Shopping
The Best Places to Go Nightlife-Shopping in Costa Rica
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by Peter Matthiessen
27-06-2024
Shopping
a
by Peter Matthiessen
27-06-2024
Dominical on the southern Pacific coast, Playa Tamarindo on the Nicoya Peninsula, and Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean all have very wild beaches. However, if you're a part of a wild bachelor party, Jacó is the beach town for you.
The only places to go out at night in San José and the suburbs are Vertigo and El Steinvorth, where the artists and musicians hang out, and the Del Rey, where the lonely men go (and yes, that small-dressed woman smiling at you is probably a prostitute). If you're a repeat customer like me, you might want to try something new. Instead of going to the same old venues, you might bring your hammock and sleep in the woods, maybe even with your favorite bottle of whisky.
For some reason, karaoke holds a special place in my heart, and the most enjoyable karaoke experience of my life was at El Steinvorth, where I got to belt out my favorite songs to an audience of hundreds. Just what you need to get you out on the dance floor—live bands, wild art, lovable hipsters, and extremely strong Long Island iced teas—at this multi-level club in the middle of San José.
When the sun goes down, the surf town of Jacó becomes a sleazy, gritty, and incredibly fun place to be. If I want to get drunk on beer with a bunch of buddies at Los Amigos Restaurant and Bar, that's where I usually wind up. Thursday night is designated as ladies night.
In this San José dive, your spouse is likely sleeping with hookers if you receive a snapshot of him "sport fishing" in Costa Rica over an artificial ocean backdrop. Sex tourists and people who just want to watch people get prostituted are commonplace at the Del Rey. Next door at the Colonial Casino is a lot less tacky if that's more your speed.
Going out to a bar wasn't necessary for some of the most memorable nights I've had in Costa Rica. They slept in hammocks affixed to trees in the depths of the Osa Peninsula jungle, encircled by mystifying beings that made both beautiful and terrifying noises. Scary? On occasion. Is it beneficial? Without fail. La Sirena Ranger Station in Corcovado National Park was the most memorable camping experience I've ever had.