On our second day in Costa Rica, we took a long bus ride to Tamarindo which is on the Northwest side of the country in Guanacaste. It was a very bumpy, curvy road. The country is very mountainous , and a lot of the roads are not paved. On our way to Tamarindo we stopped at Doka Coffee Estates. Our tour guide described the time intensive coffee processing and roasting strategies. One of their main consumers is Starbucks. After the tour, we stopped for lunch at a quaint restaurant with a beautiful park in the backyard. Costa Ricans are known for their pristine gardens and beautiful flowers. The souvenir shop next door, was one of the best. Then, on the road again for a four hour drive to Tamarindo. We got there around 5:00, in time for the beautiful sunset. We soaked up the sun for whatever time we had before it went down. There were rich oranges and reds that bounced from the sky to the water.The beach was well maintained and the hotel’s restaurant front was right on the beach. Our hotel, Tamarindo Diria, was great. Again we had Wi-Fi and free calls to the US. We had access to 3 different pools, and if you didn’t want to be in the sun, there were plenty of umbrellas to protect you. I could see flying into the Liberia airport in Guanacaste and spending a week there. They have a great community, beach, golf, and eco tours which show lots of wildlife.
