I ended 2020 on a positive note with my first-ever visit to Costa Rica in December. This was my first time taking an airplane since the pandemic, and I wasn’t nervous because I knew I would follow all safety precautions. We chose a direct flight from Miami International Airport to Guanacaste’s Liberia Airport. We stayed at Played Hollywood (PH) Beach Resort Costa Rica (about 40 minutes from Liberia airport), a beautiful hotel built along the mountains. It was a scenic drive from the airport with rows and rows of sugar cane and rice fields.
Upon arrival we were greeted with refreshing cocktails, the PH staff always wore masks, and asked you to wear yours, if you had a momentary lapse. I witnessed firsthand the safety protocols the hotel’s health and sanitation guidelines adhered to, and I was very comfortable.
Because PH Hollywood is built in the mountains, you have two choices to get around, walk, or take the complimentary golf carts that ride around the property 24/7. Walking uphill IS a workout, even though the distance from our hotel room to the main lobby wasn’t very far, maybe it was the altitude that made you feel out of breath. For attire, ladies do yourselves a favor and leave the very high heels home. I say this because the first two days we stayed on the property, went to the swimming pools, walked around, and chilled out. I noticed there was an armed guard roaming the property, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen that at a resort. There is a beach that is adjacent to the hotel, where there are vendors and ladies offering massage services, these people are NOT affiliated with the hotel. The beach really has black sand, which comes from the volcano, it’s a unique sight.
On Friday, we took our first excursion, which was to Coco Beach aka Playas del Coco, about 40 minutes from the hotel. Before we left, I noticed how packed the lobby had become. It seems that local Costa Ricans came for the weekend, our driver, Jorge, told us this is common weekend activity for locals. On our drive Jorge shared stories about Coco Beach. He let us know Coco Beach is one of the oldest fishing villages in Costa Rica. It’s a beach frequented by locals, thought a tourist spot as well. Jorge told us there is an area along the beach where you can take a nice picture of the sunset, and also get great views between 5:30-5:40 pm. We walked along the main boulevard where most of the shops are and popped in and out looking at the souvenirs. The items in the stores were flea market type, but we were told they are cheaper than shops in the airport. While walking, I noticed a sign that said “Tsunami.,” I asked Jorge, has a tsunami ever occurred, and he said no. We theorized that because of the water of the nearby beach, it was posted as a precaution. I wanted to have seafood while out, so we stopped and had shrimp at Papagayo Seafood. The order took sooooo long we missed seeing the sunset, at least my shrimp were fresh and made to order. If you do decide to visit Coco Beach, bring small bills, $1, $5, $10, are best. The exchange rate is $1 USD equals 600 colón. To give you an idea, if an item costs $ 5,945 colón it’s about $10 USD.
On Saturday we took a catamaran cruise, which was just beautiful, this was also a first for me. We cruised for about three hours, with six other people. We got to see “The Head of the Monkey,” a gigantic rock formation that really resembles a gorilla’s head, it made me think of the Planet of the Apes movie. For our cruise, not only did the Capitan guide the ship, while on board, he also made guacamole, which was some of the tastiest I ever had.
Sunday was all about relaxation, so we took in the services at PH Spa. I started my session with a hydrotherapy bath, Swedish massage, and ended with a volcanic scrub. My attendant, Francis, was great, and the spa staff always wore masks. It was a great way to end the trip, since the next we’d be returning to the States.
Monday afternoon we headed back to the airport to return home and there are a couple of things I noticed at the airport. First, you must wash your hands before entering the departure area at the airport, there is no entry if you do not comply. There are very few shops and eateries in Liberia Airport, a hamburger, fries, and a bottle water cost $31 USD, you read that right. If you can, eat a hearty meal before your flight. I noticed that each table in the eating area had a bottle of Clorox wipes, you know you would not see that in the States ☺. I visited one of the few shops in the airport, bluezone, where I learned that Nicoya, is one of the five blue zones on the planet. The blue zone area in Costa Rica is Nicoya, one of the five blue zones of the planet. Most of the people from Nicoya live to be up to 100 years of age, because of the lifestyle, daily diet, physical activity, and close inter-generational relationships.
I had a great five days in Costa Rica and will return. There are some areas Id like to visit for my next trip including Nicoya and Limon. My trip was pura vida, a common saying in Costa Rica which means pure life. It was all that and more.
If you plan to visit Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Costa Rica, here are a few standouts:
Onsite Restaurants:
Tex Mex – try the mini apple pie 😋
East- hibachi was excellent, pad Thai noodles were great, with the sweetest aroma, the chef, Armand, made mine with shrimp, which was not on the menu, which was so tender and nicely seasoned. The sushi was very fresh
Gusto- Italian restaurant, the lasagna was so tasty
If you eat papaya, you’re going to love PH’s. The papaya was some of the sweetest I ever had. The fragrant stayed within your nostrils.
PH Staff:
If you go to the bar in the main lobby, ask for Bermond, resident mixologist. He’ll create awesome drinks for you. Ask for the Slap Your Ass and Slap Your Big Ass!
If you have a butler by the name of Pablo, you are in for first-class service. Pablo was very attentive and assisted us with whatever we needed
