Jaco Beach, Costa Rica: A Surf Town at the end of the Jungle

Jaco Beach is located on the Pacific side of Costa Rica between Hermosa slightly South and Herradura just North. The city center is a two hour drive from San Jose, but twisting and turning through the mountains and coffee plantations in rural areas makes it feel more like an hour.

Situated in the Puntarenas Province, Jaco Beach is where People come to learn to surf. The beach is  a 2.6 mile long bay with the perfect conditions for beginners. It's length offers a long exposure, especially at low tide with few hazardous rocks to cause concern.

The Pacific Ocean is known for riptides and strong currents not often found on Caribbean or Atlantic beaches. The surfing here in not for weak swimmers.  The more experienced surfers purchase or buy their equipment in Jaco,  but surf further up the Coast in places like Hermosa. The beaches to the South have no mountains and are less dangerous, though riptides are always concern. It is still the Pacific Ocean, after all.

There is a dedicated swimming area at the South end of the beach.  Visitors are encouraged to stay in this area due to underwater lava rock structures and strong currents. I only swam at low tide. The surf was too rough as the tide came it and at its highest point.

Each end of the beach meets a small mountain extending out into the Ocean. The spaces where beach meets lava rock is a beach combers dream. Anyone interested in Geology will love the diverse collection of fossils,  lava rock, shells, coral and more. Remember to bring tennis shoes or river rock shoes should You decide to venture around the mountain.

Jaco is colorful, providing a perfect balance between city bustle and a more relaxed beach bum vibe. There are colorful murals painted on buildings all over the City providing fantastic photo opportunities. The art community is strong in this City and the results are impressive.

Most of the apartments and condos available surround a center court with a private pool available for guests and residents to enjoy.  These internal spaces are set up with tiki bars, grills and tables perfect for back yard bbq's. The one I visited had sealife and tropical birds painted all over the wall. It was nice to have a pool when the beach was un-swimmable.

The high point of the beach was Sunset. Everyone in the town who wasn't working at dusk, locals and tourists alike drove to the beach to watch the sunset.  Rows of parked cars line the beach end to end with families, friends and visitors mingling with each other over portable bbqs and coolers of cervesa. Couples taking romantic sunset walks,  children running around in the sand at their parent's feet, melodies heard from car speakers intermingling just above the crowd, sunset in Jaco really represents Pura Vida well and shouldn't be missed.

Jaco is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations on the Pacific Side of Costa Rica with several large resorts under construction slated to be open next busy season.  There are many beach hotels,  private condos and air b&bs available for rent. Most major booking sites offer spaces.

If planning to explore the coast,  renting a car from the San Jose Airport is easy and parking is readily available. Local transportation is also an option with buses, several taxi services and Uber drivers available to use most times of the day.  Excursions to wildlife preserves and ocean trips can be booked from store fronts or through any hotel and generally provide transportation.

The nightlife is fun and exciting with several bars located in close proximity for easy bar hopping.  Bars and restaurants take both local and US currencies, as well as major credit cards.

Jaco is definitely worth a look as a travel destination. Laid back, colorful and fun,  Jaco has something for everyone.

Snorkeling at Catalina Island, Dominican Republic

Catalina Island or Isla Catalina is a tropical island located 1.5 miles from the mainland on the south-east corner of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Sea. The island is formed out of coral stone and sits on three overlapping plateaus resting 60 feet above sea level. The Island is a popular destination for divers and snorkelers, the Wall and the Aquarium being two sites just off the island shores.

The rich coral ecosystems and diverse fish life provide wonder and discovery for swimmers of all skill level. The water is crystal clear allowing for optimal site distance. Divers interested in shipwrecks will enjoy the site of the 1699 Quedagh Merchane, an Armenian ship commissioned by the French to transport goods and was shipwrecked, considered lost at sea. 

I took a snorkeling tour booked through the Resort in Punta Cana Bavarro Beach leaving at 7:30am and returning at 6pm. The bus was comfortable, cruising through vast sugarcane fields, natives on mopeds and in trucks full of field workers with their materials passed the bus with ease. I had a lovely chat with a Young German couple who had just married and were backpacking through the World before settling their lives back in Germany. One of the things I love about travel is hearing the stories of fellow jet setters and globetrotters. 

We arrived at a passenger landing station where we were given safety instructions and shuffled onto boats headed to the Island. There were equal numbers of divers and snorkelers. This is the perfect excursion if you happen to be traveling in mixed company. While the divers swim to deeper waters, snorkelers are left to explore the shallow reefs. 

After a beautiful 30 minute boat ride, the boat stopped in the shallow waters just off the Island and attached to an underwater anchor station. The two groups split up and after watching the divers make their way to their spot, I jumped off the boat. The sun makes the colors of the reef more vibrant. Fan coral appears to be waving delicately in the under currant and small sea animals crawl in and out of the tube coral. The water is just so clear, visibility is incredible and  always the perfect temperature at 75 degrees. I spent an hour or so floating above the reef watching colorful fish dart this way and that.

Soon after, the divers were back and the boats head to shore to drop off the snorkelers. The divers go back out for a deeper dive where snorkeling is not safe. Snorkelers continue their adventures from the beach. 

The Island has a restaurant and a bar serving all inclusive fruity rum drinks. After procuring one such fruity rum drink, I went down to the water and sat in the shallows. There are no big waves on the beach here because of the way the reef is positioned, so the floating in the beach area is like sitting in a natural hot tub. I loved lazing along with my fruity rum drink watching the privately owned boats make anchor close to shore, jumping off to snorkel around the reef. After an hour or so, the divers were back and a lunch of chicken, rice and vegetable dishes was served buffet style in the restaurant. There are vendors on the beach in a separate area, so bring both local and US currency if you plan to take home a souvenir.  

After lunch, everyone enjoyed more fruity rum drinks, shopping and lounging on the beach for a couple of hours before heading back to the boat for the return trip. It was late afternoon at this point, a storm was approaching so the ride back was quite choppy. If you are prone to seasickness, bring medicine just in case. Many people got sick on the way back. The sugar cane plants glistened in the rain on the way back to the resort. Still, It was the perfect day. 

Look for future posts on the Dominican Republic including a review on Barcelo Resorts in the near future. 

Beach Finds Xpu-Ha Mexico

Xpu-Ha Beach is a local beach and resort area 21 miles south of Playa Del Carmen Mexico. The area is remote away from the City noise and busy tourists spots as well close to Ancient Mayan coastal City of Tulum. Cenote Manati, one of the largest natural water cenotes is located at the north end of the Bay making the sleepy coastal town a favorite of serious divers. 

Beaches in the Mexican Rivera allow for foot traffic, so getting out of the resort to walk down the beach will fill an afternoon with local wonders, different shopping areas and access to more activities. You can rent jets skis, water sporting equipment, take a sunset sailboat ride or go parasailing. Divers can expect to get a discount on diving excursions booked through local dive shops on

the beach rather than book through the resort. Local merchants set up shopping areas and stroll up and down the beach offering hats, cigars and souvenirs to tourists lounging  at each resort. These merchants work on a system of negotiation with no set prices. Ask several vendors their price before buying an item. Having both local currency and US currency helps. 

Xpu-Ha is somewhat undeveloped, so an afternoon walk for me turned into a geological adventure. I stumbled upon a beach of fossilized coral. The Yucatan Peninsula, the exposed portion of the larger Yucatan Platforms is mostly limestone and believed to have been formed 65 million years ago when an asteroid hit somewhere in the Caribbean basement. The shock-waves of this impact are believed to have created the famous 'Ring of Cenotes'.

Recently archaeologists connected two of the largest cave systems on the Peninsula, the Sac Actun and Dos Ojos networks. In these caves, they discovered Mayan relics, an elaborate shrine to the God of War and Commerce and the remains of a giant sloths. In the treasure trove of artifacts, divers found ceramics, human remains, wall hangings and animal remains enabling archaeologists to date pieces of the cave all the way back to the Pliestocene epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) 

Fossilized coral is easy to find in patches on remote, untouched parts of the beach. There are so many types of coral frozen in time in the rocks, blue coral, brain coral and pillar coral. Fan coral and brain coral are scattered all over the beach. Some of these specimens are not dead, they can be thrown back in to reattach to the reef. Most Countries have rules about taking rocks, shells and coral from beaches. Most tourist take home a small amount of shells and coral from Mexico with no issue. Check with customs in the arriving Country to be sure they allow these items back in to the Country. You may need to claim them on the customs form. 

If you can't take a favorite beach find home, be sure to get a picture of the item. These photos can be made into home decor or end up in a scrap book later keeping the memory of finding the treasure without the hassle of taking it home. Beaches Playa Del Carmen south have lots of little shells to find, so take a couple of zip lock backs for transport. Also, rinse anything you take home with you thoroughly and be sure there are no live creatures living in the shells you find. 

Look for My reviews of Tulum and Playa Del Carmen All Inclusive Resorts posting soon! 

Happy Treasure Hunting, Beach Bums!

6 Reasons I Travel and Why You Should, Too

"Not all who Wander are lost." JRR Tolkien 

Travel is imperative to expanding one's perspective.  Leaving comfort zones to sleep in unfamiliar places,  eat foods foreign to our tastes and know how others live does more than make us resilient and adaptable. It makes us whole.  These are the moments we choose to replay in our minds after the vacation is over.  Adventures bring us closer together or as traveling individuals,  allow our souls to breathe.  There are so many profound reasons to travel. Here are My top 6. 

1. To meet new people

"Find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many People. Go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys.  Try everything.  Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life."   -Lawrence K. Fish 

Everyone You meet has a story. Hearing other people's stories brings us closer as a human race.  People really do want the same things,  good health, comfort and a space to grow as an individual.  Everyone goes through similar life cycles, some have children,  some adults have grown children and now care for elderly parents, others are great grandparents.  Getting out of familiar places and sharing stories allows each of us to feel closer to those who live in far away places and know our similarities.  

2. To be more resilient 

"Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends,  your daily routines,  your refrigerator full of food,  your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away,  you are forced into direct experience.  Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience.  That's not always comfortable,  but it is invigorating."  -Michael Crichton

Travel can be uncomfortable,  yes. Any trip out of Your comfort zone is scary.  Some refuse to travel for fear of the unknown, but discomfort can be a beautiful thing.  Through travel, we learn to expect the unexpected in delightful ways.  Getting sidetracked and stuck may seem dreadful in the day to day grindstone,  but when traveling,  time feels different.  Experiencing the unexpected teaches us faith that we are always where we need to be and so we learn to adapt.  It's vacation,  after all! Where do You need to be in such a hurry? 

3. To Learn Tolerance and Achieve Understanding

"It's important that we share our experiences with other people.  Your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else.  When you tell your story,  you give yourself and give other people permission to acknowledge their own story."  -Iyanla Vanzant 

Every single human being in the World has basic needs,  shelter,  water,  food.  Traveling allows us to learn how others mitigate these needs.  In the jungle,  people often get their food from the fruit bearing trees and do not understand grocery stores.  On the beach,  the food comes from the sea and is present in every meal.  Immersing Yourself in other cultures expands your perspective in immersive and multidimensional ways.  

4. Adventure

"Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures."  -Lovelle Drachman

Hike, Swim in the Ocean, Climb a Mountain, Sail a Ship! Who doesn't love adventure? Through exploration We conquer our fears, set goals and achieve them, raise our heart rates in a good way and let genuine smiles radiate from the inside out. The feeling anything can be achieved comes back wth us to daily life after the trip.  Those who adventure,  take more risks and reap the benefits in their day to day lives.  Those who don't feel stagnated and marginalized. 

5. To Feel More Human

"The greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience every day things as if for the first time."  -Bill Bryson 

Traveling puts us in situations where We understand the Human Experience.  We appreciate the journey more and are able to have gratitude for what's really important in life.  Experiencing many cultures allows You to be more comfortable with Yourself. The World feels less chaotic knowing everyone in it has the same passions,  desires and billions of ways to express them.  Bringing home pieces of culture keeps a sense of wonder about a place long after You are gone.   

6. To Get in Touch with the Divine 

"I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the World." -Mary Anne Radmacher

Travel creates a spiritual restlessness.  It's the feeling inciting us to rise early to see the sunrise in a far away place and go to bed late to watch the same night sky as the locals.  These private moments of gratitude have bring us closer to our divine spiritual divine.   

"Your heart is the size of an Ocean. Go find Yourself in its hidden depths." Rumi

It's easier than you think to plan a trip.  Start a Bucket list and make a plan.  I'll be posting an entire series on ways to plan tangible trips You can take soon.  Stay tuned! 

The Grand Adventures of the Blonde Brunette is a collection of my travels published with the intent to help others enjoy traveling comfortably, creating lifelong memories out of enriching cultural experiences.  The World is My Playground.