There are those that have moved on from Costa Rica to other parts of the world and say they won't look back. Personally, I enjoy Costa Rica very much. I will explore new destinations, but I doubt I'll ever be disappointed with returning to San Jose. The people are friendly, the ladies are beautiful, and the life is relaxed.

Most people who visit know about the Hotel Del Rey/Blue Marlin Casino, and often Club Idem and New Fantasy, but as this report reveals, the sex venues are numerous and available at all times of the day.

Some gentleman knock the ladies of the Del Rey for quoting prices starting at $100 US. It is important for us to realize that these prices are negotiable and not fixed. Learn some Spanish and spend time getting to know the ladies, this will make negotiation easier. If you are unsuccessful at getting a lower price, you can walk away or decide to pay if you think the lady is worth the cost. Some will say that no Del Rey lady is worth 3-10 times what locals pay at other brothels, but I disagree. Only YOU can decide if the lady is worth the extra money, but at the same time, I don't think people should throw their money around without discrimination. Remember that the Del Rey is a negotiating environment, and that you can negotiate time, money, and services.

There is one disturbing aspect of the Del Rey which all visitors should be aware of. There have been recent reports (June 2003) of immigration police raiding the Del Rey and harassing tourists. These raids used to be conducted to enforce compliance for working ladies only, but recently some tourists that didn't have their passports on them or copies certified by a Costa Rica lawyer were taken to holding cells for hours until they could be escorted to their hotel to provide their passport. There has even been mention of passport holders being held for hours while they claimed to investigate passport legitimacy. I would suggest you try to check the status of this situation before your next trip to San Jose.

Keep in mind that the high-end strip clubs have very poor reputations for gouging customers and overbilling. I highly discourage visiting them unless you are fully aware of the prices and tactics they use to overcharge. Even if you are aware, I would suggest against it to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Besides the uniqueness of the Del Rey, one of my favorite aspects of San Jose is the variety of ladies that are available. Besides the local talent, ladies fly in from Panama, Colombia, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Russia, and occassionally other countries. One can find all shapes, sizes and types with a variety of prices that will fit any budget.

San Jose, Costa Rica will always hold a place in my heart. If you have never been, I recommend you visit at least once in your life. Here's to sharing a beer at the Del Rey...Pura Vida!

P.S. Many more photos coming...

Excellent report Vlad. Tremendous details. One observation. You mention that there are many more venues besides the Del Rey and Idem & New Fantasy. But in reading your report, it didn't sound like any other place really blew you away. Based on quality and cost, I think New Fantasy is the best thing going down there, followed by Idem. The Del Rey scene just didn't do anything for me. So how about it - do you rank any place higher than New Fantasy or Idem?

I also enjoyed your report very much and found it to be one of the more informing ones ive read. Especially about the "less popular" places in san jose, I agree with Wallstreet when he said your reports of these locations werent going to blow any one away but it wont scare many away either. I am traveling to san jose for my first time and agree I must see this town atleast once, thanks for the info and I hope to post a modest report myself when I return.

Thanks for the compliments.

Good observation regarding the Del Rey. I enjoy the Del Rey very much, much more so than all of the other places I visited. The prices are typically higher and you are more likely to run into ladies that are more jaded, but if you spend some time with them and negotiate, you should have few problems with the ladies.

Club Idem is a great place, but the variety of talent didn't seem much different than two years ago. There are enough ladies here for most visitors, but I would think this place would get old for any regular visitors of Costa Rica. Idem is my second favorite place.

I enjoyed New Fantasy, but I wasn't as impressed with the lineup of ladies as I expected. I thought both Idem and Del Rey had more attractive ones. I also know New Fantasy can get crowded, I was fortunate to be there at a time when it wasn't. The saunas and nice facilities do make it a must visit and it will be a place I will explore further.

I think those that haven't been should make it a point to visit Eros Massage, Krysis Massage, and Casa Lily. Krysis is probably better if you pick one of the regular ladies instead of the dancers. Casa Lily has nice facilities and a great price. I hope they get enough business to keep the ladies they have happy and attract even more.

I should add a little more detail regarding the Del Rey and Wallstreet's comment.

The ladies working out of the Del Rey/Blue Marlin are freelancers, so there is little you can do if you find a bad apple. They can be as friendly or rude as they want in the bar, and as accomodating or stiff as they want in the room. For this reason, it's a good idea to learn how to read signals and come up with a strategy of identifying signals of how a lady might behave upstairs. The additional effort and/or a few poor performers may turn some gentlemen off to the Del Rey. The high prices relative to the rest of the brothels and massage parlors also keep many regular visitors and expats away from.

In Wallstreet's case, I know he also got uncomfortable when the place got crowded. It got particularly crowded by the bar and difficult to walk around the narrow pathways. If you prefer a "relaxed" atmosphere, the Del Rey might not be your cup of tea when it gets busy.

I've read of people trying to organize efforts to "boycott the Del Rey" because of inflated prices and stuck up attitudes. I would guess that 5% or less of their customers subscribe to sites such as this, so boycott efforts would be futile.

Pardon me for being blunt, but the girls from Costa Rica are so ugly! They don't come close to the beauties of Thailand and Cambodia. Mr. Wallstreet, you shold know better.

"Everybody to has own taste" said the fellow as he kissed the mule :-)