ARRIVING QUEPOS

Puerto Limon, on the Atlantic, is a frequent stop for Holland America ships heading to the Panama Canal.  On the Pacific side, Quepos is a port Holland America is visiting for the first time.  The Zuiderdam is the biggest ship to call on this port.  This is a tender port with a short ride and a protected pier in a small harbor, which makes for stable and fast shoreside tender operations.  

After anchoring, the ship was cleared around 7 am.  Open tendering started at 8:30.  We headed ashore around 11:30.  We planned to explore the small town on foot and find an interesting place for lunch.  

Most of the Quepos excursions involve a visit or activity in the nearby Manuel Antonio National Park, from zip-lining to horseback riding.  

WALKING TO TOWN

There is a slight uphill walk to the central Marina area, where you will find a few shops and modern restaurants.  Getting to town requires hiking up 30 steps, but we discovered an elevator tucked away under the Runaway Grill.  Keep walking past the steps and turn right under the restaurant, and you will find the elevator.  

There is a taxi stand as you leave the Marina area, but we didn’t see any taxis waiting.  

It’s about 1/4 mile from the Marina to the edge of town.  The sidewalk is level with excellent views of the Pacific and the beaches.  

Once in town, we headed down one of the main streets filled with shops serving the needs of the residents.  There were only a few touristy shops selling souvenirs.  The bus station was busy, and we spotted a few foreign tourists buying tickets and waiting for their bus.  

FARMERS MARKET

The farmers market comprises an open-air market and a nearby covered area.  About 1/2 of the market sells fresh produce to locals, with the other half selling jewelry, T-shirts, and other products aimed at tourists.  

PURE VIDA SODA

Scattered throughout the city, you will find small restaurants with the word “Soda” on the sign.  Sodas are small eateries featuring Costa Rican cuisine, where you can find all sorts of traditional Costa Rican dishes.  These spots are less fancy and much more relaxed than regular restaurants.  

We spotted some fellow passengers finishing their meal at the Pure Vida Soda, which they highly recommended.  Spanish-only menus were available, but Google Translate helped review the options.  I asked our waiter, Ricky Iglesias, for his recommendation, and he suggested the Seafood Rice Platter.  In addition to the Seafood Platter, we ordered a couple of empanadas and Diet Cokes.  

The bill came to USD 22, and they accepted credit cards.  

CASINO

On the way back to the ship, we stopped by the Casino to check out the Texas Hold’em cash game they would be running later in the evening.  The casino was empty except for the staff.  

WORLD STAGE

Chris Pendleton, comedienne and fiddle player, put on another excellent show this evening.