Abuelas at Mar Bar

This high season, Mar Bar is being invaded on Sunday evenings by Gregory and Alyssa, who convert it in to “Abuelas” and do their own Mexican style menu.

Fish tacos with rice and beans, ceviche and other Mexican favorites are swapped in and out each week.  Look for the weeks menu on the blackboard.

The full bar is still available.

Mar bar is located in the small hotel section of Playa Grande on the north end next to PGI and Rancho Privado.  See the Playa Grande Map.

The Garden Grill and Market

The Garden Grill Restaurant and Market is the creation of local restaurant entrepreneurs Jason and Stacy.  The restaurant is currently open for lunch and dinner and will offer breakfast as well during high season.

Many locals have already enjoyed the new culinary delights in the garden palapa or grabbed take out as well.

The menu includes favorites from previous ventures like real hamburgers and Costa Rica’s best hot wings.  There are also many new items including super fresh seafood.

On my visit we started with wine for my friends and michelada for me.  A michelada is a sort of beer margarita.  Imperial served on ice with lemon juice and a salted rim.

An order of the appetizer wings started us off.  We split it between three people but it would a good option for an entree as well.

For the main dish, I had the seared tuna with mango guacamole.  It came with a sweet wasabi sauce and a bed of black beans and rice.  Costa Rican fusion might be the way to describe.  It was a huge portion and I polished it.  Delicious!

The burger looked delicious and the fries were the real deal with spices, not frozen.

I’m looking forward to trying the rest of the items on the menu.  This is an upscale restaurant with reasonable prices.

Look forward to the market opening shortly.  They will carry beach items as well as produce and groceries for those looking to cook while staying in Playa Grande.

The largest out of the two homes, Villa Olivia, features 3300 square feet of spacious living with contemporary, yet comfortable furnishings. Each of the 5 bedrooms is decorated in a fun, colorful theme and has its own private bath. With wrap-around verandas on each level, you are sure not to miss the spectacular sunsets each afternoon.

Casa Mirage, the sister house located right next door, is tastefully decorated with Central American décor throughout each of the two stories. This 2700 square foot, oceanfront beauty features 6 bedrooms and 5 baths and is also accompanied by two wrap-around verandas.

Both of these two story beachfront homes are family owned and have additional services available including airport transfers, private cooks and even a nanny if needed.

There is enough room between the two homes to comfortably sleep 25 people. So, bring your family and friends to come enjoy this beautiful beach and create memories to last a lifetime!

Click the links above to book the wonderful homes through Coastal Property Management.

Casa Muy Grande

“I was at Casa Muy Grande a few weeks ago with a group of friends. It was, simply put, one of the best weeks of my life. The natural, scenic beauty of Playa Grande is unparalleled. The surrounding area is far enough removed from the more touristy area of Tamarindo to give a really authentic, Central American adventure experience. But the locale also has all the amenities you want for first rate travel – excellent restaurants (I particularly recommend Cantarana, right across the street from CMG), spa/fitness services (massage, yoga, etc.), and a few fun and colorful bars. The surf on the Nicoya peninsula is world famous and, living up to it’s reputation, we got some great surf session while we were down there. The staff at CMG (Jose and Carolina) are amazing, so friendly and they keep the house running like a 5 star hotel. I definitely plan on returning to Costa Rica in the future and will be booking my stay at the awesome CASA MUY GRANDE!”

“I just finished my first stay at Casa Muy Grande and I am already counting the days until I can go back! The house is incredible from the rotunda driveway with HUGE Palms, to a full on tiki bar with fun ball court and foosball table. The grounds keeper and his wife were pleasant, attentive and engaging despite our language barrier. From cooking amazing seafood dinners for our party, to shinning bright spotlights in the dark to guide us to the local bar, they were phenomenal! The house itself is incredible with full AC, pool, and plenty of space for everyone (we were a group of 10 guys). What’s more is that the beach is picture perfect and never crowded. We surfed during the day and played beach soccer at dusk as the sunset! Pura Vita!

If you are looking for a vacation rental, Casa Muy Grande is the spot to be hands down.”

“When we pulled up to the entrance rotunda, the only thing I could think about was the movie Scarface. This place was amazing and the inside didn’t disappoint either. Great pool area to relax in, great recreational facilitates, right on the amazing beach that is not too crowded, really a perfect spot. The staff was great, they prepared us a fresh seafood dinner that could rival big time restaurants back in the states. They were very friendly and helpful and even came out to play beach soccer with us. It’s a little bit of a trek to Tamarindo but I think you would be hard pressed to find a better vacation rental in the area.”

Grande had some sad news early this week.  Local Steve Olsen passed away.  Steve was known for always having a smile on his face and a story to tell. He will be missed.

Lastly, if you have been driving around during the last week, you’ll notice the tons of mango trees in our area have just ripened and the fruits are dropping everywhere.  Lots were to be found near the dry (soon to be not dry) creek on the short cut to Tamarindo.

Johnny Surveys the Conditions

Many visitors to SurfingPlayaGrande.com know Johnny Vigil from his days in Playa Grande running the website and managing properties.  Johnny left in late 2010 to run Una Ola Surf Camp with good friend Colin Briers in Pavones, Costa Rica.

I recently had a chance to visit the two in their new location.  Una Ola is now located on the southern end of Pavones. The coastal highway is in great shape, so roads were not an issue until I took the turn off close to Golfito.  4 wheel drive was not needed, but the 4Runner’s ground clearance was handy as there were some washed out sections on the way into Pavones.

I was greeted by Brody, the mascot of the surf camp.  The property is gorgeous with a pool surrounded by tropical gardens, a barbecue, and a great hammock for reading.  The two apartments face the pool with the storage and working part of the camp in the back.

Una Ola Surf Camp (Greeted by Brody)

On day 1, we surfed the main Pavones break early in the morning.  The waves were shoulder to overhead and there was a decent turn out.  Some sections were closing out, so it was not possible to ride the wave all the way around the point.  Still an awesome spot with extremely consistent waves.  We caught it again at sunset and there were only 4 people on the main peak.

Day 2 was off to a secret spot.  Great waves there as well.

Day 3 was back at the main break with less people for the morning session.  Another great session with overhead sets.  I definitely improved my backside riding on this trip.

A Visitor to the Camp

When not surfing, we grilled out a couple times and made some great fajitas.  We also took a side trip to nearby Punta Banco, a sleepy village south of Pavones, and Vista del Mar, an even sleepier community in the hills behind Punta Banco. We also caught happy hour at Manta Bar, a local hangout.  1000 colon margaritas were surprisingly good.

I found to Pavones to be a chilled out place to hang out, but surprisingly convenient with good internet, a supermarket, and some good restaurants.

Johnny is doing well these days.  The surf camp looks great and has many bookings, and he is already managing some properties and learning the real estate market.

I would definitely recommend planning a visit in the near future.

Children Rest in Post-Modern Shade

Playa Grande has seen many improvements recently.  First and foremost, the road into town has been totally cleaned up and repaired.  The section coming down the hill and around the curve at Corona del Cabo is now in much better shape.

Pot holes have been patched all over the area and there are two new speed bumps in front of Kike’s Place, where pedestrians tend to be found on the blind curve.

There are also rumors that new internet options may be available soon as fiber optic cable has been run into town recently.

Guggenheim in Bilbao

A number of new bus stops have been installed as well.  Residents suspect the design was inspired by Frank Lloyd Ghery’s Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Finally, a new tennis court is slated for construction in Playa Grande Estates.  We’re not sure it will be rectangular.

Jason, the chef/owner of the restaurant at Playa Grande Inn, has a great menu with very affordable prices.

Pizzas start at $6 and are cooked on a wood oven.

A local favorite is the pulled pork sandwich with a huge portion of seasoned french fries for $6 as well. Delicious! Other menu offerings include chicken wings, casados, burgers, and quesadillas.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and will send soon add breakfast.

During the day you can also find Raw Juice Bar. Lynn grows her own wheat grass and also offers many other healthy ingredients along with super fresh fruit.

PGI is a good place to bring a laptop or book as well as there is free internet and $1 coffee in the mornings.

Check the Playa Grande Map for directions.

Good waves started to come in Friday, with locals reporting great sessions on Saturday and Sunday as well. The swell is supposed to hold up throughout the week, so check the Playa Grande Surf Report for tide times.

The New Years crowds started leaving yesterday and should thin out today as San Jose residents return to work tomorrow.

We would also like to encourage everyone to keep our roads safe.  Three locals were injured in two separate incidents, one of which was triggered by unleashed dogs running into the street.

Casa Muy Grande Beach Side

Every now and then a very special property goes on the market.  Casa Muy Grande would qualify in that category.  It is the premier property in Palm Beach Estates, Playa Grande, sitting on over an acre of beach front land.  The home is sold with an adjacent lot that is empty except for many species of tree including coconut palms and fruit trees.

Enter Casa Muy Grande through the gates and you will come into a circular driveway with a fountain in the middle.  There is parking on either side of the home.

Walk through the front doors into the open floor plan, living, dining, and kitchen area.

Casa Muy Grande was formerly a bed and breakfast, but has for some years now been used as a private getaway for large parties.  The home is ideal for entertaining with an indoor dining area, a poolside dining area, and another dining area by the large barbecue.

Each of the four guest suites opens through sliding glass doors onto the free form, glass tile pool with jacuzzi.  Each has its own sitting area as well.  The master bedroom sits on the second floor with a lanai overlooking the pool and the tropical gardens.

The home has had very good rental numbers and many repeat customers.  Any purchaser must honor all existing bookings.  $2.2 Million with ~1.25 acres of land