What is Playa Hermosa Guanacaste Costa Rica?

Playa Hermosa is part of a group of beaches known as the Papagayo; Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa, Playa Panama and Ocotal. Located just 20 minutes from the Liberia International Airport (LIR) it is considered by many to be the most beautiful beach on the Pacific Coast. After all, Playa Hermosa means, BEAUTIFUL BEACH in Spanish, and it definitely lives up to its name.  When I first came to Costa Rica in the year 2000, I spent a month traveling this entire country. I saw literally, every single beach community on the Pacific coast. When I landed in Playa Hermosa, I knew I needed to look no further. It was everything I had imagined and more. I had this vision of Jimmy Buffett, in a hammock, with a cocktail in my hand, watching the sunset, and this was the perfect spot to fulfill that dream. Most of the beaches in Costa Rica are wild, surfing beaches, with huge waves and strong undertow. It is very dangerous to go in the water, as the currents can be violent and aggressive. Not Playa Hermosa. Frommer’s travel guide ranks it as one of the best swimming beaches in the country making it a great place for families and older retirees as well.  You don’t have to worry about a rogue wave, slamming you to the sand, face planting you down and then sucking you back out to sea. Small children frolic in the surf, with no concerns for their safety.

Is there Uber in Costa Rica?

Back in early 2016, Uber arrived in Costa Rica. There were huge protests from the taxi drivers and even some violence against some of the Uber drivers. Since then, it has calmed down, but there is still a lot of resistance from the taxi community. Here is what I have found.

As of this writing Uber ONLY exists in San Jose, not at the beaches, so if you are visiting Guanacaste, it won’t make a difference. Use the local red taxis. They are everywhere, very safe, very friendly and very reasonable. For two dollars you can get around town.

I have tried Uber in San Jose and have had mixed results. Some of the vehicles are beautiful, as you would find in North America. Others need some serious work. So, when I am in the city, and use Uber, I always try to order the upgraded Uber car, in hopes of getting one that is newer, nicer and in better condition. Also, it depends on where you plan on going. Most of the Uber drivers are new, and not that familiar with all the side roads. There are no street signs, many one way avenues, and some “not so nice” parts of town.

The old taxi drivers know the short cuts. They know how to cut through back roads and neighborhoods to avoid the massive traffic jams that clog the city. So many times, I just go with the local taxis, especially if I am going to a remote part of town, or an out of the way location.

Make your own choice.

If you are going to drive around the country, the best GPS app to use is WAZE. Everyone uses it here, so all the main locations are already plugged into the app and easy to find. Most car rental companies will also rent you a GPS for a very reasonable fee, just ask.