Tuesday, February 22nd - The Beaches & Our Villa at Recreo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Of course, mother nature would call for snow my first morning back in Chicago. Late February snow is not the best way to return to reality, but luckily I have some pictures to take me back to the beaches and villa from our trip to Costa Rica. We spent the last week at Recreo, which is a resort area located in the northwest corner of the Guanacaste province, and it was fabulous.
The pictures below provide a snapshot of the two main beaches within minutes of the villas – Playa Rajada and Playa Jobo – and our villa – #20 aka the Bungalow. Every time we went to the beach, we were often the only ones there. At most, we would see a handful of other people, but these beaches were so large that you basically had your own private slice of the Pacific Ocean. The whole location was so remote and private. Later this week, I will post some panoramic photos from the Mountain Top Cantina – located at the very top of Recreo – and these photos show a great view of the Pacific Ocean, the two primary beaches and even Nicaragua.
Playa Jobo is a beach that is located at the other side of El Jobo, the closest village / town to Recreo. While Playa Rajada is the beach associated with Recreo, Playa Jobo is only a 10 minute golf cart ride from the villas. Once here, the beach is even more calm than the surf at Playa Rajada. We spent several hours on this stretch of sand and we were just about the only people there – except for a fishing boat that was constantly anchored about a hundred yards out and a few local kids passing through on their bikes.
Playa Rajada is the closest beach to Recreo and is accessible via foot, bike or golf cart down a short stretch of dirt road. At the beach, Recreo provides access to chairs, snorkeling gear, kayaks, body boards and other items to make the beach more enjoyable. We spent most of our time spread out on towels in the sun. There are some cool rock formations on the north side of the beach, which help block the surf and make it more enjoyable for swimming.
Below are a few pictures of our villa – Villa #20 at Recreo – the one-bedroom Bungalow. This villa was perfect for the two of us – private, good views, cooling breeze on the mountain top and a private chef for all of our meals. There really isn’t a bad thing to say about our accommodations, except for those who don’t realize you’re in the middle of the jungle – there are bugs and animals around as you should expect (but not a big deal). Other villas at Recreo have 3, 4 or 5 bedrooms and can accommodate much larger groups – although most people we saw were couples or smaller groups. Also, you can see in the last picture the climb you’re faced with when returning home to your villa – a steep incline of 75+ steps. The villa sits up on the side of the mountain, which ensures privacy and a chef staff that is out of breath when hauling your food up for each meal. The bungalow has a kitchen with sink, refrigerator and microwave, but no stove and cooking facilities. This setup creates extra privacy, as the chef brings the food to you and leaves versus cooking in your villa and your presence all day. In addition to the days spent by the pool and meals out on the patio, the nights were filled with great views of the moon and stars.
Tags: Beach, Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Pacific Ocean, Recreo, Vacation
