Hubby and I went on vacation weeks ago to Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It’s located near the Pacific Ocean. We explored the country going to various places, but right now I want to share a bit about the beaches. There were a few that we visited. We had beach access from our resort. At this beach part of the sand was white; however, as we walked alongside the ocean, the sand was dark brown, sometimes black and rocky. We watched the pelicans search for food, watched local men fish, took pictures on the large stationary black rocks as the waves moved back and forth, and gazed at the mountains positioned to our left and right.
Rui Resort
There were a few peaceful moments at the beach resort. Those moments came in intervals. When staying at a resort outside of the US, it’s been my experience that if you’re on the beach someone will want to sell you something. In this case it was jewelry, cigars, shirts, massages, and excursions. At the end of the beach there was a make shift market with vendors selling various items and souvenirs. It was there that we found massage booths, ATV, and horseback riding excursions. You guessed it, we purchased a couple of souvenirs and the ATV excursion there. Why not? It was convenient. You have to use your own judgment on whether to book an excursion with vendors inside the hotel, outside the hotel, or online.
Coco Beach
We caught a shuttle to Coco Beach. It’s the place where many of the locals hang out near the city. There were eateries, souvenir shops, grocery store, markets, police station, etc. Coco Beach seemed like a spot for family and friends to hang out too. Teenagers were skateboarding in one area, playing basketball in another. A family was sitting on the grass playing cards, getting some shade from the sun. Some older guys were chatting, meanwhile their dogs decided to take a little walk away from them. That immediately meant that we were going detour in the opposite direction. I really wanted to venture out to the other end of the beach to see what it had to offer.
Penca Beach
The ocean view was alluring and serene at each beach. The water was dark, but not like the Atlantic Ocean in which we have quick access to at home. It was a dark blue, then sometimes it might be a lighter blue. I didn’t see the turquoise or emerald colored water like the other Caribbean islands I’ve visited. We made a second trip to Penca Beach to watch the sunset. It was like watching it sink beneath the ocean. What a beautiful sight!
On the ATV excursion, we went to two different beaches. Penca Beach is the name of one and I can’t recall the other. The nameless beach I’ll say resembles the resort beach with dark brown sand. It was a place to definitely have fun and wind down. Elementary aged kids came by after school to play in the water. Adults were hanging out at the bar while some played with kids. Penca Beach was very lovely. In the gallery photo I misspelled the beach as Panca. Based on our guides pronunciation, I wrote it according to how it sounded, but Penca is correct. It was quieter, not as busy. As I strolled along the beach, the white sand intertwined between my toes and provided a unique softness that I never felt before.
