jvwbeach: August 2009

I'm finally back at the computer after a summer sabbatical! Well, it's been a full summer and it's the time of the year when I love spending time relaxing without schedules. Too many schedules during the school year lead Mom's to needing r & r....kind of like school teachers need a break, right?!
I'll start with the first part of our summer, our family vacation in Dominical, Costa Rica. We stayed at the beautiful and very chic Paradise Breezes. Later this week or next , I'll take you to other places we visited this summer.

First on Dominical: Our family loved this place because it's still laid back and not absorbed with hotels and commercialism, ...yet. The beauty of the gorgeous ocean against the lush green mountains is breathtaking. The whole feel of this place reminds me of Hawaii meets Mexico (before commercialism took over both).

Dominical is a very bohemian, surfer town, just the place we love. The beaches are a grey sand with alot of ocean rock, but still beautiful in their unspoiled way.

You can drive over to Manuel Antonio (about a 30 minute drive) for a day at the beach and it's a charming town as well. The beach on Manuel seems to be more white and smooth, not as many rocks and I preferred that beach. Here you can also rent a chair for the day and a waiter will stop by and offer you cocktails/drinks. Manuel is more populated but still quaint and close to the local airport. Many vendors are along the beach offering great souvenirs. You will find just a few vendors in Dominical but still in a very understated , charming way.
You can also rent surfboards in both towns, of course!

A few restaurants offer this incredible view over Manuel Antonio.

Alot of Americans are moving to Costa Rica to enjoy a simpler life.
Here's a beautiful mountain side home of a real estate developer from the states.
(notice the beautiful rainy clouds coming in for the evening?)

Above is their gorgeous pool (pics don't do it justice).....notice the cabana with the hand carved posts? Costa Rica has many gifted artisans for unique building details.

We were pampered where we stayed though, in Dominical, and I highly recommend this compound of 3 villas: Paradise Breezes. Our villa was Villa Exotica and we coined it our "rock star villa" because it was beautiful and equivalent to any 5 star hotel.
Pictures don't do it justice on their website or on my blog, more beautiful and luxurious in person.

Villa Exotica (and all the other villas on their compound) have an incredible sound system, modern furnishings, luscious bedding, great lighting systems in all rooms, private pools and outdoor jacuzzis, spectacular views from all rooms, and an incredible staff. You can also hire the private Chef for a wonderful dinner in your own villa. We loved this gated compound and would definitely recommend to anyone, Paradise Breezes is a sweet destination!
One thing about the area , is that some of the roads are still unimproved roads, making for a bumpy ride in an SUV daily. SUV being a must! The roads though have "character" and many potholes, so driving into town was always an adventure, but somehow you adore those roads when you're in a magical ,laid back place like this!

I love Costa Rica also for it's cleanliness. Even stopping in "divey" type towns, the bathrooms are always clean. The people are so welcoming and sweet also. Our family speaks Spanish so it definitely helps , but alot of places there do speak English.
Also, we were there during the rainy season, which I highly recommend. We had glorious sunshine everyday til usually 3-5 pm., then we'd have great clouds come in. Since we've had a parched , hot summer in Texas, seeing the pouring rain daily in Dominical was truly a treat for all of us. Plus, Villa Exotica has wonderful balconies to sit and enjoy the rain show.
You can view for more info on Dominical and Paradise Breezes by going to www.paradisebreezes.com.

(beautiful sarongs for sale in Uvita, Costa Rica....but you can find these in all towns)

I'll be back soon for the next stop we made in our summer schedule. Not a beachy place , but a spot I want to share with you: Fredericksburg, Texas. (well, you know the "beach" girl in me has to have water around at least).....the place I'll show you next in Fredericksburg is one of the rare B & B places in "Fred" with a pool. The pool is beautiful and simple , built to resemble an old 1800's cistern, because this place is an old 1800's homestead turned into a B & B. Stay tuned to the next blog and I'll take you to Fred soon, to visit the charming "1865 Homestead" !