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Sheltered from the full force of the Pacific, the clear blue waters of Bahia Culebra on the Gulfo de Papagayo are some of the best for swimming and snorkelling in the country. The northernmost beach of the bay, Playa Panama , with its grey volcanic sand, is still a nice quiet spot, although there is no shortage of upmarket hotels being built here, many of them by Italians. The resort-style hotel Costa Smeralda (tel 672-0070, fax 670-0379, smeralda@racsa.co.cr ; US$80-100) has a nice pool, good restaurant and efficient management. Two buses daily do the hour-long trip from Liberia, on a good paved road, leaving Liberia at around 11am and 7pm. The turn-off for Playa Panama is 3km beyond the Playa del Coco turn-off. Playa Hermosa , on the southern edge of Bahia Culebra, 10km north of the nearest beach to the south, Playa del Coco, is calm, clean and good for swimming. Small islets dot the bay, and despite a recent building boom in the area, in the wet season Hermosa can be wonderfully quiet. If you want to stay on the beach, the popular and friendly Hotel el Velero (tel 670-0036, fax 670-0016, elvelerocr@yahoo.com ; US$40-80) has split-level rooms with balconies and sea views in lovely gardens filled with birds and lizards. There's also a good restaurant and a small pool, while a short path leads from the hotel down to the beach. Ask about often generous low-season discounts. Rancho Vallejo (tel 672-0108; US$5-10) is one of the few places left in Playa Hermosa that could conceivably be described as budget, offering simple, clean rooms with private (cold-water) bath, while Villas del Sueno (tel & fax 670-0026, www.villadelsueno.com ; US$15-25) is a good-value small hotel with eight large and lovely rooms, all attractively furnished and with pretty tiled floors; there's also a small pool and a nice open-air restaurant.
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