January 5, 2020
There’s often something new to discover in Las Catalinas, like the La Plaza, on Wednesday nights from 5:30 to 8:30pm.
From almost the very beginning, the beachfront around Plaza Danta has been a center of town, a place at the intersection of beaches, trails, restaurants, shops, and the walkable streets of town.
Now overlooked by the Santarena Hotel, which was designed as “town’s living room”, and opening to the sunset-facing beach of Playa Danta, Plaza Danta has become a beautiful town center suited to many forms of gatherings.
La Plaza is a casual fiesta open to everyone from town and the surrounding areas, with live music, fresh-grilled street-food bites, and a refreshing coastal evening atmosphere. It’s a coming together of people that puts Plaza Danta as the center of happenings not just in town, but the whole region on Wednesdays.
An Evening at La Plaza
Throughout the day Plaza Danta serves as a town center just outside the Santarena Hotel, “town’s living room,” where people can gather when coming and going from the trails, beach, and Pura Vida Ride, sit for a bite at Ponciana in mornings and afternoons, or pass through while exploring town. This diverse selection of activities leads to chance encounters and interactions thanks to the area’s walkability, which make the area lively and welcoming.
The evening brings with it cooler weather, gentle evening light, and an ocean breeze, in which the flow of life through Plaza Danta slows slightly. Torches are lit, the evening lights in the Plaza and the trees of Limonada provide a twinkling evening ambiance, and the fires of grills and barbecue bring sweet smells through the air. The street-style stalls change with each week based on what’s fun and what’s fresh, including local meats, seafood, and vegetables flame grilled and prepared for tacos in the Plaza, as well as the occasional slow-cooked roast like caja-china pork or beef bourguignon.
Just as the evening lights come on and the sun sets, the Wednesday night bike ride departs for the trails, an open invitation group for an all play evening ride along the trails. Comprised of familiar faces and new friends, the ride presents the chance to explore the evening trails with a set of fellow riders.
Live music begins a little after sunset, with Santarena providing acoustics for a warm and easygoing sound that complements the food and good company, creating La Plaza’s casual, classic atmosphere that’s welcoming and full of life. In all, it’s an event that brings the many people of town and the surrounding area together around good music and a colorful selection of street food stalls.
Santarena lends a beautiful backdrop to La Plaza in the evenings. Join the event every Wednesday from 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Spend an Evening at La Plaza
La Plaza is hosted every Wednesday of the summer from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, and transforms Plaza Danta from beautiful town center to the place to be in the evenings.
