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Jun 17, 2018

Follow These Six Steps to Have the Perfect Sunday in Playa Grande

While every day in Playa Grande has the potential to be perfect, there is just something extra special about Sundays. Sundays tend to signify a day of rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, and reward. Here’s how to have the most restful, relaxing, rejuvenating, and rewarding Sunday while staying at or near the RipJack Inn in Playa Grande.

Step 1: Coffee

There is nothing quite like that very first cup of coffee just mere moments after you’ve opened your eyes for the very first time of the new day. Today, take your coffee down to the beach and enjoy it seaside for an extra special start to your Sunday morning. The beach is often empty early in the morning aside from a few ambitious surfers and other dawn-lovers. Starting your day with the waking sun and the sea is sure to set you off on the right track for a perfect Sunday.

RipJack Inn, Playa Grande — With coffee in hand just follow the path

Step 2: Yoga

Every Sunday morning from 8:45 to 10:00, the RipJack Inn offers a gentle Hatha yoga and surfer’s stretch class. Whether you are a surfer, a non-surfer, a yogi, or a never-before-new-yogi, this guided practice is ideal for getting the blood flowing, stretching out the muscles, centering the mind, and presenting your body with a gift for all it does and continues to do for you. This low to no-sweat class will leave you feeling light, present, and ready for brunch.

Playa Grande, Costa Rica — Come practice with us

Step 3: Brunch

From 8:00AM to 2:00PM, the RipJack Inn does a proper Sunday brunch complete with mimosas and bloody Mary’s, if that suites your fancy. The Sunday brunch menu is different from the regular breakfast and lunch menu and features exclusive plates like rum poached mango French toast, a grilled shrimp omelet, a Monte Cristo, and a grilled pineapple teriyaki burger, as well as some of the favorite from the everyday menu too.

RipJack Inn in Costa Rica — Mango + rum+ French toast = Sunday

Step 4: Rest

You now have a perfect little window of time between the end of brunch at 2PM and the start of happy hour at 4PM to just completely chill out. You can spend these two hours soaking up some sun on the beach, lounging by the pool, reading in a hammock, or retreating to your air-conditioned room and taking a nice long nap.

Step 5: Beverages and Bocas

Every day from 4:00PM to 6:00PM you can enjoy an assortment of happy hour drink and snack options. The bartenders at the RipJack Inn whip up some truly delectable cocktails including a watermelon spitzer, Dave’s rum punch surprise, a lazy lemonade, a passionfruit mojito, and a frozen guanabana margarita. Domestic beers are half off and you can pair any of the cocktails, beer, or wine with a tasty selection of bocas (snacks) such as fried macaroni and cheese balls. Be sure to take your drink down to the beach around 5:30 to watch the sun kiss the sea goodbye in a spectacular display of colors before heading off to dinner.

RipJack Inn in Playa Grande — Mango jalapeño margarita and a tuna toast snack

Step 6: Sushi

Right next door to the RipJack Inn is the charming La Marejada restaurant. Right after sunset on Sundays (as well as on Saturdays), La Marejada is open for sushi night. While the menu for the other nights of the week is exceptional, sushi night at La Marejada is a local favorite and will surely become yours as well. It is a good idea to make a reservation as this is a popular night to dine here. If you ask any local, they will enthusiastically tell you just how extraordinary the sushi at La Marejada is.

La Marejada in Playa Grande — Who doesn’t love sushi on Sunday?

With a belly full of sushi and a light happy hour buzz, sleep should come easy and deeply tonight. Happy Sunday!

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Jun 6, 2018

An Essentials Packing Guide for Visiting Playa Grande During the Green Season

The idea of visiting a destination that is almost destined to have rain during your vacation might seem a bit off putting. However, the rainy season, or more colorfully referred to as the green season, is actually a fantastic time to visit Playa Grande, as long as you pack the proper clothes and gear.

The green season typically spans from May to November. This year, the rain was welcomed very early in April though. The rain brings an explosion of life and color to the landscape, including rainbows, fiery sunsets, purple and orange land crabs, the entire spectrum of green, deep turquoise waves, and fireflies. The morning air is often visible in the valleys and fields surrounding Playa Grande, and the evenings can be pleasantly cool after the typical late afternoon showers. Until September and October, it is rare that it will rain all day. To truly enjoy the green season in Costa Rica, it is wise to pack the following essentials.

Green season at the RipJack Inn — Green season magic | © Henner Damke/Shutterstock

Rain jacket

A light weight rain jacket is a must-bring green season item. Not only will you want it when it rains when you are out and about, but it can also serve as a wind breaker and light insulator for those cooler mornings and evenings.

Light weight, quick dry pants

Even during the dry season, a pair or two of light weight “adventure” pants are key for all those exciting excursions. Wearing pants will help protect your legs from mosquitos and other bugs, as well as from plants, the sun, and other potentially harmful elements and factors. You can also find pants that zip off into shorts if you are worried about being too hot.

Long sleeve shirts

Cotton or linen long sleeve shirts are perfect all year around in Costa Rica, but are especially nice during the green season. Like wearing pants, sleeves protect you from mosquitos, gnats, and other insects and the sun. They are also very cozy to wear on a rainy day or post-rain evening.

Green reason views — Thick morning air | © Wayne Silver/Flickr

Shoes with good traction

You will want a good pair of hiking boots, sports sandals, and or water shoes when visiting Costa Rica during the green season. Most activities, outside of surfing, walking on the beach, and yoga, will require you to wear proper footwear. Traversing wet terrain can be dangerous if you aren’t wearing shoes that have a good grip. Plus, you don’t want to be worrying about your feet when you are out enjoying all of the activities and tours you will embark on while in Costa Rica.

A dry bag

A dry bag or at least water-resistant backpack is key to keeping your stuff safe and dry while exploring Costa Rica during the green season. To save space, you can buy a day pack that rolls up into the size of your palm to use on your daily adventures.

Insect repellent

Unfortunately, with the rain comes more mosquitos. Some mosquitos in Costa Rica do carry viruses like dengue, so it is very important that you always wear insect repellent, especially during the green season. As long as you are adamant about applying bug spray before you venture out, the mosquitos should not be an issue.

Green season in Playa Grande — Do take a chance with these little devils | © khlungcenter/Shutterstock

Sunscreen

Even though a lot of the time there is cloud coverage during the green season, the sun is still incredibly strong. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can work on your “base tan” sans sunscreen on a mildly overcast day. A bad burn will definitely put a damper on your vacation. To avoid harming the environment, make sure that you opt for sunscreen that is mineral based and doesn’t contain oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, or octinoxate.

A few extra things

A good book for those rainy hours, a flashlight for the occasional nighttime power outage, a small umbrella, a few Ziploc bags to put your phone and other non-water friendly items in, and a nylon mesh bag for your dirty clothes are also smart additions to your green season pack.

Now get out there and seize the season!