Alcoholics Anonymous in Costa Rica – AA Meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous in Costa Rica

The Responsibility Pledge 
I am Responsible.
When Anyone, Anywhere
Reaches Out For Help,
I Want The Hand Of A.A.
Always To Be There.
And For That,
I Am Responsible!

This page is meant to give you as much information on Alcoholics Anonymous in Costa Rica. If you are visiting Costa Rica on vacation or relocating here, we can help you get acquainted with local AA meetings in your area.

English-speaking Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Costa Rica vary in size – some groups only have three or four members, while others have upwards of 100 members.  If you need any help at all, please feel free to contact us today at +1 888 981 9092 or locally at +506 4033-7830.

A few of the groups welcome members from other Twelve Step Programs but all AA meetings focus on the AA Program of Recovery. If by any chance you get to a meeting on time, and no one is there yet, just relax and wait a few moments; someone will surely appear. If you find yourself in a crisis where a drink sounds like a good idea, please do not hesitate to call us directly. Your sobriety matters to us. In the meantime, enjoy your time here, and remember “Easy Does It!” Especially in Costa Rica!

The Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions Of Alcoholics Anonymous

Originally published in 1952, this classic book is used by A.A. members and groups around the world. It lays out the principles by which A.A. members recover and by which the fellowship functions. The basic text clarifies the Steps which constitute the A.A. way of life and the Traditions, by which A.A. maintains its unity.

The 12 Steps Of Alcoholics Anonymous

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.

Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

​Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.​

Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Step 5: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Step 6: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Step 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Step 9: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The 12 Traditions Of Alcoholics Anonymous

  1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
  2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
  3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
  4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
  5. Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
  6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
  7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
  8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
  9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
  10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
  11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
  12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

AA Meetings In Costa Rica

Local AA meetings are frequently held in certain areas of Costa Rica, but also with changing locations, depending on the time and place necessary. Please contact us directly and we’ll gladly help to find the perfect fit for you.

The list of current AA meetings is available below. The list of AA meetings is listed alphabetically by town, city and you may click on them for further details.

Atenas

Alajuela Province
Click here for map and info

Wed. 3:00 p.m. – Discussion
Kay’s Postres Cafe and Restaurant

Cahuita – Caribbean Coast

Cahuita, Caribbean Coast, Limon Province
Click here for map

Tues & Fri. 10 a.m. Black Beach, 80 meters West of Football field, sand colored house

Meetings held when visitors show up.

Cóbano – Montezuma

Cóbano, Nicoya Peninsula, Puntarenas Province
Click here for map

TUE / THU / SAT 6-6:30p (longer if more people show up)

AA/NA
English/Spanish

Location: In front of school, on main street 50 meters left of El Monge (bigstore). There is a sign out on the street.

Dominical

AA Meetings:
Wednesday: 11:00 am – Open AA – Dominical Happy Hour Group (Topic Meeting)
Sunday: 9:15 am – Open AA – Dominical Happy Hour Group (Big Book Study)

NA Meetings:
Thursday: 10:00 am Open NA – Dominical High Tide Group (Topic Meeting)

Al-Anon Meetings:
Tuesday: 10:00 am Al-Aanon Family Group – Dominical Al-Anon Group

Location: All meetings are on the 2nd floor of Patrons Restaurant on Main St. in Dominical, in the office beside the Happy Feet Ballet School. There is a green VW bus on a post 20ft in the air used as an obvious landmark so you can’t miss it.

Click here for Map

Zú Group – Escazú

Location: International Baptist Church, Guachipelín

Monday 8 am – Big Book
Tuesday 8 am – Open Prayer/Meditation
Wednesday 8 am – 12×12
Thursday 8 am – Came to Believe
Friday 8 am – Living Sober
Saturday 9 am – Open/Daily Reflection (Speaker meeting the last Saturday of the month)
Sunday 12:30 pm – Speaker meeting (open meeting), Al-Anon speaker the last Sunday of the month

Directions:
on the Autopista (highway) Próspero Fernández, route 27, from San José via Escazú heading toward Santa Ana, take the Guachepelín exit which is the next exit after you pass the Multiplaza shopping mall on your left (don’t worry: you can’t miss it). Go right at the end of the off-ramp (you’ll see the Construplaza hardware store on your left) and immediately take another right. Follow the paved road up the hill and the church entrance is on your left.

Click here for Map

Location (for GPS) 9° 56′ 58″ N, 84° 09′ 37″ W (9.949444, -84.160278)

Flamingo-Potrero Saltwater Serenity Group – Playa Potrero

Meetings: Tuesday and Friday 5.30pm

Location: 50 Meter South of Hotel Bahia del Sol at the CR Sailing Center, on the bay. The loft

Granada Group Of AA

Granada, Nicaragua

Meetings: Sun and Wed 5:30 pm

Location: 1.5 blocks north of the central park in Granada.

Grecia Gringos Group – Grecia

Grecia, Alajuela Province Click here for map

Meetings: MON,TUE, WED & FRI 12 noon. Mon & Fri is open discussion,Tue is a big book study. Wed is a Step Study. All are closed AA meetings, except Friday (Open AA meeting).

Location: Grecia Centro AA Club

Directions: Take Grecia exit off Autopista (look for Greek pillars).
Proceed up winding road to Grecia downtown. Grecia is dominated by a brick red iron cathedral. Proceed on one way street past cathedral two blocks, make a left at this blinking light and go a block and a half. You will see AA sign outside club on left, street parking should be available. If you get lost in Grecia, ask for directions to fire station (bombero estación). The AA club is located next to the station (left at corner of the block).

GPS Coordinates: 10.074328, -84.308937

Heredia “Progress Not Perfection” Group.

Sundays at 9 a.m.

La Candelaria Restaurant, San Francisco neighborhood, 50 East of Walmart, 50 Meters South of BAC. The restaurant is on left.
From Alajuela, bus to Walmart. Walk east 1 block (towards Heredia) to Carl Jrs, then turn right one block to the restaurant.

Use Waze to drive to Restaurante La Candelaria – Heredia: here

Iguana Group

Iguana, Nicaragua

Meetings: Every Friday at 10:00AM

English and Spanish Speaking, Open Meetings

Location: inside Hacienda Iguana at the Community Center(the large palapa) behind Casa Maderas Restaurant. Please tell the front gate that you are “Amigos De Bill W.”

Click here for Map

Meetings: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 10am (Tuesday is a Step meeting)

Location: On the main street in Jaco directly across the street from Ekono clothing store. The building is called Torre del Tiempo and has a street sign. The clubhouse is on the 2nd floor, right above Fruity Monkey store/coffee shop. If you are looking at Fruity Monkey’s entrance, the staircase to the 2nd floor is on the left

Click here for Map

Santa Teresa

12 Steps to Freedom Group
Open 12 Step Recovery Meetings

Mon, Wed, and Fri at 12:30 pm

Location: Salon Communal (Community Center)Beside the Police “station” and skate park, behind the Santa Teresa Plaza de Futbol (Soccer Field)

Burger Rancho is across the street from the Soccer Field

Driving north from the crossroad turn right at Policia Turistica sign

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

The Pacific Group of Manuel Antonio
Daily 9 am.

At El Arado Restaurant on the “Old Road to Quepos” Click here for Map

Mountain Top Meeting, Monteverde

Monteverde, Puntarenas Province
Time: WED @ 5:30pm

Location: Monteverde Friends Meeting house

Cóbano, Nicoya Peninsula, Puntarenas Province

Click here for Map

TUE / THU / SAT 6-6:30p (longer if more people show up

AA/NA
English/Spanish

Location: In front of school, on main street

50 meters left of El Monge (bigstore). There is a sign out on the street.

Completely Sober

Time: Monday’s 6 PM – 7 PM

Location: in Neuvo Arenal across from the Children’s Park
100 m west of Banco Nacional

This meeting is open to anyone who is a member of AA, thinks they have a problem with alcohol or if they have a desire to stop drinking.

Iguana Group, Nicaragua

Meetings: Every Friday At 10:00AM

English and Spanish Speaking, Open meetings

Location: inside Hacienda Iguana at the Community Center(the large palapa) behind Casa Maderas Restaurant. Please tell the front gate that you are “Amigos De Bill W.”

Click here for Map

Nosara, Nicoya Peninsula, Puntarenas

Meetings:
Mon, Wed, Fri 12 noon @ The Bodhi Tree Village
Thursday Noon for Women only @ The Bodhi Tree Village

Sober Surfer Group – Nosara

Nosara, Nicoya Peninsula, Puntarenas

Meetings:
Mon, Wed, Fri 12 noon @ The Bodhi Tree Village

Ojochal: Southern Zone

AA Meetings:
WEDNESDAY: 11:00 am – Open AA – Dominical Happy Hour Group (Topic Meeting)
SUNDAY: 9:15 am – Open AA – Dominical Happy Hour Group (Big Book Study)

NA Meetings:
THURSDAY: 11:00 am Open NA – Dominical High Tide Group (Topic Meeting)

Al-Anon Meetings:
TUESDAY: 10:00 am Al-Aanon Family Group – Dominical Al-Anon Group
Adult Children of Alcoholics (Womens Meeting)
Friday: 9:00 am At Roca Verde Restaurant – 2km South of Domincial

Location: All meetings (except ACA) are in the office beside the Happy Feet Ballet School on the 2nd floor of Patrons Restaurant (currently closed) on Main St. in Dominical. There is a green VW bus on a post 20ft in the air used as an obvious landmark so you can’t miss it.

Click here for Map

Flamingo-Potrero Saltwater Serenity Group – Playa Potrero

Meetings: Tuesday and Friday 5.30pm

Location: 50 Meter South of Hotel Bahia del Sol at the CR Sailing Center, on the bay. The loft

You can also contact the Playa Tamarindo group as a backup

PLAYA NEGRA “KEEP IT SIMPLE GROUP”

Meeting: every Sunday at 9 am

Location: Private home off the main street in Playa Negra/Los Pargos, Guanacaste.

Directions: the entrance to the driveway is just across the road from Jalapeño Eatery & Market. You’ll see a surf shop with a surfboard sign that says “Always Open”, and the driveway runs along the left side of that building. Follow the driveway up to the private house – our meetings take place on the back patio.

Click here for Map

Flamingo – Potrero Saltwater Serenity Group – Playa

PotreroMeetings: Tuesday and Friday 5.30pm

Location: 50 Meter South of Hotel Bahia del Sol at the CR Sailing Center, on the bay. The loft

You can also contact the Playa Tamarindo group as a backup

Wave Of Sobriety Group – Tamarindo

Meetings:
MO and TH 5:30 pm to 6:30
SA 10:30 am to 11:30
WE 10:30 am to 11:30

All meetings are open and 1 hour.

Location: Clubhouse located through Pedro’s Surf Shop which can be found in the alley behind Tamarindo’s main road rotunda.

Playa Del Coco – Guanacaste

Meetings: Mon, Wed, Fri at 6pm

Location: In Sardinal town: after the Sardinal bridge, take first paved road on the left, then go 400 meters until a commercial center: Centro Plaza Sardinal (50 mts east from police station), store number 6.

Lion Group – Puerto Viejo

#1 Meetings: M-W-F 1pm
Location: In the back of the MultiCentro in the center of Puerto Viejo across street from Flip Flop restaurant. Walk down the driveway to the open warehouse behind the main Multicentro building.
Click here for Map

#2 Meetings: Saturday 9am
Location: Serenity on the Beach in front of the Banana Azul Hotel
Click here for Map

Manuel Antonio | Quepos

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
The Pacific Group of Manuel Antonio
Daily Meetings: 09:00 AM
At El Arado Restaurant on the “Old Road to Quepos”

Click here for Map

Anchor Club – Sabana Sur

Location: Local Community Center (Salon Comunal Barrio Corazon de Jesus Sabana Sur)

Monday 12:00 PM
Wednesday 12:00 PM
Friday 12:00 PM

Samara Pura Vida Group

Samara, Guanacaste Province in the Nicoya Peninsula Region

Meetings: Wed and Sat at 9:00 am

Location: Upper Level of Frank’s restaurant on Main Street

Location: Kafe de Casa

Meetings: MON 11 am

San Jose

Zú Group – Escazú

Location: International Baptist Church, Guachipelín

Monday 8 am – Big Book
Tuesday 8 am – Open Prayer/Meditation
Wednesday 8 am – 12×12
Thursday 8 am – Came to Believe
Friday 8 am – Living Sober
Saturday 9 am – Open/Daily Reflection (Speaker meeting the last Saturday of the month)
Sunday 12:30 pm – Speaker meeting (open meeting), Al-Anon speaker the last Sunday of the month

Directions:
on the Autopista (highway) Próspero Fernández, route 27, from San José via Escazú heading toward Santa Ana, take the Guachepelín exit which is the next exit after you pass the Multiplaza shopping mall on your left (don’t worry: you can’t miss it). Go right at the end of the off-ramp (you’ll see the Construplaza hardware store on your left) and immediately take another right. Follow the paved road up the hill and the church entrance is on your left

Public Business meeting Notes

Click here for Map

Sober & Sane In Paradise, San Juan Del Sur, Nica

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua Click here for Map

Group Name: Sober & Sane in Paradise for your “Sober Journey Down South”
Meetings: Wed 10am
Location: Josseline’s Restaurant

“Please let everybody know we have an English Speaking meeting here and this is a great place to cross the border and get out of the country for your 72 hour deal.”

San Ramon Big Book Group

English Language Alcoholics Anonymous

Meeting is currently to discontinued but if you need help in this area please Contact us

Santa Teresa

12 Steps to Freedom Group
Open 12 Step Recovery Meetings

Mon, Wed, and Fri at 12:30 pm

Location: Salon Communal (Community Center)Beside the Police “station” and skate park, behind the Santa Teresa Plaza de Futbol (Soccer Field)
Burger Rancho is across the street from the Soccer Field
Driving north from the crossroad turn right at Policia Turistica sign

​Wave Of Sobriety Group – Tamarindo

Meetings:
Sun, Mo and Th 6:00 pm to 7:00
SA 10:30 am to 11:30
WE 10:30 am to 11:30

All meetings are open and 1 hour.

Location: Clubhouse located through Pedro’s Surf Shop which can be found in the alley behind Tamarindo’s main road rotunda.

Uvita

AA Meetings:
Monday: 10 am Open AA – Promises in Paradise Group
Saturday: 10 am Open AA – Promises in Paradise Group

Adult Children of Alcoholics (Women’s Meeting):
Tuesday: 10am

Location: Promises In Paradise Clubhouse – 600M down BCR (Banco Costa Rica) road. Left at Mosiac Restaurant (there is an AA sign and arrow showing direction) and 50M up the hill on the left. The building is brightly painted

Click here for Map

White Horse Group – Zancudo (Near Golfito)

Meetings:
Sunday at 4 pm
and impromptu

Location:
at Cabinas Los Cocos
. To arrive here, drive south on the Pan American Highway to Rio Claro, turn right toward Golfito. Just before Golfito, take a left at “Bar Rodeo”, continue to the water ferry. After the ferry, the road is dirt. Just continue taking right turns at every intersection, and you’ll end up in Zancudo.

Local AA Activities

Below is a small calendar snippet showing planned daily activities. There are several more available. Don’t hesitate to contact us directly for more information. Every activity is clickable in case you need more information.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP!

Don’t hesitate to contact us for any further help or information through you preferred channel of communication. Text us on WhatsApp, call us directly for free, or reach out via email.