| The author of this guidebook feels it is his responsibility
to paint a realistic picture of all of the aspects of living
in Costa Rica. He would not be doing a service to our readers
if he did not cover the subject of prostitution. However,
let it be known that in no way does he condone the sexual
exploitation of minors. In this section he only provides information
about sexual relationships between consenting adults.
For some people, Costa Rica is a sexual paradise. Like Thailand,
the Philippines and many other countries outside of the United
States, prostitution is permitted and looked upon with general
acceptance in Costa Rica. As in the rest of Latin America,
many males have their first sexual experience with prostitutes.
In order to control the propagation of venereal disease and
AIDS, prostitutes are required by the government to undergo
regular health checkups by the Ministry of Health or Ministerio
de Salud in order to practice their trade legally. Most
upscale brothels make sure their employees have their health
papers and tests up to date.
It is therefore not surprising that many foreigners are attracted
to Costa Rica because of the availability of women. In San
José there is a myriad of bordellos, cabarets, escort
services, massage parlors and bars where you can find female
company. One Costa Rican remarked jokingly when questioned
about the number of whorehouses in San José, In order
to put a roof over all of the houses of ill repute, you would
have to cover the whole city.
We have interviewed a few tight-fisted residents and retirees
who think just because they live here they should pay less
for sex than tourists. Consequently, many of them go to the
houses of ill repute that dot Calle 6, just north of the Central
Market. Prices are rock bottom and you probably get what you
end up paying for. We don't recommend venturing into this
area at night. However, none of the people interviewed have
ever had problems during the day.
In the Gringo Gulch area near Morazán Park
two places come to mind. Key Largo is an institution and has
been around for more than 25 years. Located in a beautiful
colonial mansion directly across from Parque Morazán,
the place looks like a scene taken right out of a Humphrey
Bogart movie. It has recently been remodeled and offers live
music and dancing nightly.
The Blue Marlin Bar at the Hotel Del Rey is under the same
ownership as the Key Largo and is the place to meet women
of the night. Most evenings are standing room only in the
bar. During the day the bar is a gathering place where local
expats and tourists shoot the bull. The Hotel Del Rey also
offers a casino and fine dining
There are a number of cabarets and nightclubs where men can
also find female companionship. Most of these establishments
try to get you to buy expensive drinks and run up a large
tab. It is not unusual to be stuck with a large bill in a
short period of time. To avoid surprises, we suggest you do
not buy any women more than one or two drinks. The management
can be very nasty if you complain about your bill. Here are
the most popular cabarets and night clubs: Club Hollywood
(232-8932), across from the south side of La Sabana Park;
Pure Platinum (256-9989), Avenida 3 between Calle 10 and 12
and Night Club Olympus (233-4058), Central Street, one block
north of Hotel Europa. Most of these establishments offer
floorshows, Jacuzzis, massage rooms, VIP rooms, exotic dancing
and a stable of women from which to choose. Tango India (290-1235,
http://www.tangoindia.net), and KRISIS (222-7640) are other
hot spots worth checking out.
About a dozen escort services operate in the San José
area. Most of these services advertise in local newspapers.
You may find many of the local escort services by going to
search engines like Yahoo, Google or Altavista and typing
in the keywords Costa Rica escorts.
If you are looking for a relaxing massage and steam bath,
there are a number of massage parlors to cater to your needs.
Prices range from about $15 for a straight hour-long therapeutic
massage to $35 for a massage with the works, or masaje
completo. As a rule these places are very clean and provide
a secure, discret atmosphere. New Fantasy (221-4916), located
two blocks north of Morazán Park in San José,
is very popular among foreign residents. It is located in
Barrio Amón, on Avenida 9 and Calle 7, from the Parque
Morazán (in front of the Holiday Inn), 200 meters or
two blocks to the north, a right turn and you are there. It
is frequented by foreign residents, Costa Rican men of means
and tourists. The nearby Sportsmen's Lodge (221-2533) is another
place to find female company. Check out its website at www.
sportsmenscr.com. The 747, located on Calle 6, one block south
of Avenida 7, is also a favorite. Idem, Avenidas 8-10 and
Calle 11, has beautiful women and is considered one of the
best massage parlors in the San José area. In western
San José you will find Oasis Masajes (255-1182) and
Veronica's (256-7354).
A map of San José's hottest spots can be found at
http://www.dongordo.com/dongordoSJmap.php. There is a better
map at http://www.costaricaticas.com. However, you have to
be a member to access it.
There is a good online book that can be used as a guide to
all of San José's erotic places, called Passion
in Paradise. See www. passioninparadise.com to find out
how to order this publication. Also check out http://www.costaricasex.com.
Check out http://www.costaricamongering.com to get a copy
of Living the Vida Loca in Costa Rica.
An interesting phenomenon is Central America's famous love
motels. Several dozen are found around San José and
the suburbs and do very good business. Many foreigners do
not know the difference between a hotel and motel in Costa
Rica and the rest of Central America motels are for making
love and serve no other purpose.
These establishments exist for discrete liaisons between
adults. Bosses and their secretaries, men with prostitutes,
young lovers who still live at home and others enjoy these
convenient establishments. Patrons can hide their cars as
well as their lovers in one of these places. Rooms may be
rented for several hours. Fresh towels, sheets, food, drink
and even a condom are provided. Each room also has a small
waist-level little window for you to pay and for staff to
hand you alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, food, towels, and
more. Clients and staff of the motel never see each other's
faces.
Most rooms also have a TV, some with pornographic movies,
and music. There is a big curtain or door that is closed immediately
to hide the identity of the couple and their vehicle. On weekend
nights and during lunch, the country's love motels fill up
quickly. It is very easy to find one of these motels once
you have lived in Costa Rica for a while. Just ask a taxi
driver or one of your friends.
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