Playa Tamarindo

It isn't a bad place, but Tamarindo offers nothing particularly wonderful to ensure its place in your fond memories box. It's a tourist town, not altogether unattractive, the beach is average, as is the night life.

I stayed in Chocolate Hotel which is an apartment block converted into a hostel, so each airconditioned dorm has its own bathroom, kitchen and cable tv. It's a pretty awesome place; modern, a pool, hammocks and palms. The location is a little walk up a hill from the main drag which makes it a quiet place, but it's quite cumbersome when it is so hot in Tamarindo, and the passing cars seem to enjoy kicking up the dust from the roads.

The people I met there made my stay interesting though, including two NY photographers who act totally gay but never admit it, and a young Australian couple who seemed to have scheduled arguments every night when they got drunk.

I probably should've gone somewhere else on the Nicoya Peninsula, but honestly, I just didn't have the time or want to stuff around getting there.