Two beaches, two moods — and everything in between
Cacique Retreat sits between Playas del Coco and Playa Hermosa, which means you never have to choose one Costa Rica.
Cacique Retreat sits between Playas del Coco and Playa Hermosa, which means you never have to choose one Costa Rica.
Lively dinners and boat tours one day; a calm, quiet shoreline the next. Here's how we'd spend a week.
Coco is the social heart of this coast: beachfront restaurants, bars, live music, and a bay full of boats heading out every morning. It's also one of Costa Rica's main diving hubs — dive shops run trips to nearby islands and reefs year-round.
Where we eat: Start with Johann Bistro downtown — it's the one we recommend most. It's air-conditioned with a genuinely wide menu (sushi and sashimi, wood-fired pizza, salty crepes for brunch, real gluten-free and vegetarian options). Closed Mondays. For fresh seafood, Restaurante Mar Azul pulls the fish straight from the market case so you choose exactly what you want and how it's cooked. And for sunset with a view, The Lookout sits on a hilltop above town with panoramic bay views and a solid craft beer list.
Where we go for a drink: Zi Lounge — it's the closest bar to the house and our real go-to, casual with live music, right in the heart of Coco.
On the water: Rich Coast Diving, downtown, is who we'd send serious divers to — they run trips out to the Catalina Islands for some of the best visibility on this coast. For a private boat day, Mystic Rides with Marcy, a local captain with nearly 40 years on this stretch of the Gulf of Papagayo, is our pick for beach-hopping, snorkeling, or inshore fishing.
Ask us for our current favorites — we keep a running list of where we actually eat, and it changes with the seasons.
Minutes in the other direction, Hermosa is the exhale: a calm, gently curved bay that's perfect for swimming, paddling, and doing very little. The ocean here runs 82–84°F — warm enough that nobody hesitates.
Where we eat: La Casita Del Marisco, right on the sand, is our go-to for sunset — honest portions of shrimp, tuna, and lobster with exactly the view you'd hope for at golden hour. For something feet-in-the-sand and casual, AquaSport Bar & Restaurant sits right on the beach under a stand of trees, with live music Wednesdays and Saturdays. El Velero is another favorite for a proper sit-down dinner — oceanfront tables close enough to hear the waves, with live music some nights. For something different, Ginger serves Asian-inspired tapas and cocktails in a treehouse-style dining room — a local favorite for 20+ years. And Roberto's, right on the beach, is a solid all-day pick for breakfast through dinner, with live music some evenings.
Snorkeling (gear's at the house), scuba, sunset sails, fishing charters, and seasonal wildlife — this stretch of the Pacific is known for its marine life. Ask us and we'll point you to the operators we trust.
Guanacaste has its own culture — festivals, rodeo season, and food you won't find on the tourist strip. If something's happening nearby during your stay, we'll tell you. Forbes named Guanacaste one of the top places in the world to visit in 2026; the locals could have told you that years ago.
Fly into Liberia International Airport (LIR) — the house is about 30 minutes away, one easy drive. That's the whole soft landing: land, drive half an hour, unpack once.
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