Costa RicaCosta Rica

Buddha in the Middle of Dirt Road Ville

Destination: Nosara

I had a tour scheduled for this morning. I was supposed to go kayaking in the Nosara Biological Reserve, but my guide never showed up. This is not the norm for guided tours. Usually, tours are led by professional guides and executed in a rather timely manner. I was just unlucky today.

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Instead, I use my morning to walk down the beach to the section of Ostional National Wildlife Refuge that is here at Playa Guiones. There is a public beach access, trash receptacles and the blue ecological flag hangs here too. This section of protected beach is part of 300 hectares of protected land and 800 hectares of protected ocean waters that make up the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge. 

Thousands and thousands of turtles come ashore annually in Ostional.

We depart from the Casa Romantica and head towards Tamarindo on the gravel/dirt road that parallels the coast. We pass the Ostional Wildlife headquarters at Playa Ostional and a few small towns.

The dirt road is in good condition but there are several (five or more) stream crossings that would not be possible if there were any more water in them. During the rainy season (May, June, August, September) these streams will likely be flooded and impassible, even with a four-wheel drive.

There are a few houses along the road, but not much else. Lunchtime comes and goes before we finally arrive in San Juanillo (another small undeveloped beach town) and encounter this Zen Buddha place in the middle of dirt road Ville in rural Costa Rica. They have excellent food at a reasonable price, and it looks like it would be a happening place to be at night. Plenty of open space, lots of tables, and even a few couches.

There is only one turn for San Juanillo off the main road- just turn towards the ocean when the sign says San Juanillo and the restaurant is up a little way on your right. The dirt road continues to be in pretty good shape all the way to Paraiso. Once the road splits towards Tamarindo, it quickly deteriorates. I cannot believe that the roads going into one of Costa Rica's most developed beach towns can be in such bad shape. Pot holes, pot holes and more potholes.

Buddha in the Middle of Dirt Road Ville in Pictures

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