During the dry season (December - April), the Nicoya peninsula pretty much guarantees an abundance of sunshine and blue skies. It's the perfect time to take a little rent-a-car drive out to Curú Wildlife Refuge, where embarking on a small trek through rainforest and farmland will not disappoint once reaching your ultimate destination - the azul waters of Quesera beach.
You could potentially rely on the howler monkeys to wake you up at the crack of dawn to get going but our suggestion would be to plan to leave early to make the most out of your day.
Upon arrival at Curú Wildlife Refuge, you will be greeted by the park ranger who will take a small fee for entry and provide you with directions to Curú's various treks. Park up, slop on the sunscreen and find the path to Playa Quesera (our favourite of the trails). It’s an hour hike through rainforest and farmland. The cows are friendly; they are gawkers!
The difficulty level is reasonably moderate but you shouldn’t be adverse to sweating it out.
Once the trek starts to draw to an end, in the distance you will see an azul piece of paradise - approach with caution, because you will be blown away by its breathtaking beauty and might not want to return.
This 'shipwrecked' feel of this beach that lacks in facilities, makes up for it with its astonishing beauty. The water is akin to a Caribbean island - white sand and clear water the colour of blue sapphire gems.
Once you’ve had your fill of paradise, you will need to embark on the hike back to base camp, a simple retrace of your steps. To make letting go of paradise and the trek back more exciting, we recommend setting your sites on grabbing some lunch.
We suggest driving down towards Cabuya where some of the best bakes and casado (typical Costa Rican dish) await at Panaderia Cabuya. The blueberry smoothie is high up on our list, as well as the chocolate cake.
If you’re doing good for time and have left yourself at least 2 hours until sunset, you could make your way back to Mal Pais for a sundowner drink at Caracolas.
Ask your social hosts at Shaka for suggestions about the best day to visit Curú (tide dependent), as well as for directions and car rental information.
What to bring:
- Cash
- Sneakers
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Bathing suit and towel
- Snorkeling gear
- Snacks
- Water
