The little fishing town of La Manzanilla (pop. 2,000) drowses at the opposite end of the same long, curving strip of sand that begins at the Boca de Iguanas trailer parks. Here the beach, Playa la Manzanilla, is as broad and flat and the waves are as gentle, but the sand is several shades darker.

Probably no better fishing exists on the entire Costa Alegre than at La Manzanilla. A dozen seafood palapas on the beach manage to stay open by virtue of a trickle of foreign visitors and local weekend and holiday patronage.

Besides its gorgeous beachfront, the only other La Manzanilla sight is the town’s family of toothy crocodiles, at the south end of main street María Asunción (as you enter the town, a block before the beach, turn right). About six individuals are usually visible, basking in the mangrove-fringed pond, waiting for handouts. The king of the heap, a 12-foot (four-meter) grandfather, periodically defends his seniority by fiercely chasing off potential junior rivals.

La Manzanilla has become a haven for a small but growing community of North American expatriates and winter seekers of paradise. A growing cadre of restaurants and services, including vacation rentals and home sales, fishing excursions, adventure biking, hiking and horsebacking, has appeared to cater to visitors needs. For more information on all of this ferment, visit www.tomzap.com/manza.html, www.lamanzanilla.biz, and www.lamanzanilla.info.