Hanging out with some wild monkeys was fantastic, but the day was far from done!
After the monkey mangrove tour, we still wanted to explore the coast, so we made a turn off the main road to find a strip of private houses and small hotels along the beach. We stopped at Hotel Pelicano and grabbed some drinks to sip while we strolled the beach. My dad ordered lemonade, and it seemed really cool, so I also ordered one. The lemonade here is different from the lemon, sugar and water I am used to. The lemonade in Costa Rica is more of a slushie made with real lemon juice.
We got our refreshments and walked through the hidden getaway and landed on the dark-sand beach. The sand here is the softest sand I have ever felt; it’s like a fine powder and easily gets stuck to your body. Closer to the shore line, the sand envelopes your feet so you’re a good few inches down.
We sauntered down the shoreline looking for shells and sand dollars. Finding sand dollars is always exciting because we can’t find many at home. The coolest thing I ever found off of Seaside Park was a seahorse, which my dog ate a few years later. We discovered a handful of sand dollars, and now our goal is to get a few home in one piece. They are so fragile, some even broke in the bag at the beach.
There were beautifully colored shells in shades of pink, purple and coral dotting the shore. I wish we could bring some driftwood home because it would make for a great keepsake as well as decoration. Coconuts also lined the beach, as well as the occasional bonfire made of palm tree leaves.
After a while, we decided to head home, but we had to make one last stop in the town of Jaco, which is a little surf town on the beach. We checked out some board rentals and the waves and we definitely wanted to come back to surf as well as shop.
Once we got back from our day of adventure, we relaxed a bit and headed to dinner at a gorgeous restaurant on the marina at the Marriot, called El Galeon. If anyone is wondering El Galeon means “the galleon” which was a sailing ship used between the 15th and 17th centuries, originally for war and later for trade. We had some great calamari and I ordered one of my favorites: scallops.
After some typing on my lap top as well as frustration that the internet wouldn’t let me post, my bed called me so I could rest for the exciting day to come.
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