Jaco's Coastal Highway Gives Quick Access to Numerous Beach Towns
If you are a tourist, retiree or full time resident drawn to Costa Rica for its beaches and coastal beauty, then Highway 34, also known as the Costanera (or Coastal Highway) that runs from just north of Jaco all the way to Panama is a road that you will appreciate. Costa Rica has long been known for its beautiful beaches, but also for its terrible roads. Anyone who has traveled the Nicoya Peninsula or coastal Guanacaste on the Northern Pacific Coast understands what I am talking about. Once you arrive at the coast from Liberia, the roads get rough. Jaco Beach. The Central Pacific is an exception to this rule. Highway 34 varies from excellent condition to fair conditon as it winds along the Pacific Coast from the Center of the country all the way down to Panama. With the best roads in and around Jaco Beach, the popular coastal town and the closest to San Jose and the worst roads the closer you get to Panama, Coastal exploring is fun none-the-less. Start in Jaco and head south. Hermosa, Esterillos, Bejuco. The Panama border is about 3 hours, but if you take a lazy weekend drive, you may decide to have breakfast at one of the many Hermosa Boutique hotels or even a beachfront restaurant in Esterillos or Bejuco. Once your belly is full of Costa Rica's typical breakfast of gallo pinto con huevos (rice and beans with fried or scrambled eggs) plus a delicious cup of Costa Rican coffee con leche (with heated milk), you can head south to Manual Antonio (about 30 to 45 minutes). Manual Antonio / Quepos. After a couple of hours of walking on this pristine beach, a tour of the National Park and views of monkeys and sloths, jump back into the car and stop at one of the fantastic ocean view restaurants in Manual Antonio that are located up in the hills high about the Pacific Coast. Your views of the bay, islands and miles of Pacific Blue will help you digest the food all while any ounce of stress that you came with disappears. Back in the car you continue to head south to Dominical. Dominical, Matapala. The highway between Quepos and Dominical used to take about 4 hours, but with new pavement, bridges and street signs, you will be in Dominical in about 20 minutes. In the old days, Matapala was a stop over for relief from the bumpy roads, restrooms and cold beverages, but with the new pavement, you will be in Dominical before you know it. Dominical is a hippy surf town with quaint feel. The main road that runs through this small beach town is unpaved and bumpy. A quick stop, an ice cold beverage at one of the beachfront restaurants, a stroll through the bohemian market and you are back on the road. Bahia Ballena, Uvita. On your drive south another 20 minutes to Uvita, you need to stop off at one of the many upper elevation viewing locations of Bahia Ballena or the Whale Bay. This is an area where the humpback whales come to give birth and raise their young until they are strong enough to travel back north to California and beyond. Whales are a common site in this bay. Back down on Highway 34, you head south a few more minutes to Uvita. Uvita and the surrounding area is a nice place to stop for dinner and drinks. Again, nice views of the Pacific Ocean, lush rainforests and a huge estuary. This is a nice place to stop for the night as well. There are many boutique hotels in this area with local charm in a very natural and less developed atmostphere. At this point you are about 1.5 hours from the Panama Border. One more note - I have highlighted a few of the more known beaches, there are another fourty beaches between Uvita and Jaco like Palo Seco, Playa Bandera that also can be explored and enjoyed. Each has its own unique characteristics and charm. To be continued... |