LAS CATALINAS

Las Catalinas is a unique beachfront community that resembles an Old-World Mediterranean village, with car-free cobblestone streets, plazas, fountains, and stunning single-family homes and condos.

 

Las Catalinas is located on the lovely Playa Danta, where you can go swimming, boogie-boarding, paddle-boarding, snorkeling, or just relax under shady trees. The village is at the very northern end of the paved highway that leads to Potrero, Flamingo, and beyond, but there is no through traffic here on its way to somewhere else. This gives the beach a secluded feel, although it remains very popular and welcomes all visitors.

 

Walking around Las Catalinas, you feel transported to a Renaissance village in Italy or France. No cars are allowed on the paving-stone streets (which, in places, have stairs), and everywhere you turn there are lovely fountains, surprising architectural features, and beautifully painted homes.

 

The Las Catalinas area rises from the ocean rather steeply, creating astonishing views from hillside homes. The village itself is between the ocean and the road, and beyond the road there are beautiful, green, craggy hills full of biking and hiking trails. Mountain biking is very popular here, with excellent bikes available for rent in town.

 

Las Catalinas has two standout hotels, the Casa Chameleon and the Santarena. Both have great restaurants, of which there are many others in town. There’s also a furniture store, adventure outfitters, clothing stores, and a gourmet grocery store with a wine cave.

 

Las Catalinas is a little over an hour from the international airport in Liberia, saving visitors a five-hour drive from San José. And within a 20-minute drive, you can find anything you might need, including grocery and hardware stores, banks, pharmacies, medical clinics, law firms, tour agencies, souvenir shops, convenience stores, and restaurants in all price ranges.