Villa Paradiso Del Mar Guidebook

This is the best way to experience what Costa Rica has to offer. We really like Alamo or Adobe Car Rental.

Our favorite is Playa Hermosa, only 3 minutes from the house. Playa Panama and Playa Ocotal are nice as well. If you are looking for waves we like Playa Grande and Playa Tamarindo.

When dining out, 10% gratuity is usually added to the bill, along with 13% sales tax. You can tip more if you like, but it is not expected. 10% is a good rule of thumb when tipping non-dining acitivities (IE - tours, fishing, etc.)

Sometimes you can avoid the 13% sales tax when paying with cash, or via an app like Paypal (not all vendors will accept but you can ask).

Shorts, flip flops, suits, hats and sunscreen! Maybe a light rain jacket or umbrella as rain showers can come and go depending on the time of year.

Spanish is the local language, but almost all Costa Rican's working in the tourist industry will speak some English. A translate app (like Google) can be handy at times though. Whatsapp and Facebook messenger are both great ways to connect with local vendors.

We like to park at the Hotel El Velero, and setup in front of thier restaraunt on the beach. They have no problem with this as long as you are buying some drinks and or food. They will even serve you on the beach if it is not too busy!

If you are traveling south towards Tamarindo, Surfside, or Las Catallinas, you can take the monkey trail road to save a lot of time. It can be narrow in a couple spots, and you do have to cross a shallow river. As long as you are in an SUV you should be fine, as long as it is not very rainy and the river it too high.

The "Luperon" in Playa Hermosa is great, and has almost anything you need. The "Automercado" in Coco is very similar to an American style grocery store, with a wide selection of items, including wine, beer and liquor.

On the north end of the beach just past the El Velero hotel there is an amazing lady named Maria who has numerous massage tables setup in the shade. She, and her team are excellent. Usually $40-$50 for an hour.

Chef4U has a great team of chefs, an extensive staff in the hands of Head Chef Nicolas Devenelle, CHEF4U is simply the best private chef team in Guanacaste. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and more. Family style or course by course options. Email: info@guanacastechef4u.com Phone: (506) 8706 214 https://guanacastechef4u.com

Deep sea fishing, surf trips, snorkeling, tubing, wakeboarding, secluded beach day trips and more. Numerous boats for any occasion. The "Fun on the Ocean" trip is our favorite.

Family owned boat tour featuring guided wildlife riverboat tours. Great traditional lunch included. A little more than an hour drive from the house.