Costa Rica on a Budget: Guanacaste's Best Beaches, Food & Hidden Gems
Costa Rica on a Budget: Guanacaste's Best Beaches, Food & Hidden Gems
Notable moments
- 01:38 Renting a car with Europcar
The creators explain their experience renting a car in Guanacaste, highlighting Costa Rica's mandatory Third Party Liability insurance requirements. They mention booking directly through Europcar for $93 over five days while warning viewers about the local standard designation meaning a manual car.
Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, Costa Rica - 03:18 Eating traditional Casado at Soda La Bajura
The vloggers stop at a local roadside family-run restaurant known as a soda to eat traditional Costa Rican casados. They share plates featuring rice, beans, plantains, and fresh vegetables for $16.67 total for two people while explaining the cultural origin of the meal's name.
Soda La Bajura, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 04:26 Staying at Villas de los Monos
A tour of their rented two-bedroom, two-bathroom private villa priced at $65 per night in Guanacaste. The property features a fully equipped kitchen, spacious bedroom suites, and a private outdoor plunge pool with a stone waterfall feature overlooking surrounding mountain vistas.
Villas de los Monos, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 06:33 Breakfast at Flora Vegan Cafe
The couple enjoys a plant-based breakfast featuring a tofu scramble burrito and fresh tropical fruit smoothies at a decorated cafe near Tamarindo Beach. The meal costs $35.27 total for two people, and they highlight the convenience of free parking adjacent to the venue.
Flora Vegan Cafe, Tamarindo, Costa Rica - 07:21 Exploring Tamarindo Beach
A look at the sprawling shore of Tamarindo Beach during low tide, showing its wide stretch of soft sand and active surf scene. They show beachfront surfboard rental shops, people riding horses along the water, and warn about strong rip currents in the Pacific ocean.
Tamarindo Beach, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 08:58 Swimming at Catarata Llanos del Cortes
The vloggers visit Llanos del Cortes Waterfall, paying an entrance fee of $7.93 per person. After a short two-minute walk down wooden stairs from the parking lot, they swim in the spacious freshwater lagoon under the cascading waterfall.
Catarata Llanos del Cortes, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 10:58 Dining at Cafe Macadamia
The couple dines at Cafe Macadamia near the airport, ordering a trout casado plate served with rice, plantains, avocado salad, black beans, and fresh fruit smoothies for $22.62. They recommend it as a convenient stopping point for travelers driving to or from Liberia Airport.
Cafe Macadamia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 11:51 Lunch at Soda Jardin Tropical
After finding Cafe Corazon closed for food service, the creators dine next door at Soda Jardin Tropical in Playas del Coco. They order a vegetarian fried rice dish served with French fries and local Lizano salsa for $14.18.
Soda Jardin Tropical, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 12:36 Visiting Playas del Coco
A stroll along the dark sand beach at Playas del Coco, showing local beachgoers, street food vendors, and public park amenities. The area features a public basketball court, volleyball nets, and a concrete skate park adjacent to the ocean boardwalk.
Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 13:40 Dinner at Restaurante Típico Costeño
The vloggers highlight their favorite meal of the trip at Restaurante Típico Costeño in Guanacaste. They order fried patacones plantain cups filled with beans, meat, avocado, and pico de gallo for $11.90.
Restaurante Tipico Costeno, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 14:19 Walking on Brasilito Beach
A tranquil scene along Brasilito Beach showing dark volcanic sand, gentle ocean waves, and quiet coastlines away from major crowds. The hosts note jet ski rentals nearby and describe it as a relaxed local beach spot along their drive.
Playa Brasilito, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 14:55 Oceanfront Dining at Roberto's Restaurant
The vloggers enjoy lunch at Roberto's, an open-air beachfront restaurant located inside Hotel La Gaviota Tropical at Playa Hermosa. They order a traditional chifrijo bowl, vegetable rice with white wine, a mango batido, and a watermelon smoothie for $38.33 while taking in beach views.
Roberto's Restaurant, Guanacaste, Costa Rica - 16:08 Swimming at Playa Hermosa
Olivia swims and walks along the soft black sand shore of Playa Hermosa, surrounded by lush green trees lining the beach. They note the warm, calm ocean waters and shaded mangrove areas popular among local families for relaxing.
Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
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