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Dominical is an excellent place to stay if you are looking for nature, animals and the great pacific coast combined with some luxury. But sometimes you just want to see something else than trees, rivers and sand. Now, big cities like San Jose and Alajuela are very far away, but there is a pretty special little town only 50 miles from here! Between Dominical and that town are 50 miles of good paved road. When you have a car you will be there in less than 2 hours.
This town is called Paso Canoas. It is definitely not a regular town; it is special because it is located directly on the border of Costa Rica and Panama. It is most visited by travelers, because when you travel trough Costa Rica, you get a visa of 90 days. After that, you are mandatory to leave the country for 72 hours to obtain a new stamp for you visa. A good way to do this is to go to Paso Canoas.
Another advantage of this ‘No man’s land’ is that all the products in the stores are Duty Free! Sunglasses, games, wine, clothes; although Paso Canoas is small it has a lot to offer. Especially the city mall is a popular destination of Costa Ricans who want to buy their goods for a cheap price. The prices are way better than in other places of Costa Rica, so you should definitely come here if you want to save some money. The town also has a few bars and eating facilities were you can have a nice dinner.
When you are tired after your long day of shopping, you are always welcome to come to Hotel Villas Rio Mar in Dominical for a relaxing massage in the spa or swim in the swimming pool. When you have some energy left, you can also use the tennis court or eat some chicken, fish or fruits in the restaurant!
Irene Swart
Dominical is an excellent place to stay if you are looking for nature, animals and the great pacific coast combined with some luxury. But sometimes you just want to see something else than trees, rivers and sand. Now, big cities like San Jose and Alajuela are very far away, but there is a pretty special little town only 50 miles from here! Between Dominical and that town are 50 miles of good paved road. When you have a car you will be there in less than 2 hours.
This town is called Paso Canoas. It is definitely not a regular town; it is special because it is located directly on the border of Costa Rica and Panama. It is most visited by travelers, because when you travel trough Costa Rica, you get a visa of 90 days. After that, you are mandatory to leave the country for 72 hours to obtain a new stamp for you visa. A good way to do this is to go to Paso Canoas.
Another advantage of this ‘No man’s land’ is that all the products in the stores are Duty Free! Sunglasses, games, wine, clothes; although Paso Canoas is small it has a lot to offer. Especially the city mall is a popular destination of Costa Ricans who want to buy their goods for a cheap price. The prices are way better than in other places of Costa Rica, so you should definitely come here if you want to save some money. The town also has a few bars and eating facilities were you can have a nice dinner.
When you are tired after your long day of shopping, you are always welcome to come to Hotel Villas Rio Mar in Dominical for a relaxing massage in the spa or swim in the swimming pool. When you have some energy left, you can also use the tennis court or eat some chicken, fish or fruits in the restaurant!
Irene Swart
