Sleeping Withthe Toucans
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100 GREAT PLACES TO STAY IN COSTA RICA Web Edition v. 2.0 February, 2009; Copyright © 2007 - 2009 HayFields Science Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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South of Quepos there are no big towns on the Pacific coast until you get all the way to Golfito down past the Osa Penninsula, almost to Panama. A notoriously wretched, unpaved stretch of Costa Rica 34 links Quepos to Dominical and the south. It will be paved someday, but for now expect at least an hour’s drive to Dominical, with hardened ruts when it’s dry and unpredictable water crossings when it’s not. The pavement begins again at the Rio Barú bridge where Costa Rica 22 comes down from San Isidro El General. From there south, Highway 34 is as pretty as can be. The route through San Isidro is the easier way to get here from San José or the central valley, at least until the new airport goes in at Palmar Sur where Highway 34 finally connects with the Interamerican Highway and ends its long run down the coast.
The Central Pacific’s beautiful beaches continue, interrupted only by the rivers and the occasional rocky headlands, from Manuel Antonio all the way to Playa Tortuga and the small, still mostly French-Canadian town of Ojochal. South of there the mangroves begin, and there’s no dry land until you hit the heel of the Osa Penninsula. While the beaches all face southwest, the surfers thin out after Dominical, and the long stretch of Playa Hermosa can be almost deserted. The developers are already at work; having lunch one day at the great restaurant at La Parcela point below Escaleras, we heard nothing but land deals being hyped. However, until Highway 34 is completed or the airport goes in, this is a remote area where you can still have the beach to yourself.
There are plenty of places to stay in the Dominical area, but you have to hunt to find some of them and, like anywhere in Costa Rica, they come and go. We’re not much for the late-night party scene, but if you are, take the first right past the Rio Barú bridge for the cluster of hotels and hostels along Playa Dominical. A more upscale option down the beach past Uvita is Cusinga Lodge with its meticulous stonework and cabins built of local teak. We’ve never managed to stay there, but we can tell you that Chef David’s macadamia pie is exquisite. We like two small B&Bs, Finca Bavaria south of Uvita and Diquis del Sur in Ojochal, but they’re both up in the hills and if we’re in this part of the world we’d rather be near the ocean. If you’re coming with a big family or group of friends and don’t mind a little four-wheeling, there are some splendid villas for rent up in Escalares. We also hear that La Parcela has four rustic cabins with unbeatable views and all-night music from the surf.
Playa Matapalo
Keyword: Oceanfront
Photo © Bahari Beach Bungalows
Contact Information:
506-2787-5014 (voice); 506-2787-5057 (fax)
andrealudwig@hotmail.com
www.baharibeach.com
Essentials:
4 Safari tents with attached bathrooms, 2 Rooms
English, Spanish
Visa, MasterCard accepted
On-street parking
Swimming pool
Restaurant, Bar
Room Amenities: AC (Rooms only), Refrigerator (Tents), Fan, Semi-private outdoor space (Tents)
How to get here:
In the town of Matapalo turn west off Highway 34 following signs to
Playa Matapalo. The dirt road bends sharply north at the beach.
Bahari Beach is about two km north of the bend.
When was the last time you camped on the beach and didn’t end up with sand in your hair and a million sand-flea bites in places you’d just as soon not recall? If the answer is “never,” head for Bahari Beach and try “camping” in one of their big South African safari tents with a comfy king-sized bed and a seamlessly-attached full-sized bathroom. There’s plenty of room to hang up your clothes, and the polished concrete slab your tent sits on extends out to form your private patio. Your tent even comes with a fridge!
Playa Matapalo is a long, straight, southwest-facing, black-sand beach bounded by the Rio Savegre to the north and the Rio Hatillo to the south. You turn off Highway 34 at the dusty little town of Matapalo, a few thousand potholes from Quepos and we forget how many stream crossings from Dominical. You guessed it – this isn’t the easiest beach to get to and you won’t have to vie with a hundred other vacationers to get your board in the water or your blanket onto the beach. In fact, you may not have to vie with anyone. When we were there – early November we admit – there were a couple of people lazing in Bahari’s pool and no one on the beach as far as we could see in either direction. A family of wild horses sauntered by, the eager little colts never straying too far from their moms. Other than that, it was just us and the surf. Definitely worth the drive.
Matapalo is good for swimming as well as light surfing, and Bahari Beach will rent you a board, a sea kayak, or a bicycle for getting around. There’s not a whole lot of beachside development here – a few other hotels and a couple of bars – and you can ride on the beach for miles. Be on the lookout for wildlife; this is a relatively unpopulated area with several nature reserves nearby. The most developed is the Refugio Barú between the Hatillo and Barú rivers down toward Dominical, a center for work on the hoped-for Osa-to-Talamanca tapir corridor.
Bahari Beach has a nice upstairs restaurant serving lunch and dinner
as well as breakfast. Considering how far you are from the nearest
real town, it’s a good thing. It’s open-air with a great view out
toward the beach. There are two rooms under the restaurant for
those who absolutely must have air conditioning, but we recommend
the tents, especially #2 and #3 which are right on the beach. After all,
camping like this is a rare opportunity.
Dominical
Keywords: Oceanfront, Surfing, Happening Place
Photo © Roca Verde
Contact Information:
506-2787-0036 (voice); 506-2787-0013 (fax)
admin@rocaverde.net
www.rocaverde.net
Essentials:
10 Rooms
English, Spanish
Visa, MasterCard accepted
Secure parking
Swimming pool
Restaurant, Bar
Room Amenities: AC, TV in bar
How to get here:
Continue one km past the main Dominical exit on Highway 34; Roca
Verde is on the right (i.e. the ocean side).
Dominical is the southernmost surfer town on the Central Pacific coast. There are still some nice beaches south of here – especially Playa Hermosa just on the other side of Punta La Parcela – but soon you hit the mangroves and then the vast barely-populated Osa Penninsula and the even less-populated area southwest of Golfito. Dominical is closer to San José than Tamarindo, but the stretch of Highway 2 over the “mountain of death” has a bad reputation and the whole area feels remote. If you’re heading down on Highway 34 from Jacó there’s an hour of wretched driving after Quepos. The upside of difficult access, of course, is less crowding and a more relaxed atmosphere. We like Dominical and sort of wish they wouldn’t pave the road. Well, maybe they could grade it now and then ...
The first turnoff past the Rio Barú bridge takes you to “downtown” Dominical and the beach, but if you go just a little farther you’ll get to Roca Verde. We wandered into the big open palapa bar on November 8, the day after the 2006 U.S. elections. We hadn’t seen a TV for days and everyone in the area, it seemed, was glued to the one behind the bar. Most of the crowd seemed pretty happy with the news, even the Costa Ricans. We watched for a while and then walked out to the beach. The tide was just building and not many surfers were out. Time for an early beer, maybe. It’s hard to think about politics in a place like this.
The Roca Verde is your basic beachfront hotel with ten rooms on two floors facing the ocean, a pool big enough for light laps or just cooling off in fresh water, and the big round palapa serving as bar, restaurant, and public sitting area. The rooms are spacious with private patios downstairs and balconies upstairs. All have bright murals painted on the walls – flowers, jungle plants, colorful fish. The upstairs rooms have a better view and fill up first, but chances are good that if you’re staying here your first choice for a view will be the beach itself – it’s just a few steps away.
The bar at Roca Verde is a classic – a big semicircle covered with
murals of tropical sea-life, and leaping marlins and a whole school of
tuna suspended from the ceiling overhead. Bits of marine
paraphernalia decorate the walls. Every Saturday is disco night with
dancing till three a.m. For those more inclined toward relaxation or
with over-stretched muscles to cure, there’s massage on the platform
upstairs over the bar on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A special detox
with noni juice was on offer when we were there. We’ve tried noni; it
tastes awful, and we didn’t want to even imagine what a detox
regime with that stuff would be. But each to his own. It must be
good for something or it wouldn’t have such devoted fans. We’ll
stick to the standard massage and detox with a piña colada and a nice
view of the sunset.
Dominical
Keyword: Oceanfront
Photo © Costa Paraiso
Contact Information:
506-2787-0025 (voice); 506-2787-0338 (fax)
info@costa-paraiso.com
www.costa-paraiso.com
Essentials:
1 Cabin, 2 Duplex Cabins
English, Spanish
All major credit cards accepted
Secure parking
Swimming pool
Breakfast included
Room Amenities: AC, Full kitchen, Fan, Semi-private outdoor space, Free WiFi
How to get here:
Continue on Highway 34 a little more than one km past the main
Dominical exit; Costa Paraiso is down a steep driveway on the right.
Two flat tongues of black rock, broad as freighters, jut into the ocean from the black-sand beach. From the prow of the southern one a ragged rock forecastle rises crowned by spindly palm trees. At low tide the ocean sloshes through the narrow space between these monsters. Their smooth, sun-soaked surfaces are perfect for some serious tanning. Twelve hours later their decks are submerged and rolling waves born somewhere off the Philippines throw thirty-foot towers of spray as they crash into what are now a pair of low islands. Welcome to Costa Paraiso, where this fury of water and rock is right outside your window.
If you’re staying here at the southern end of Dominical you’re probably here for the water. The Domenicalito beach stretches for two km south to the rocky point of La Parcela; nearly-flat Playa Hermosa extends anther ten km from there. Take a dip in the protected tide-pools among the rocks, wander the beach at dawn or dusk, try out the surf on Playa Hermosa, or relax in the pool with its grinning green gecko mosaic replacing the usual delfinas (dolphins). If you need more action, Uvita and the Marino Ballena National Park are only about 15 minutes down the road or head back north to Dominical proper for more surfing and the evening scene at the surfer bars.
The Costa Paraiso has five rooms in three separate cabins, all with kitchenettes. Toucan, in its own cabin, has the best view; we prefer Dolphin or Pelican with their larger kitchens. We have, as you’ve probably gathered by now, a thing about rooms or cabins with a proper kitchen, and all you have to do is stroll down to the little palapa overlooking the beach, with its lazy hammocks and adjustable lighting (!) to have an even better view than Toucan’s. You could go for broke and sit out on one of those rock battleships rising out into the ocean. If the tide’s coming in you’re going to have to hang on, and at any time you’re going to get wet, but this is as immersed in the Pacific as you can be while still on dry (well, sort of) land.
Costa Paraiso’s new co-owner/manager Doug just sold an internet company in Calgary and some upgrades are in store for the Paraiso. A new palapa was going up by the pool in November, 2006, new plantings were in the gardens, and Doug will be offering breakfast to guests starting in 2007. Even better than all that, Doug is at work on a detailed map based on current satellite images of the beaches and towns running south from Dominical. Anyone who’s wondered what the makers of many Costa Rican maps could possibly have been thinking, and if you’re in this area that probably includes you, will be excited by this. We can’t wait for him to finish and to get our hands on one.
Update: (March, 2008): The famous map is done, the bungalows are newly painted inside and out with murals and bright colors, and the surf when we were there was bigger than anyone remembers seeing in a long time.
Uvita
Keywords: Kid-friendly, Wildlife
Photo © Alison Tinsley
Contact Information:
506-2786-5354 (voice); 506-2786-5355 (fax)
info@cristal-ballena.com
www.cristal-ballena.com
Essentials:
23 Rooms
English, Spanish
All major credit cards accepted
Secure parking
Swimming pool, Spa
Breakfast included, Restaurant, Bar
Room Amenities: AC, Fan, Coffee maker, In-room safe, Private outdoor
space, Free WiFi in bar/pool area
How to get here:
Continue south on Highway 34 from Dominical past Uvita. The
Cristal Ballena is on the left, seven km south of Uvita.
The brand-new, four-star Cristal Ballena is perched on a steep hillside overlooking the Marino Ballena National Park. The view from our private patio made us just want to sit there, sip the drinks we had been handed on check-in, and watch the ocean go by. It wasn’t whale migration season, but Chris, the manager, assured us that if they were out there we’d be able to see them from our room.
With its odd combination of plantation-style balconies and almost-Japanese arched tower, it’s clear that the Cristal Ballena is not one of those luxury hotels that takes itself far too seriously. There’s a pleasant sense of whimsy here, combined with fierce attention to detail and an atmosphere of unassuming graciousness. When we met Waldemar, the owner, at breakfast, we understood why; this is his environment and he clearly wants his guests to be perfectly at ease. Lots of little things have been done exactly right, like the unobtrusive clotheslines on the balconies and the switch that lets you turn the minibar refrigerator off at night. We wish other high-end hoteliers would think of things like this.
The Cristal Ballena occupies 12 hectares, most of it uncleared rainforest. Water for the enormous swimming pool comes from the river running through the property. There is a steep and intentionally-primitive “adventure” trail into the woods and a challenging California-style fitness trail down the hill in the garden. From the baying and moaning that woke us up about five a.m., there must be at least three or four separate troops of howler monkeys living here, arguing about dominance every morning. From our patio we later saw them casually moving through the trees having their breakfast after the sun was well up and they forgot about politics for another day. Chestnut-mandibled toucans chased each other through the trees at the edge of the jungle, male and female Cherries’s tanagers courted, and a lone osprey surveyed the scene from the tower. Like the guests, they all seemed perfectly at ease.
If you don’t care to drive, the Cristal Ballena will pick you up at the Palmar Sur airport. Should you require activities, the staff can arrange whale-watching, kayaking, horseback tours, sportfishing, or even surfing for you. There is Ayuravedic massage in case you’re feeling creaky. Planning a wedding or honeymoon? Just call. The top-floor restaurant converts to a fully-wired conference center. If you’re not into roughing it, or just want to hang out and be taken care of, this is the place for you.
Ojochal
Keywords: Kid-friendly, Birding, Destination Restaurant
Photo © Alison Tinsley
Contact Information:
506-2786-5044 (voice); 506-2244-9205 (fax)
info@villasgaia.com
www.villasgaia.com
Essentials:
14 Cabins
English, Spanish
All major credit cards accepted
Secure parking
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Room Amenities: Ceiling fan, AC (some Cabins), Private outdoor space
How to get here:
Continue south from Dominical on Highway 34 for about an hour.
Villas Gaia is on the ocean side of the road, just before you enter the
town of Ojochal.
Five scarlet macaws flew overhead: once, twice, three times and then landed, squabbling vigorously, in a tall tree directly in front of us. We were ankle-deep in last night’s rain, just off the grass-covered old highway from Dominical. Giovanni – Villas Gaia’s gardener, guide, and general assistant to Luuc, the owner/manager – led us onward into thick stands of bamboo and tangled coastal jungle, explaining as he went how the venomous terciopelo snakes sleep during the day and hence weren’t cause for concern. Three smallish crocodiles lazed about in a slow-moving estuary. The big ones hang out down the coast in the kilometers-long mouth of the Terraba River, Giovanni said, but the mother crocs bring their young here to grow up in relative safety. Crocodile kindergarten – what a neighborhood! We picked our way back across the marsh on steps made of cut tree trunks, crossed a hanging bridge, and climbed the steep stairs back to Villas Gaia. Time for breakfast. Gallo pinto with lots of hot sauce never tasted so good.
Villas Gaia snuggles into a strip of jungle between Highway 34 and a sharp drop-off down to occasionally-flooded bottomlands and Playa Tortuga beach, just north of Ojochal. There are 14 cabins – one three-bedroom “family cabin” where Luuc and his family used to live and 13 one-bedroom cabins arranged in loose clusters that make for plenty of privacy. The furnishings are spare but comfortable; ten of the cabins are air-conditioned and the family cabin has a fridge and TV. Our cabin was not air-conditioned but was perfectly comfortable with just the ceiling fan in hot, humid November. Our broad front patio faced thick jungle; other patios look onto Villas Gaia’s gardens. Cabins # 9 – 12 cluster near the pool with its waterfall andpalapafull of comfy bamboo furniture. These cabins are the most popular so reserve them early.
Playa Tortuga is the transition point between the long strip of Central Pacific beaches and the wilderness of the Southern Pacific region. South of here, the mangroves start – 22,000 hectares of trees and swamp watered by the Terraba and the Sierpe rivers with rain collected from most of the Pacific side of the Talamanca Cordillera. A river of muddy brown fresh water pours into the Pacific just south of here, flowing northward along the coast for miles before it’s finally absorbed by the currents. This is not a beach for swimming or surfing, but it is fascinating as a wildlife habitat and as an illustration of the powerful interactions between opposing bodies of water.
For a hotel in its moderate price range, Villas Gaia has a surprisingly good restaurant. Luuc let us in on the secret – a world-traveled retired private-yacht chef consults on recipes and helps train the kitchen staff. Try the Thai curried fish. You may stay an extra night or two just for the food.
Update: (February, 2009): Our last attempt to contact Villas Gaia reached an unhelpful U.S.-based reservation service, so we expect the management has changed. If you stay here, please send us a report at feedback@sleepingwiththetoucans.com.
We finally made it to La Cusinga Lodge (see Sleeping With the Toucans, p. 223) and are glad we did. It's beautifully situated overlooking Punta Uvita and the Ballena Marino National Park, offers roomy cabins constructed of locally-farmed teak and smooth river rock, and is surrounded by coastal rainforest criss-crossed with well-maintained trails. Walk the kilometer or so through the forest to the beach in the morning and you will likely be the only people on it. Drift down to the swimming hole below the waterfall in the river, watch the afternoon morpho butterflies and cruising carablanca monkeys, and imagine that you are miles from nowhere in the jungle. In the evening, join fellow guests and staff for a simple dinner - much of what's served will have been grown on the property - and conversation. Bring your own wine.
General Manager Geinier Guzmán is a leading participant in the struggle to preserve Costa Rica's Southern Pacific region - including the coastline from Dominical south, the Osa Peninsula and the off-shore islands - from the high-density development that is ravaging the Nicoya Peninsula and much of the Central Pacific coast. A few minutes with Geinier will give you a real appreciation for low-impact sustainable tourism and the continuous efforts on the part of the area's residents to preserve the ecosystems and wildlife that tourists come to experience.
Reviewed March 3, 2008
We somehow missed Pacific Edge on our first two trips to Dominical; they're in some guidebooks, but you're most likely to hear about them from someone who's been there. If you're looking to relax with a view, this is the place - you can see all the way to Manuel Antonio from the deck chairs by the pool, and if that's not good enough there's an observation tower with an even more expansive vista. It's the spot for communing with the toucans and howlers, and with any luck you'll spot migrating whales as well.
Pacific Edge has four cabins: one small one for couples, two medium ones for a couple and someone else, and a two-bedroom/two-bathroom bungalow for two couples or a family. They all have kitchens, but you have to pay a deposit to use them ever since a guest tried (unsuccessfully, we're betting) to open a coconut with a non-stick frying pan. The cabins are designed for ventilation, and have lovely porches with lounge chairs and hammocks. They're far enough apart to be private. Pacific Edge is the only place in Costa Rica, as far as we know, that posts instructions - helpful ones - on the use of the standard Costa Rican showerhead-mounted water heater.
Be warned: Co-owner Susan is a retired sea captain, and expects to run a tight ship. A glance at Trip Advisor will tell you that not everyone appreciates her style. Don't expect a full-service hotel atmosphere with staff at your beck and call. Request dinner well ahead if you want to eat at the lodge; your hosts will need to go shopping if you do. Children over 13 are welcomed, but you'll need to keep an eye on them yourself. For the self sufficient, though, Pacific Edge may be the best travel deal on the central Pacific coast.
Pacific Edge is on the inland side of the coast highway (CR 34), just past the Dominicalito Bridge (km 148). Their sign is a big painted rock. The dirt road up the mountain requires 4WD. Pacific Edge is about 1 km from the coast highway, on the left.
Reviewed February 14, 2009
New managers Denise and Eduardo are busy turning the Lookout into the nicest ocean-view hotel in Ojochal, with comfortable brightly-painted rooms, a pool with a view, free wifi in the common area, and the lookout itself, a 2nd-floor observation deck that's perfect for watching the sunset. When they're not running the hotel, Eduardo manages the local real-estate office and Denise organizes events and tours, so they can help you with whatever you're looking to do in the area. While the Lookout is nice at dawn and dusk, it's hot during the day, so you'll want to be out on an excursion.
The Lookout's restaurant only serves breakfast, but Ojochal has good restaurants. Ask Denise to book a table for you at laid-back Exotica or, for a special occasion, the fabulous new Citrus.
The Lookout is on the mountain side of the coast highway (CR34) just north of Ojochal. If coming from Dominical, turn left opposite the big hardware store. The driveway is a dirt road, but isn't very long or steep.
Reviewed February 15, 2009
What happens when two Canadian mining engineers discover a beautiful, untouched property high in Costa Rica's coastal mountains? How about a beautiful new lodge, built in a style reminescent of the Northern Rockies? Rio Magnolia Lodge opened early this year, and everything about it reflects an eye for aesthetics combined with function, from the 2 km of new road through challenging terrain to the enormous multi-level swimming pool and the beautiful woodwork, much of it made from fallen trees found on the property.
Rio Magnolia is less than 20 km from Dominical, but is a different world from the beach - a world of high vistas, primary mid-altitude forest, and miles of trails and back roads to explore on foot or horseback. Owners John and Maureen have just begun to catalog the birds, mammals and trees, but their abundance and variety is clear from a morning walk with Eliacer, the lodge's guide. The waterfalls of the Rio Magnolia greet you as you approach the lodge; farther downstream, the river turns turbines to provide the lodge's power.
Rio Magnolia offers a private one-bedroom cabin tucked into the forest, three spacious rooms in the main lodge, and a magnificent fully-equipped house when it isn't occupied by John's parents. Dinner at Rio Magnolia is a feast, and the wine cellar is extraordinarily well-stocked. Coffee awaits you at dawn. A chorus of songbirds sing; the crisp mountain air and green mountains beckon.
Reviewed March 29, 2009