Rocking J’s a Great Hostel in Costa Rica
Rocking J’s has several different options for sleeping arrangements. It basically has anything you could want. There are dorm rooms, private rooms, covered camping, tents for rent, a hammock hotel, and even a tree house. There is something for everyone’s needs and more importantly, everyone’s wallets.
The section of the hostel grounds that houses the dorm and private rooms in the oldest part of Rocking J’s. There are two or three dorm rooms and one to two private rooms. The numbers are varied because J, the owner, is constantly adding on and making improvements. The dorms rooms are your basic dorm rooms. The are exceptionally clean and even have a maid who washes sheets almost everyday. There are very large lockers outside of the room to keep your bags and belongings. The lockers are big enough to fit a big roller cart style bag that would go under on an air plane. The building that has these rooms also houses the laundry room, kitchen, and eating area. Don’t worry about being kept up all night though. The night security guard strictly enforces the 10 o clock closing of the kitchen and eating area.
Covered camping is a must in Costa Rica. No matter how good of tent you have, if you are there during rainy season you will need something to camp under. The spot where you can setup camp is nice. You have a tin roof covering the whole area. The ground is covered in beach sand so it’s quite comfortable. If you don’t have a tent, don’t worry. J rents out tents for an only a few bucks a night. His tents come with a mattress and clean sheets. Even if you are staying in a tent you get a full size locker for each paid night.
One of the best things Rocking J’s is known for is its hammock hotel. The hammock hotel is exactly what it sounds like, a hotel full of hammocks. Ok, so it’s a big open aired style warehouse building with 30 hammocks. The hammocks here are great, probably the best in Costa Rica. They are large over sized hammocks that don’t fold up on you and are perfect for a great nights rest. The bottom half of the building is full size lockers and come with each paid night.
The party spot, if you can afford it, is about $60 bucks a night and 30 feet up a tree. That’s right, Js boosts a pretty nice tree house. The tree house comes with a bottle of rum and more. The tree house is one that the swiss family Robinsons wish they could have lived in. It has a fridge, full size bed, satellite TV, CD player, and that cute receptionist at your beck and call via your private phone. There is even a retractable roof on the tree house so on those clear nights you can sleep out under the stars.
There is art every where you look at this hostel. From the mosaic covered walkways and walls to the hand painted murals and furniture that dot the yard, these are all done by fellow travelers who came through and left a piece of them behind. If you have something to offer and want to leave your mark just tell J, he’ll point you in the direction of the tile pile or hand you some paint brushes.
The hostel its self is right on the beach. If it’s a night out ask J if you can take a hammock down to the beach and sleep by the ocean. It’s a great way to fall asleep and beautiful way to wake up. There is a small natural pool in the coral right outside the hostel. It’s a great way to get wet without have to really get in the ocean. If you want to surf or a more typical beach you can take a shaded jungle trail to the local beach with lifeguards.
As with most hostels there are lots of fun toys to rent during the day. You can rent the ever popular means of transportation, a cruiser bike, for $5 bucks a day. There are also surf boards and boogie boards for rent as well. There is some decent snorkeling all around the shore and down the beach. If you don’t have your own mask and snorkel you can rent one from J for a few bucks a day.
