Playa Grande was just what the doctor ordered and our stay at Frijoles Locos was our medicine. Our family of five was warmly welcomed by owner, Drew, and manager, Jeannette, and their genuine care and hospitality extended throughout our stay - nothing was too much trouble and they went out of their way to look after us - they are absolutely top notch individuals and made staying at Frijoles Locos really special.
Playa Grande is a small place with a wonderful beach and the crew here are happy to share their local knowledge on surf breaks, restaurants or anything.
The apartment is situated above a great little surf shop, only a few minutes walk from the beach (even with surfboards and kids). The living room is spacious, the bedrooms (and beds) are comfortable, the kitchen is a good size and well stocked with cooking implements making meal prep really easy - important for us as we were travelling on a budget. There are two bathrooms, with nice toiletries supplied and a good size balcony/ terrace with a BBQ and a table for hanging out with a drink as well as lounges for reading/ sunbaking. The pool was a welcome respite from the afternoon heat and the whole family enjoyed a splash. Even with a bustling surf shop downstairs, the apartment was not noisy and still felt private.
There were a great selection of surfboards on offer to rent, I couldn’t go past the 9’6” McTavish Fireball and my wife was happy to find a McTavish Carver there too. The kids were on foamies - nice quality and a variety of lengths on offer.
Under new management since October, the new owners are in the process of restocking the apartment with new items. They had just returned from San Jose with a car full of new stuff although, honestly, the apartment didn’t seem to be missing anything we really needed.
Sadly our stay was cut short by a family emergency back home with the unexpected death of a close family member. We were shocked and sad and Drew did everything he could to help make the difficult position we were in all the more bearable. His generosity and genuine concern for us all, including our young children, showed deep compassion and revealed the type of spirit that we could all learn from.
Thank you for everything - we highly recommend this apartment and wish Drew and the team the best of success with the business.
Hi Austin,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write us such a stellar and thorough review!
It is great to hear that the apartment exceeded your expectations and you found the perfect surfboard rentals for the whole family at our surf shop.
We loved having you stay with us and were heartbroken for your family when your trip was cut short unexpectedly. All of us at Frijoles Locos genuinely care for our guests from the very first contact to the very last and we are glad it shows. We wish you all the very best for your family and hope to see you again one day - you are always welcome at Frijoles Locos!
This store is great, it has a great selection of beach and surfing clothing for the whole family. The prices are in dollars and are a bit high compared to the other shops but the have good quality products and a lot to choose from.
Hi Paola,
Thank you for your review about our surf shop - we are glad you liked it and felt compelled to give us a 5-star ranking and share your observations!
For quality surf / beach clothing, you can’t beat our range of locally made as well as imported clothing. Our locally made rash-guards, bikinis, dresses and T-shirts support Costa Rican family businesses and are very competitively priced. We also carry known brands such as Billabong, Hurley, Volcom and RipCurl for surf clothing and accessories. Those are imported and prices result from the high Costa Rican import taxes. Nevertheless, we are striving to offer a wide range of merchandise and are proud to be offering such quality brands that are not as easily accessible in Costa Rica as they are in the US. Thank you for highlighting the good quality and wide selection in our store - we appreciate it!
Frijoles Locos is an awesome surf shop in the awesome surf town of playa grande. I couldn’t recommend them more highly for everything you need for the beach but especially for surf lessons.
My kids and I are gringos and we are total surfing noobs and within an hour of beginning our lesson with Ian (who I highly recommend as an instructor) we were all catching some nice waves and starting to understand why surfing is like religion to some.
My kids even asked us to rent a board and go back and try it again and if you knew my kids you would understand that that is not their typical response.
One of the best things about Frijoles Locos, aside from the super friendly people and perfect location, was that they are very responsive. I booked a lesson with Jeannette a few months in advance over email and it couldn’t have been easier. She even gave me her restaurant and activity recommendations which were spot on.
And they ensure that the day and time you go surfing the conditions will be as optimal as possible and don’t just slam you into a time slot and move on. I highly recommend Frijoles Locos for anything you need in Playa Grande.
Hi Erin,
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We are so happy to hear your family had a blast surfing with us! Seeing how visitors fall in love with our little slice of paradise is a wonderful thing! Playa Grande is a small, tranquil surfer town 30 min. away from the hustle and bustle in Tamarindo. If you are looking for night life, Playa Grande is not for you. Nature, world-class surf and a lot of peace and quiet is what you get when you come here - surfing being the biggest draw. Playa Grande is very tide dependent and our surf lesson schedule is dictated by the tides. Our 3 km stretch of beach allows us to find an uncrowded, secluded surf spot with small waves perfect for beginner surfers and our instructors are experienced, mature minded and love to teach - fun guaranteed!
We are glad you enjoyed the reservation process upfront. We take pride in offering our full-time concierge service through Jeannette, who is responsive and makes sure you have everything you need from surf lesson reservations, tour suggestions and arrangements, restaurant recommendations, etc. - all before you arrive to Playa Grande. With Jeannette on your side before, during and after your vacation, you are in great hands!
We unfortunately found out about this shop on our 3rd day. The beach rentals are well priced and good quality. Although it is a surf shop they have a great dejection of chairs and tents that are turtle friendly! With a family of 11 from 80 to 6 years old we had broad needs and Drew and his staff made it all possible. It is a 6 min walk from Rip Jack Inn and Sugar’s Monkey. Opened a tab and just went back when we needed anything!
Hi Antonio,
Thanks so much for your review! Travelling with a big group and making sure everyone is happy and has what they need is a daunting task. We are glad you found Frijoles Locos helpful, the service pleasant and our procedures easy! Our goal is to help make your vacation the best it can possibly be, no matter if you are looking for rental gear, assistance with tours or quality surf/swim wear! Should you ever come back to Playa Grande, make sure to reach out to us - we would be happy to help you arrange everything you need already prior to your arrival to avoid any hassle once you are on vacation! Thanks again and sending 'pura vida' your way.
We had the best time surfing with Frijoles Loco! We had two surfing lessons with Eli and JC the week of Christmas, and they were very professional and knowledgeable. JC worked with our young kids ranging from 6 to 9, and he was fun, enthusiastic, and the absolutely loves him! Eli was very patient, and worked well with beginners as well as more seasoned surfers in our group! We look forward to surfing with Frijoles Loco again in the future!
Hi Cristin,
Thank you for your kind words. We are so grateful to have such wonderful instructors that love to teach and spread the surf stoke. No matter what age or skill level, you are guaranteed to have a good time and get the most out of your surf experience - be it just having fun or bringing your surfing to the next level. We are looking forward to taking you surfing again on your next visit to Playa Grande!
