Costa Rica Booms; Surf Stays
Same
By Marylin Austin, news-journalonline.com
PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA --
Every year when I visit Playa
Grande in the Guanacaste Region
of Costa Rica, I am amazed by
the changes taking place. Just
since last year the road is
paved all the way to the beach.
As you make the last turn
heading into Playa Grande there
are for-sale signs with sold
stickers on them, everywhere.
But the surf is still the same,
with a promise of head high plus
waves for at least half of my
two-week stay.
A handful of local surfers from
Volusia County are making the
most of the land boom here.
Playa Grande Inn owner John
Logan is also a main player in
the real estate market and has
branched out into financing as
well. The restaurant at the
hotel is going through a
remodeling to be finished this
October, but you can get a fast
breakfast or lunch now.
Ian Bean and his wife Corynne
will be opening Frijoles Locos
(Crazy Beans) surf shop at the
end of the month. That makes two
shops in the area. They plan to
carry a full line of rental
boards including high
performance shortboards and
longboards. This will be great
for those of you tired of
forking over a hundred or more
dollars to fly with your board.
Jay Miller, formerly of Daytona
Beach, has been in Costa Rica
for more than a decade now and
has made a name for himself in
the world of golf courses. Jay
has been lured from one top
course to another and now lives
in Liberia and takes care of the
Four Seasons Course, but returns
regularly to catch the best
surf.
As always, I run into other
surfers from our area.
This year Steve Blewitt from
Daytona Beach Shores was here
with his son Tyler. More on him
and his take on the place next
week.
Meanwhile, I hope you have been
able to find a wave of your own.
I see something on the horizon
to send us surf. Ah, the
Internet sure does make the
world small. Happy wave riding. |
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