Central America Archives - Coconut Compass

July 12, 2015 by Eeva Routio Leave a Comment

What Makes Samara Beach, Costa Rica So Special?

Samara Beach Costa Rica sunset. Photo: Eeva Routio. — Samara Beach sunset. Need I say more? Photo: Eeva Routio.

Costa Rica is well and truly on the beaten path of travelers but there are still many rather undiscovered, or at least half-hidden, gems in this popular Central American country. Samara Beach, or Playa Sámara, is definitely one of them. I actually almost don’t want to write about it in fear of exposing this ‘secret’ tropical dream destination. To borrow some words from this little movie a few years back – there’s something about Samara.

So what exactly makes Samara Beach so special? It may not be immediately obvious when you arrive. It doesn’t necessarily hit you in the face. Samara is a charming small beach town with a string of shops and restaurants, and a beautiful beach. Yes, it’s pretty, but beyond that the ‘something special’ is intangible. There’s just something about Samara that really sticks with you and the longer you stay the harder it seems to move on.

We spent over a month in this dreamy beach town and simply fell in love with it. The wide golden beach with its beautiful warm water is fantastic for swimming, relaxing, kayaking and surfing. It also has the most stunning sunsets and the long beach is perfect for a romantic stroll. There’s jungle [Read more…]

May 21, 2015 by Eeva Routio 1 Comment

Surfing Nicaragua: San Juan del Sur Surfing for Beginners

Nicaragua San Juan del Sur Surfing. Image: Eeva Routio. — So obviously he is NOT a beginner. I just didn’t have any pictures of us surfing. Photo: Eeva Routio.

Firstly, just to clarify, there’s actually no surfing in San Juan del Sur, per se. The pretty beach right in town is very sheltered and doesn’t have a break. But San Juan del Sur is where you want to base yourself, and explore the beaches immediately north and south of town. There are beginner-friendly beach breaks less than 5km (3 miles) away, and the many surf shops in San Juan offer lessons, rental boards and transportation at very reasonable prices. It’s a good idea to pop into two or three different surf shops and see which one you feel comfortable with before you sign up for lessons.

It’s not just the beautiful scenery, and the accessibility and affordability of surfing in San Juan del Sur that makes it so great. It’s also kind of nice that there are many (but not too many) other beginners surfers around, and the atmosphere is rather jovial. So there’s no need to feel self-conscious wobbling about on your board.

We stayed in San Juan del Sur for three weeks and dedicated some of that time to learning how to surf. Here’s a bit of a rundown of our experiences.

San Juan del Sur surfing: Playa Remanso

After popping into a few surf shops in town, we ended up going with Moke Huhu Surf School for our first surf lesson. The guys at Moke Huhu are super chilled-out and fun as well as professional. On our first day we headed over to the very beginner-friendly waves of beautiful Playa Remanso about 5km (3 miles) from town. Although we both have tried surfing before we’re VERY much in the beginner category. It was great to take a lesson just as a [Read more…]

May 11, 2015 by Eeva Routio 2 Comments

Nicaragua San Juan Del Sur – Things to Do and Sample Prices

Nicaragua San Juan del Sur. Photo: Eeva Routio — San Juan del Sur Beach. Photo: Eeva Routio.

San Juan del Sur – what is it like and what is there to do?

San Juan del Sur is a charming, small coastal town on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. It has a lively and fun vibe, and it is not yet completely overrun by travelers. BUT we weren’t there in peak season and I think there are moments when it’s getting to the point of complete saturation, as San Juan del Sur is well and truly on the “Gringo trail”.

Even though small, the town center has lots of restaurants and shops geared for tourists. Many expats [Read more…]

May 2, 2015 by Eeva Routio 1 Comment

Nicaragua Itinerary & Highlights: Surfing, Volcanoes, Colonial Cities, Cloud Forests and More!

Nicaragua Itinerary and Highlights. View from Mombacho Volcano, Nicaragua. Photo: Eeva Routio. — View from Mombacho Volcano, Nicaragua. Photo: Eeva Routio.

Nicaragua offers an unbeatable combination of colonial towns, volcanoes, cloud forests, lakes, mountains, rainforests and gorgeous beaches on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The Pacific Ocean beaches have some world-class surfing (and also some very good beginner spots too). There’s also volcano boarding, kayaking, zip lining, fishing, sailing and some amazingly diverse wildlife. Not to mention the warm hospitality of Nicas, the ease of traveling around and the relaxed Latin vibe. And all this comes with a budget price tag.

Because of all that’s on offer and the fact that it’s so inexpensive, it’s easy to plan [Read more…]

April 23, 2015 by Eeva Routio Leave a Comment

Nicaragua – Pictures

A few pictures from gorgeous Nicaragua.