Central Pacific Coast
Playa Herradura beach, next to Jaco Beach, Central pacific, Costa Rica
By Explore Costa Rica Staff
Feb 5, 2009, 18:40

Playa Herradura beach, Central pacific, Costa Rica

Playa Herradura Beach Costa Rica Pacific

Herradura beach in Costa Rica is located just 30 minutes from Jaco in Costa Rica and is renowned for having quite luxurious hotels, some of them famous in the country. The beach is protected by its own shape of horseshoe, for that reason the waves are small making it a good place for swimming. The town of Herradura is not very impressive but it has its own accommodations.

Herradura is fully equipped for marine sports such as sport fishing, also some of the largest private yacht in Costa Rica anchor in Herradura Bay. Due to its central location and proximity to San Jose in the Central Valley, this is one of the most popular beaches for day trips. Many tourists who come to fish in Costa Rica are housed in hotels and resorts near Herradura and used fishing boats at their disposal to enjoy one of the best experiences of fishing that you can find in the country. In addition, Jaco with a lively and interesting nightlife is just a few minutes away by car.

The ocean is calm in Herradura beach and good for swimming as mentioned before, ideal for the family. The central Pacific region, where is located the Herradura beach, offers something different for each tourist, so is impossible to get bored in this place because there are a lot of things to do. These activities includes: swimming and the practice of surf (in Jaco beach), coastal villages, sports fishing, wildlife, outdoor activities and a beautiful national park.

Herradura nearby areas are precisely in the transition zone where the Amazon and Mesoamerican biological environment meet each other, and is the meeting place for species from both environments. One of those areas is Carara, a famous national park that protects an evergreen forest of great complexity and density, with abundant wildlife, including the American crocodile, spider monkeys and frogs, and is also one of the best places to observe birds throughout all Costa Rica.

The 1492 film with Gerard Depardieu as Christopher Columbus was filmed on the Herradura beach in Costa Rica. The film was recorded on the Pacific coast, but the place where it happened the historical arrival of Columbus in reality was on the Caribbean coast. Several buildings and an Indian village were built for the film in which it was worked 10 weeks in this location. In the past Herradura was a sleepy village of fishermen, this has changed a lot. The bay is dominated by luxury condominiums and a golf course. Many owners of these condominiums are Americans and Europeans. With its tranquil waters, Herradura beach in Costa Rica remains as a major holiday destination for those seeking a quiet atmosphere.

In recent years, the town of Herradura has seen incredible development due to the demand of tourism and American property development in Costa Rica. For example, the most prestigious supermarket chain, Automercado, started construction on the corner of the highway of Herradura on January 18, 2006. This boom was started by the initial cornerstone development in 2000 of the Los Suenos Marriott on the beach in Playa Herradura. The Los Suenos Marriott includes an 18 hole golf course, marina and surrounding condos. Los Suenos Resort and Marina offers luxury Costa Rica vacation rentals.

Initially, the town of Herradura was a sleepy village on the dusty road to Jaco, when investors from the United States recognized its value in the early 1980s and started an agricultural company called Tierra Nueva SA. The goal of Tierra Nueva was to reap dividends from the planting of papayas, mangos, oranges and other fruits in the fertile valley of Herradura. Tierra Nueva owned title to 24 parcels of roughly 5 hectares each in Herradura, which were sold to different US investors mainly from Santa Barbara, California. These parcels owned by Tierra Nueva were located on the north side of the road to the beach in Herradura.

The little sleepy village has disappeared. Today, local peoples come to Playa Herradura for working in luxury hotels. They have a precarious life waiting on the rich American tourists.

Central Pacific Links:	National Park	Weather
Places to Stay	Manuel Antonio	Jaco
Things to Do	Manuel Antonio	Jaco
Places to Eat	Manuel Antonio	Jaco

Costa Rica News  |  Costa Rica Real Estate  |  Buying Real Estate
Promote YOUR Costa Rica Business & Link to YOUR Website:Get A Business Information Page 
Add Your Costa Rica Business, Costa Rica Tours & Costa Rica Hotel FREE!