyed. They also have a special only on Thursday. On Thursday he smokes a prime rib roast all day. There is limited quantities so get there early. You get a slab of prime rib with a baked potato and salad for $12. If you have never had a smoked prime I would recommend trying it. You can't beat the price.

Dominical Costa Rica

Last month found me back in Costa Rica where I go to the Pacific Coast often. However, on this trip I ventured further south down the Pacific Coast to an area called Dominical. Dominical is on the Pacific Coast south of Quepos and Manuel Antonio about 45 km. Up until recently it was a long drive past Quepos as the road was not paved making the drive a lot longer. Now there is a highway down the coast and the drive takes about 30 minutes. However, once you turn off the highway into Dominical you are back on a dirt and gravel road.

Due to the inaccessibility Dominical was the home of surfers, hippies, and others wanting to get away from it all. It still has the same vibe. Once you get to the beach, which you can drive right up to, you will find hand made crafts, and open air places to eat and drink. The beach is beautiful and goes on for miles. One landmark is the whale tail feature going out into the ocean.



For me it was worth the 1.5 hour drive from Jaco.

Pops' Travel Guide, Villa Caletas Hotel, Costa Rica

Think back and try to remember the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen. Everyone has seen a beautiful sunset but can you remember the time and place? I just came back from a place where I can truly say I've seen my most beautiful sunset!

Villa Caletas is a resort in Costa Rica located on the central Pacific Coast just north of Jaco. I have stayed there twice already and have written about the hotel. This will be entirely about the sunset.

To me the hotel was built just for the sunset. It is high on top of a mountain right on the coast. The hotel has incredible views of the Pacific Ocean. In the bar area they built an amphitheater and every evening starting about 4:30 pm people will start to show up just to view the sunset. If you get there early you can get a table on top or if all tables are taken you can sit in the amphitheater. Another option is to have dinner there. You will get a table, a great dinner and still have the same view as in the bar area. The Villa Caletas even has their own music they play just for the sunset. The entire experience is awe inspiring.

The best thing is nature. Every time you go you will experience something new. It could be from different cloud patterns, Macaws and Toucans flying about and in the trees, or bringing someone new to experience it for the first time.

Villa Caletas information http://www.hotelvillacaletas.com/

Pops' Travel Guide, Jaco Tranopy

I have done the Tranopy in Jaco three times now and it never gets old. For those of you that don't know what the Tranopy is, it is a play on words. In Costa Rica, zip-lines are called Canopy Tours. This particular one uses a tram to get to the top of the mountain. The combination of tram and canopy gives you tranopy.

The Tranopy is about a fifteen minute drive from the center of Jaco on the central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. What I like about this tour is the attention they give to safety. There are two cables on every line and at least two guides with every group. One guide will get you connected and the other is at the other end to help brake you. You don't have to worry about braking yourself. Everyone goes through a safety class before you go up the mountain.

The Tranopy Tour consists of ten zip-lines. After a relaxing ride on the tram up the rain forest mountain you ride each of the ten zip-lines down to the bottom. They start out fairly short and easy and in the middle there are a couple that are as long as three football fields. The ride down also has incredible views of Jaco and the Pacific Ocean. Along the way you will be able to notice a difference in climate. The bottom being dry and warmer and all of a sudden, like going through a door, you get hit with a cooler wetter feel with waterfalls view-able from the tram.

Give it about 2.5 hours for the entire tour. At the bottom they also have a reptile zoo that they will take you to. There you can see some of the wildlife from the area. Before and after they have a nice covered area to relax, get something to eat or drink. We had a nice cold beer that sure felt good.

Cost is about $75. For more information here is their site.

Tranopy

Pops' Travel Guide, Jose's Crocodile River Tour

Did you know that there are wild crocodiles in Costa Rica? One place to view them is as you are driving south along the coast to Jaco make a stop at the bridge crossing the Tarcoles River. There you will see 18 foot or longer crocodiles resting along the bank of the river.

To really experience the crocodiles you need to go on a crocodile river tour. There are a few that leave from Tarcoles. Some are larger pontoon boats and some like Jose's are smaller boats. The smaller boats mean you can get closer to the action.

Jose grew up in the area and is more than familiar with the river and the crocodiles. It looks to be a small operation with Jose and his partner on the two tours I have done. What I like about Jose is his personality, sense of humor, and his experience. The smaller boat, not too small, gets right up to the crocodiles. His partner will even get out of the boat to hand feed the crocodiles. It is a terrific experience to see. The tour takes about 2 hours and the boat ride is very relaxing. Not only does Jose take you to the crocodiles but also follows the river to the Pacific Ocean and then takes you into some mangrove areas to see other life such as brightly colored crabs.

Jose has a website and takes reservations. I would suggest giving him a call when you are in the area and make a reservation. His tours leave about every 2 hours.

www.crocodilerivertour.com

Here is a link to a video we took.

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10203658370435433