Veteran surfers at Hermosa will tell you to skip Jacó entirely and head directly to this idyllic surf community. A stark contrast to the ritzy beach with the same name on the Nicoya Peninsula, Hermosa is a virtual paradise for those seeking to spend long days swinging in hammocks or catching the consistent, hollow, and nearly perfect waves. These swells can easily spring up to double overhead at high-tide before rushing up the steep grade of a 7km long black-sand beach. As in Dominical, the large number of gringos make this a fun choice for backpackers looking to make friends, but a poor place to practice their Spanish.
Any Quepos-bound bus from San José, Puntarenas, Orotina, or Jacó will drop you off in town. A slightly more expensive option is to take a taxi from Jacó. (☎2643 1919, 2643 2020 or 2643 2121; ¢3000.) Arrange a time to return or ask a hotel to call a taxi when you’re ready to return. From Hermosa, buses stop at a small palm-covered awning 25m south of the MiniSuper for Puntarenas (3½hrs.; 6, 9am, noon, 2, 4pm; ¢1000), Quepos (2hr.; 7, 9, 10am, 12:30, 2, 4pm; ¢800); and San José (3hr.; 6:15, 8, 9am, 3:30pm; ¢1250). Since Hermosa is only a pick-up point and not a major destination, allow 20min. in both directions on all bus departures, and check with locals for the most up-to-date times.
The small community of Playa Hermosa clusters around a 1km stretch of the Costanera Sur Highway, 5km south of Jacó and 70km north of Quepos. The highway actually runs northeast to southwest, but all directions here are simplified to north and south. From Jacó, you will ride south into town, passing Hotel La Terraza del Pacífico and then Cabinas Rancho Grande (at the north end of town). The Backyard Bar marks the southern end of town. All businesses are located between the highway and the beach with entrances on the road. On the northern end of town, Pizzeria Bocha (☎2643 3696), a wildly painted blue and orange building next to the Jungle Surf Café, offers Internet. (¢1000 per hr. Open daily noon-9pm.) Located just south of Bocha in the back of the Jungle Surf Cafe, Black Sand Tours (☎2643 5615, 2643 1495 or 8812 2860) offers tourist information and can arrage a variety of adventure tours as well. (Open M-W, Th-Su 7am-3pm.) The nearest banks, pharmacies, clinics and other services are in Jacó.
All accommodations face the beach to take full advantage of spectacular views. Generally catering to surfers who play in the surf for several weeks at a time, most of Hermosa’s hotels and cabinas are pricier than their counterparts in other small towns, but you can still find some good deals. Accommodations in Hermosa are generally full year-round, so call ahead for reservations.
Like Jacó, most food at Playa Hermosa is geared toward American visitors. Although the gringo food and prices feel a bit touristy, the demand leads to a variety of options and make the higher prices almost worthwhile in Hermosa. Supermarket MiniSuper Pochotal is near the town center but offers only a very limited selection. (Open M-Sa 7am-9pm, Su 8am-noon).
Hermosa’s waves might be where most of the action is, but the surrounding forests and tamer waters offer enough activities to keep non-surfers busy for a day or two. Although the various canopy tours and rafting adventures may be a bit pricey, the steep Monkey Trail, which begins on the dirt road across from the old Bar Palmarenos and sees steady wildlife traffic, is free. If you’re around between July and December, you’ll have a good chance of seeing the 3000-4000 olive ridley turtles that emerge from the water to lay their eggs, with sightings most common in August. Ask the manager of your hotel where the best sightings have been recently. Gilberto Rodriguez of Black Sand Tours, located in the back of the Jungle Surf Cafe, can set you up with a variety of activities in the area. (4hr. canopy tour US$70, Parque Manuel Antonio tour US$120 per person with 2 people, US$85 with 4, or horseback riding along Hermosa Beach US$90.) (☎2643-5615, 2643-1495 or 8812-2860. Open M-Tu and Th-Su 7am-3pm.) Hotel La Terraza del Pacífico, 300m north of town, arranges a number of adventure tours as well. Canopy tours US$70, ATV tours US$70, rafting tours US$90, and two-tank scuba diving US$65. (☎2643 3222. AmEx/D/MC/V.)
Intermediate and expert surfers swear by Hermosa’s perfectly cascading waves, which regularly reach heights of 8-13 ft. before slamming onto its seemingly endless black-sand beaches. One caveat to note is that the waves have a tendency to hold a fallen surfer under, and the impact zone is famous for splitting boards and crushing faces against the sandy bottom. Still, near-perfect conditions at high-tide regularly call dozens of skilled surfers in and out of the white foam. Even with this traffic, except for a few busy weeks in the high season, there are enough peaks along the 7km beach that you won’t have to dodge boards to catch a wave. For a memorable moon-lit ride, Hotel La Terraza illuminates the beach break in front of the hotel with flood lights on Saturday nights from 8 to 9pm (8pm-midnight when there’s a local competition going on). True experts flock to Hermosa for the annual Quiksilver qualifying event held by the Hotel La Terraza, which is usually held for several weeks in the month of July. For those still learning, Hotel La Terraza can also set up surf lessons with a local pro (US$70 for a private 2hr. lesson).
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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