Douglas’s guidebook

Matapalo beach is a consistent, open beach break with lots of space. Dominical is a popular spot 10m down the road. If Matapalo and Dominical are too big, check out Playa Dominicalito. It is a smaller, more gentle wave.

The public buses are an easy way to travel between Quepos, Manuel Antonio, and Dominical for day trips. The bus trip to Quepos is 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on traffic. Dominical is about 20 minutes. There are also buses to and from San José if you decide not to rent a car. A ticket costs about $15 and the trips lasts 3-4 hours with a bathroom and snack break about halfway. At Tracopacr.com you can look up the bus routes and schedules to Matapalo from San José. Another option for traveling to/from San José is using a shuttle service like Monkey Ride.

There are a couple of options for hiking in the area. For an easy hike, walk south down the beach to an estuary. There is also a path in the trees if you want to stay off the sand and out of the sun. Look up, there are often sloths in the trees. For a moderate hike, you can follow the dirt road up into the mountains. Along the way, you will get some scenic views. When you get to a bridge, leave the road, and follow the stream (left) down to a swimming hole with a small waterfall. For a difficult hike, you can walk north along the beach to the portalón river mouth and mangroves.

Bikes are a great way to explore the area. There are a couple of options for mountain biking down backroads. An easy trip follows the beach road north to the Portalón river mangroves. The asphalt gives way to dirt and sand about 1/4 of the way there. A moderate trip follows the highway north for ~10 minutes, then follows a rough backroad through the mountains to the cazuela waterfall. A more difficult trip goes to the Dos Bocas waterfalls and hot springs.

Our rainy season is from May to November, with October being the rainiest month. During this season, it can rain every afternoon, which fortunately cools the temperature. Rain ponchos, umbrellas, and waterproof shoes are good items to bring. January to March can be very hot and dry. The afternoons at the beach are beautiful during this time of year. Despite the lack of rain, mosquitos are prevalent at sunrise and sunset, so bring bug spray if you intend to walk along the beach at these times.