Puntarenas: San Lucas Beach Club

Has anyone been to the San Lucas Beach Club in Puntarenas.

Puntarenas is one of our stops on our Panama Canal Cruise.

It received very good ratings on Trip Advisor and I was wondering how far is it from the port and the taxi fees to the destination.

Also wanted to find out how nice the beach itself is there, being from Long Island! :)

IS it similar to Carribbean Beaches?

Thanks.

Don

Have you looked it's location on a map? I don't know what Long Island beaches you visit but coming from NC I would not go out of my way to visit. I have never been to that property but that whole region of Costa Rica is not on my list for beach visits. It's not bad but it's not anywhere near what Costa Rica has to offer in beaches.

If you've just gotta have one more beach on your cruise and don't mind hiring a car I'd consider getting down to Herradura or Jaco. If you want something within walking distance of the pier then give it a try and take pictures and report back. It looks like a beautiful new property.

If you come down on a land trip I'd consider Quepos/Manuel Antonio. It's a short Sansa hop from San Jose and you can do the whole trip without a car. Or fly into Liberia head over to Coco or Hermosa. They both make great long weekend trips from The States.

Have you looked it's location on a map? I don't know what Long Island beaches you visit but coming from NC I would not go out of my way to visit. I have never been to that property but that whole region of Costa Rica is not on my list for beach visits. It's not bad but it's not anywhere near what Costa Rica has to offer in beaches.

 

If you've just gotta have one more beach on your cruise and don't mind hiring a car I'd consider getting down to Herradura or Jaco. If you want something within walking distance of the pier then give it a try and take pictures and report back. It looks like a beautiful new property.

 

If you come down on a land trip I'd consider Quepos/Manuel Antonio. It's a short Sansa hop from San Jose and you can do the whole trip without a car. Or fly into Liberia head over to Coco or Hermosa. They both make great long weekend trips from The States.

Thanks for the information.

Are the beaches there anything like the Carribbean with crystal clear water?

Do you know anything about Punta Leona Beach....I heard that is very nice with nice white sand.

Wondering how far that is from where the ship docks and what kind of facilities are there?

I gather from your comments tha San Lucas Beach Club that is is fairly new and there is not too much information on this place out there.

Thanks again....greatly appreciated! :)

Don

My comments are mainly that that location (San Lucas) is up well within Nicoya bay and right at the end of town. Not the sort of place you go for crystal clear water. It looks like a nice resort with a great pool. It could be a great place to relax away from the ship and have a few drinks but it's not going to be that "paradise" Costa Rican beach you see in brochures.

I've never heard of Punta Leona Beach but Google tells me that it's possibly a hotel north of Herradura. Certainly heading in the right direction for clearer water, nicer beaches and better views. Does the hotel offer day passes or what made you pick it or led you to find it?

My comments are mainly that that location (San Lucas) is up well within Nicoya bay and right at the end of town. Not the sort of place you go for crystal clear water. It looks like a nice resort with a great pool. It could be a great place to relax away from the ship and have a few drinks but it's not going to be that "paradise" Costa Rican beach you see in brochures.

 

I've never heard of Punta Leona Beach but Google tells me that it's possibly a hotel north of Herradura. Certainly heading in the right direction for clearer water, nicer beaches and better views. Does the hotel offer day passes or what made you pick it or led you to find it?

I heard about this from one of the tours companies....it is on of their stops.

The description sounded very nice.

I also looked at the resort on the web and it looks beautiful. It received very good reviews.

I am hoping that they do have day passes.

Do you know how far it would be from the port in Puntarenas?

Thanks again for your help.

Don

Contact the hotel to find out if they have day passes. Even if they don't have official passes many will let you hang out if you're eating lunch at their restaurant and drinking at their bar. It is a business and they have to make money so if you're mindful of that many places can be very friendly.

Contact the hotel to find out if they have day passes. Even if they don't have official passes many will let you hang out if you're eating lunch at their restaurant and drinking at their bar. It is a business and they have to make money so if you're mindful of that many places can be very friendly.

Thanks...yes, I did send them an e-mail and awaiting their response.

Do you know how far away it is from Puntarenas?

Marriot's often provide day passes...I am going to google and see if there is one near Puntarenas.

Don

It's about an hour's drive. The tricky thing will be the transportation, and don't even ask about renting a car. Will you hire a car that stays with you while there or trust that one will return for you later in the day?

What you're planning is going against the grain. While finding a hotel pass and beach day sorta near Puntarenas can be done it's not a good fit. That type of thing is more common in the Caribbean. Puntarenas is a real town where people live and work and cruise ships happen to dock there occasionally. Costa Rica has some of the worlds best beaches but they are not here and the cruise ships don't stop here to offer convenient trips to the beach. Puntarenas is a port well up in the bay that puts you more in the heart of the country.

If you really don't want to do the things that this port has to offer then I'd suggest staying mostly aboard and have run of the ship while everyone else is gone. Have your beach day on deck when you don't have to fight over a lounger. Maybe take a walk ashore when the mood hits you. I just think you're going to spend a bit of money, a couple hours riding in a car trying hard to force in a beach day with a risk of missing the ship.

It's about an hour's drive. The tricky thing will be the transportation, and don't even ask about renting a car. Will you hire a car that stays with you while there or trust that one will return for you later in the day?

 

What you're planning is going against the grain. While finding a hotel pass and beach day sorta near Puntarenas can be done it's not a good fit. That type of thing is more common in the Caribbean. Puntarenas is a real town where people live and work and cruise ships happen to dock there occasionally. Costa Rica has some of the worlds best beaches but they are not here and the cruise ships don't stop here to offer convenient trips to the beach. Puntarenas is a port well up in the bay that puts you more in the heart of the country.

 

If you really don't want to do the things that this port has to offer then I'd suggest staying mostly aboard and have run of the ship while everyone else is gone. Have your beach day on deck when you don't have to fight over a lounger. Maybe take a walk ashore when the mood hits you. I just think you're going to spend a bit of money, a couple hours riding in a car trying hard to force in a beach day with a risk of missing the ship.

Thanks you so much...

I think that is great advice.

I will reconsider my plans for that port. :)

Don

I do not mean to hijack this thread but it seams that there is a real solid knowledge base here. We will be in Puerta Limon next March. We are looking for a beach day relatively near port. I have looked at a few resorts but the beaches look iffy at best. Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

Just search the forum and maybe start a thread about Limon beaches. It's on the opposite coast and a different ocean.

If you want spectacular Costa Rican beaches I would suggest a land trip and visit the Pacific coast. You can also take a cruise on a smaller ship that stops in Quepos.