Playa Zancudo, Costa Rica

Playa Zancudo, strung below the estuary of the Río Coto Colorado, is one of my favorite spots, exuding a South Seas feel. Absolutely ultimate! The ruler-straight gray-sand beach (littered with coconuts) stretches about six km along a slender spit backed by the eerie mangroves of the Río Coto Swamps, fed by the estuarine waters of the Río Coto Colorado. Waterfowl are plentiful. And with luck you may see monkeys and river otters, and crocodiles and caimans basking on the riverbanks, motionless as logs.

The fishing is good in the fresh water (there are several docks on the estuary side) and in the surf at the wide rivermouth. The wavers are good for windsurfing and, when the waves are up, surfing, when it offers a perfect beach break, lessening to the north. Avoid the beach at dusk, and during the full moon, when the no-see-ums are voracious.

The hamlet of Zancudo is near the rivermouth at the north end of the spit, reached along a sandy roller-coaster of a track along which a few dozen North American and European residents have chosen to live a laid-back life beneath the palms.

Zancudo is only 10 km from Golfito as the crow flies, but driving there is another thing. The village is 44 km from the Pan-American Highway.

Entertainment
The bar at Cabinas Sol y Mar is a local meeting spot and hosts karaoke, plus a volleyball game on Saturday and horseshoes on Sunday. The bar at Zancudo Beach Club shows movies on Tuesday nights. Estero Mar, in the village, host occasional dances favored by locals.

Sports and Recreation
Golfito Sportfishing (tel. 506/776-0007, fax 506/775-0373, info@costaricasportfishing.com, www.costaricafishing.com) has 25-foot center consoles for charter. It also has multiday packages, as does Sportfishing Unlimited (tel./fax 506/776-0036), just south of the Zancudo Lodge; and Arena Alta Adventures & Sportfishing (tel. 506/776-0115, arenaalta@aol.com, www.costaricasailfish.com), at Cabinas Arena Alta, which also offers inshore and river fishing, plus water-skiing, parasailing, jungle tours, horseback riding, and trips to Pavones ($20 pp).

Zancudo Boat Tours at Cabinas Los Cocos rents surfboards, paddleboats, and snorkeling equipment, plus kayak trips up the Río Coto, and trips to the Casa de Orquídeas botanical gardens.

Information and Services
There are public telephones along the main drag.

Cabinas Arena Alta (8 a.m.–4 p.m.) has an Internet café.

The police station (tel. 506/776-0166) is on the north side of Zancudo village.

Getting There
A bus departs from the municipal dock in Golfito for Zancudo daily at 2 p.m. Another departs Ciudad Neily for Zancudo at 1:30 p.m.

The paved road to Zancudo begins about eight km south of the Pan-American Highway, midway along the road to Golfito; the turn is signed at El Rodeo Salon, in únion. An aging two-car ferry will transport you across the Río Coto, 18 km beyond El Rodeo; the ferry operates daily 5 a.m.–8 p.m. ($1 per car, 20 cents pedestrians). On the south bank, the intermittently paved road runs five km to a Y-junction (La Cruce) at Pueblo Nuevo; turn right for Zancudo and Pavones and continue about 10 km to a T-junction at Conte. Turn right here: Zancudo (18 km) and Pavones (22 km) are signed. This road divides two km along; take the right-hand fork for Zancudo, and the left for Pavones.

The Mini-Super Tres Amigos, 100 meters north of Zancudo Beach Club, sells gas.

A lancha (water-taxi) departs Golfito’s muellecito (dock) for Zancudo daily at between 11:30 a.m. to noon, returning from Zancudo at 6 a.m. ($2).

The Arena Alta Happy Hour departs the pier at Samoa, in Golfito, at 8:30 a.m.

Zancudo Boat Tours at Cabinas Los Cocos also offers service ($20).

Getting Around
You can walk everywhere, but Zancudo is stretched out over several kilometers. Rent a bike from Los Cocos or Macondo. Locals get around on golf carts.