Costa Rica bars, certainly the Costa Rica bars and nightclubs in San Jose and on the beach from Guanacaste south, present the visitor with a staggering variety of options for nightlife fun.
From dazzling night clubs and discos, to casinos you will practically find a place to party on every corner in the Big City, San Jose. And in beach bars like the Bohio in Playa Cocos (seen to the left), Banco Bar in Quepos and the Beatle Bar in Jaco Beach
San Jose Bars
In the area most travel guides and writers call Gringo Gulch, Costa Rica bars and nightclubs range from upscale cocktail lounges that serve $4 beers, to places where the locals pay just 75 cents for a cold cerveza.
One of the most popular watering holes in San Jose for single men used to be the Hotel del Rey's Blue Marlin, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The watering hole at New York Bar (around the corner and down the hill) has become much more popular in the past year. So has the bar at the Hotel Presidente on Avenida Central.
If on on a budget, we recommend first having a few beers around the corner at Mariscar on the pedestrian walkway, across the street from the mini-mall (the two for one is not on the menu, so you have to mention it. It's good for the local Imperial and Pilsen beers).
A few blocks uphill from the Gulch lies the charming Barrio Amon area (north of Parque Morazan, and behind the tall INS building east of the Holiday Inn). This neighborhood is home to several intriguing restaurants and drinking spots such as Cafe Mundo, where you can to have a drink and relax in the shade of towering trees that make you feel as if you are far from the city. Around the corner, Hotel Aloki is a friendly boutique hotel that presents a fun place to meet friends
On the Beach
In Playas del Coco, you will stumble across more places to drink per square meter than in any other part of the country. La Vida Loca and The Cave are two of the tops. Down the road in Playa Ocotal, the action is at the Father Rooster.
Popular Manuel Antonio hangouts include Barba Roja, though the food still leaves something to be desired, and in downtown Quepos, there is only one: El Banco, which has great food and the best beer prices in the entire town.
Jaco has a place named after the Beatles. Pancho Villa is also worth checking out for dinner as well as drinks. For more on the local scene after dark, click nightlife.
