Finding Friendly Food

With two weeks left in our journey, we drive north to Surfside Potrero where we’re renting an Airbnb in a condo complex. I’m not sure I am going to like such “normal” housing, but it turns out to be absolutely lovely. The best part is the expats I meet by the pool each afternoon. A group of mostly retired people who all own units in the building and come each year to escape the harsh winters in Wisconsin, Maine and various locations in Canada. They welcome me into their group from the first poolside encounter. I learn a little about them and their journeys, and get tips on how to grill fish in aluminum foil (simple and delicious). We share travel stories, favorite local beaches and book recommendations. When it is time to depart for our next destination, I’m sad to leave what I came to feel as my new community. One day I intend to be an expat somewhere in the world and the feelings I got from being with this group of people is exactly what I’m searching for. 

This area is a little more touristy and focused on westerners than I prefer so most of the restaurants are quite pricey and, well, westernized. There are some highlights here for food and beverages. After almost two months of drinking exclusively Imperial beer we find Potrero Brewing Company, where I particularly like their amber ale (their beers aren’t gluten-free but they offer cocktails that are). We have a fun, and sweaty, game of foosball while drinking our first pint. The brewery is part of a little food and entertainment space and the night we are there we get to enjoy a live band and eat delicious tacos and yucca fries from Gritanga. 

Playa Potrero doesn’t turn out to be my favorite beach as it has a kind of steep slope making it hard for a satisfying morning walk. And the amount of frigate birds feeding in the morning is a bit off-putting. Just a short drive to Playa Penca, though, proves to be perfect. Beautiful white sand, very gentle waves. Crystal clear water. Most days there is no one to “charge” you to park. At the north end of the beach, there’s a little path inland that takes you to another quiet beach, Playa Prieta and from there you can walk on to Sugar beach as long as you check the tide is low and you don’t mind walking over rocks. Notice the different colors and textures of the sand. I don’t know why it’s like that, but it is. All three of these small beaches are perfect for a girl like me because the surf is so gentle you can just float in there and not worry about big waves. 

On the way back from Playa Penca is a little fruit and vegetable store on the corner by the square. On delivery days it’s well stocked with good looking and great tasting produce. Be sure to bring colones, though. They don’t take cards. 

Across the road from the fruit and vegetable store is a little soda called La Jama. I don’t get a chance to eat here on this trip, but it looks adorable and has a fairly deep menu and friendly offerings for me. 

The biggest grocery store in Surfside is MerKado. They don’t have a great selection of gluten-free or dairy-free products, but otherwise a good store. I find a much better selection, and relatively reasonably priced gluten-free and dairy-free products at Super Massai in Playa Flamingo, a short drive away. Oat milk, lots of different goat cheeses, gluten-free/dairy-free cookies. They even have my favorite brand of processed cookies, Gullón Gluten-Free Cookies with chocolate chips at a great price. 

There’s a cafe that caters to westerners called Nita that has good coffee and pastries suitable for gluten-free diners. The day we visit I’m not in the mood for pastries so I don’t try any. Looking back, this is a mistake.

While staying here we take two day trips. The first is to hike in Las Catalinas. If hiking is your thing, be sure to go early. It gets screaming hot. This is actually our second hike here and neither time do we go early enough. Bring more water than you think you need. For a 5 mile hike I bring 2 liters of water and a ½ liter of electrolytes with me and both times I run out of water by the end. There is a great series of hiking trails, but not very well marked. We don’t encounter many creatures, but I know they’re there so just be on the lookout. The views throughout the hike are absolutely amazing. The resort area at Las Catalinas is very upscale and feels like it was designed for the western tourist, so I can see why so many people like it. There are plenty of good looking restaurants, but expect to pay US resort prices. My boyfriend has a delicious dairy-filled ice cream at Coquelicot. They have a couple choices of sorbet, but I personally find sorbet to be the sad sister of ice cream and normally choose to skip it. 

The second excursion is to a waterfall hike in Rincon de la Vieja, about an 1.25 hour drive from Surfside. The hike is to the La Leona Waterfall. You hike and swim through water to get to a couple of beautiful waterfalls. You need to have a guide and there are a few tour operators offering this hike, mostly at the same prices. We choose https://leonawaterfall.com/ and we’re glad we did. They are more focused on safety than the other tour operators. They have us in life jackets and require that you wear shoes or hiking/water sandals (no flip flops). We also opt for the private tour and it’s well worth the extra US $15 per person. Our guide, Jonathan, is experienced, personable, funny, patient, full of knowledge of the local flora and fauna and has a great singing voice. This is one of the highlights of our trip, but it’s not for everyone. Make sure your knees and ankles are in great shape before booking this one. 

On the way to the national park, I’m feeling a little jealous that my boyfriend got a pastry when we stopped in Playa Potrero for a coffee at El Patio Panadería on the way. Oh, the coffee is really good, by the way, and they have oat milk and other dairy-free options, but sadly, no gluten-free pastries. As we are heading into Liberia I remember that the German bakery that delivers to the jungle in Paraiso, our first stop, is based in Liberia. It takes me a bit to remember their name, but once I do I find that they are just 2 minutes ahead of us on the road we are already on. What are the chances? Their retail shop and restaurant is Cafe Europa. I buy two gluten-free/vegan pastries to go. A nut triangle which is AMAZING and a cinnamon roll which is good, but would be better warmed up as I find later that night when I finish it back at our condo. It is so good that we decide to stop at the cafe on the way back from our little adventure for a late lunch. They have a big section of their menu dedicated to gluten-free/dairy-free, including pizza. We try the Corazón. It’s enough for 2 people (or at least for these 2 people) and is topped with lots of veggies and vegan cheese. Not the best vegan cheese I’ve ever had, but good enough. And the crust is fabulous, with a bit of a crunch. 

It’s tough to leave our new friends and our home for nine days, but it’s time to leave for our final Costa Rica destination, Playa Hermosa.