[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1708651461127{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”][vc_column_text]She’s Coming Back Big Time: March 2024 Update
by Britt Nelson
“I put in $10,000 after we received the $8,000 from the Go Fund Me accounts. The hotel will pay for the rest of the work,” said Jimenez. These costs are reasonable. Bronze has been used in statues since 2,500 BC. La Sirena is 12-feet tall and unique.
Asked what the future holds for La Sirena, Jimenez said, “We will hold a celebration event when La Sirena is unveiled to the world. I plan to bring La Sirena back to the hotel by the end of February, but she will be black wrapped until we pull that off. I hear that the President of Costa Rica may come to the unveiling.”
But more work needs to be done to accommodate La Sirena on her stand, but Jimenez is quick to add, “I’m not looking for anymore donations. The base is not good now. This is not an easy task. I have to do all this work. The base needs to be raised 40-centimeters. The hotel is paying for this work. But we only have 5-hours at a time to work due to the tides.”
All in all, I found Jimenez to be truthful with good intensions. He’s not asking for any donations, however, if he needs additional help preparing the base, he will post on social media what is needed for the community to respond.
“We want to hold a celebration event for her reveal for all of La Sirena’s friends and lovers can all come together with La Sirena back home where she belongs.”
The all new La Sirena Mermaid Statue has lost all her scars. Her patina is flawless. She looks royally regal and proud. Her tail is gorgeous. We can all say, “Welcome Home’’ soon to our world-class statue that truly is unique among the world’s mermaid statues. There are none other like ours – anywhere – that are battered by the sea twice a day.
Long live La Sirena! It’s a new dawn.
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SURF FEATURE:
The seven-kilometer-long beach of Esterillos, about 20 minutes south of Jacó, has become over the years one of Costa Rica’s most fun places to catch waves. In fact, it consists of three separate locations: Esterillos Este, Esterillos Centro, and Esterillos Oeste (east, central and west). The beaches are broken up by the Bejuco River, and each section has its own defining geography of beach and rock bottoms.
The most popular of the three areas to surf is Esterillos Oeste. It’s a beach break with an underwater rock shelf several hundred meters off the sand. And, this is the home of one of Costa Rica’s most notable international surfing exports, 25-year-old Carlos Muñoz, who grew up with younger brother Alberto, honing their skills on all three sections.
The statue looks like it is
rising out of the water.
“The waves are very fun in Esterillos Centro,” Muñoz says. “There are rights, lefts and they have a lot of wall. Este is a little bit more open ocean, so it has great waves too.”
One of the unique features of Esterillos Oeste is the mermaid sculpture that rests on the north end rocks facing out from the shore towards the horizon. The mermaid is a great take-off spot for surfers, but has notoriety for much more than just that. When the tide rises, the ocean covers her pedestal and the statue looks like it is rising out of the water. The work, a bronze cast, was created by sculptor Albino Valverde, who is from the Puriscal barrio of San José.
The surf skills Carlos Muñoz started honing at a young age in Esterillos, where he is pictured above and here, have served him well in competitions around the world.
Mermaid’s mystique
Ask the locals to tell you about the mermaid statue, and you get a lot of head scratching. But Muñoz is happy to recount what he has heard.
“I don’t know exactly how long she has been there, but I heard this story about her. Back in the day, the owner of the hotel La Sirena said he saw a mermaid. So, that’s why he had the mermaid statue built.”
Anthony Seguro, another Esterillos surfer, admits to knowing little more about the legendary sculpture. He offers a variation of the story that originates with the same hotel owner.
“Around 1970, this man arrived at Playa Esterillos, and along the coves he saw the silhouette of a woman. He ran to where she appeared and then was lost in the waves.”
Being a well-known beach landmark does not necessarily make the mermaid’s resting place an ideal surf spot, Muñoz explains.
“You can surf, but the wave is not that good. It’s super fat, and only when there’s big, big swell does it make a few good waves. For me, the mermaid is an indicator. Every time I was surfing I’d always go a little farther out from the side of the mermaid.”
There’s no question, Muñoz agrees, that the sculpture is a beautiful attraction for Esterillos.
“The people like to go into the few natural pools there when the tide goes low, and they like to fish. And all the people like to go there and take photos with the mermaid.”
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The Myth, the Legend
La Sirena, Costa Rica is a legendary tale that has captivated locals and visitors alike for generations. According to the story, La Sirena is a beautiful mermaid who seduces fishermen with her enchanting songs and bewitching appearance. Legend has it that many have fallen under her spell, abandoning their families and lives on land to dive into the depths of the sea with her.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_tta_accordion active_section=”0″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”Other HOWLER Surf Profiles” tab_id=”1586867077185-1b30c82c-019f”][vc_column_text]Malakai Marinez
Valeria Salustri[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Costa Rica Surf Spots” tab_id=”1586867077196-930043ff-5d0e”][vc_column_text]
Boca Barranca
Santa Teresa
Playa Negra
Playa Tamarindo
Playa Dominical
Playa Langosta
Ollie’s Point
Playa Avellanas
Pavones
Witch’s Rock
Playa Grande
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What Makes a Wave Spit?
The Climate is Changing, Will There Be Waves?
Hurricanes in Costa Rica?
The Importance of Swell Angle
What Makes a Good Surf Spot
What Makes a Good Surf Spot 2
Why Do Waves Break?
Cold Water in Costa Rica?
The Science of Stoke
Tamarindo Spot Check
The Papagayo Winds
How Waves Are Created
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