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Costa Rican Adventure
After celebrating Christmas in Florida with my family, I thought I would take a break from the parties and festivities and spend New Year’s with friends in Costa Rica. In planning my trip I discovered that I’m one of the very few Floridians I know who has not traveled to this beautiful country. It was my first visit to Central America and I’m currently planning my next visit, most likely in May. San Jose, the capital and largest city, is a 2 hour and 30 minute non-stop flight to Miami. At 1,117 miles, the flight is comparable to a flight to Washington, D.C. I flew TACA airlines and was impressed with the new plane and the extremely courteous, efficient, and attentive staff. TACA offers daily non-stop service to and from Miami and non-stops to Liberia (in Costa Rica’s Northwest region) several times per week. For nightlife lovers, the large city of San Jose offers a variety of restaurants and clubs that are buzzing into the wee hours. With the exception of New Year’s Eve, I did not frequent these places and opted for early nights and early mornings. The beach towns of the Pacific North Coast are early night places as happy hour starts at 5 p.m. and most have dined and are asleep by 9 p.m. In six days I saw as much as I could while also getting in enough time to relax and enjoy. I spent two days in San Jose, one day in the rain forest and three days at the Beach on the North Pacific Coast.
San Jose San Jose was my first stop and I stayed at my friend Mary Carolina’s apartment in Escuzu, a posh section of San Jose where many of the American, British and Canadian ex-pats live. Her apartment is on a hilltop with lovely views of the mountains. It reminds me very much of Southern California with one exception: San Jose is a very walkable city. From her apartment, walking to the coffee shop, restaurants, the bank and hair salons was a short 5 minute walk down the hill. Although I did not see enough of the City to do it justice and used it as a base, I was impressed by the strong middle class and the friendly people. I spent New Year’s Eve in the city and my friends Mary Carolina, Jackie and I met up with some American friends, John, Charlie, Walter and Jeff and attended a party at The White House, a stunning property that sits upon the mountain overlooking the city. After a lovely dinner, we enjoyed seeing the many firework displays throughout the city with our panoramic view. The dinner was followed by dancing and merriment in the White House casino. The crowd was primarily American and it was very dressy and elegant. In fact, that’s the only time during the trip that required anything beyond shorts and flip flops. One of my favorite meals on the Costa Rican trip was a quiet dinner at a lovely local Italian restaurant, La Taverna, owned by a Dominico Companile a Venetian native, in Escazu. The pizzas and bruchetta are a must! Bring your own wine and Dominico himself will open without a corking fee; or bring liquor and they will provide the mixers.
Rain Forest Less than an hour from San Jose are the famed rain forests of Costa Rica. We headed for a one hour drive out of the City and to the Peace Lodge at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The long and windy drive through the greenest forest green I have ever seen. [ Peace Lodge ] With over 70 acres of wildlife and forest the Gardens allow guests to wander through 3.5 kilometers of paved trails which take you above, below and right next to five amazing waterfalls. This is a tour that is friendly for all age groups. Although I did not stay at the lovely resort, I was given the grand tour. Visitors can tour the La Paz Garden and enjoy the many sites and amenities for $25. The Peace Lodge is one of Costa Rica’s five eco lodges, small boutique hotels that are designed beautifully to meld with the environment. The one hour hike included spectacular waterfalls, butterflies, hummingbirds, orchids and frogs. It did not rain heavily but there was a constant cool mist in the mountains, although sunny and warm just 10 minutes down the mountain. On the way back to San Jose we stopped halfway down the mountain for an authentic Costa Rican lunch at a German restaurant, Casa Bavaria. A charming chalet-like structure sits on the hill over looking the city and is surrounded by the lush green. [ Casa Bavaria ]
North Pacific Coast On New Year’s Day, we ventured to the North Pacific Coast, four hours from San Jose. Out of town on the Via Pista, Costa Rica’s I-95, we then hit a side road up through the green and lush mountains. Once over the mountains, we were in a valley where the climate and foliage changed dramatically from lush and tropical to arid, similar to California. We drove through cattle ranches with cactus along gravel roads for two hours, still surrounded by spectacular mountains. Our destination was in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province which is well known for its stunning beaches and weather. The average temperature on the Peninsula de Nicoya is between 85º F to 90º F (27º C to 31º C) and dry. The region is mostly hills and low mountains. The region is home to howler monkeys and other spectacular wildlife. The peninsula was first colonized by Spaniards who owned vast pasture lands and began the cattle industry that predominates in the region. Three centuries later the Nicoya Peninsula handles about 70% of the country’s beach resorts industry. Surfing and sport fishing are the area’s major activities. Black marlin, sea bass and sail fish are the area’s specialties. Once we reached Santa Cruz, we turned onto a dirt road that led us to Junquillal. While driving on the gravel and dirt roads, monkeys swung overhead and we shared the road with water buffalo and bulls. The 40 minute journey on the desolate dirt road ended in paradise.
Playa Junquillal boasts the best surfing in the world (or at least the top 5) with superb break points. The little village is charming and relaxed with green rolling hills leading to the Pacific Ocean, wide beautiful beaches and the friendliest people. It is located 30 km west of Santa Cruz and 20 km south of Tamarindo. Found in the North Pacific Coast in the Guanacaste province, you can reach this beautiful beach either from Villareal or from Santa Cruz. With a quiet and serene environment, Playa Junquillal is a three kilometer beach strip that is unlike any other on the Guanacaste Gold Coast. Backed by lovely grasslands, the beach here is mostly empty with just a few hotels and restaurants. If you are looking for a lively nightlife and great shopping, Playa Junquillal is not for you and I would recommend staying in South Beach. If you are looking to relax in total isolation on deserted beaches and near-perfect weather, you will love this charming village. We stayed in a gated complex called Tierra Pacifica where California surf enthusiasts are building homes at a fraction of the cost here in the U.S. Tierra Pacifica is a community that boasts a spectacular poolside view with an infinity pool, state of the art gym and tennis court. [ Tierra Pacifica ] To our pleasure, Tierra Pacifica also hosts a B & B, Casa Marina. Owned and operated by Jim and Marina, a lovely British couple; who after traveling the world chose Costa Rica as their home. Their B & B embraces a compound of four wonderfully charming accommodations. Their hospitality and accommodations are a must if you are ever visiting this charming beach resort. After dropping off our bags and getting a grand tour of the Tierra Pacifica compound, we rushed to one of four spots hosting 'happy hour' in Junquillal with an incredible view of the sun dipping into the Pacific Ocean. The place, we called “that place on the hill” probably offered the best views in Playa Junquillal. Feeling contentment hard to describe, we ordered beers and watched the sun drop lazily into the ocean. Another favorite spot, which we frequented all three nights, was Iguana Azul, a lovely resort and residential development less than a mile from our 'Place on the Hill'. The bar was hopping, busy and filled with a very friendly seasoned group of Americans, Canadians and Brits. [ Iguana Azul ] The specialties are daily fresh fish and steak. I opted for their local fish tacos with no regret. The bar and restaurant is located right on the ocean with an ocean front pool so guests get a stunning view of the ocean, enjoy a breathtaking sunset and welcome the warm nightly breezes. Not to mention their frozen margaritas are something even Jimmy Buffet would sing about! Each morning I was up at dawn for a run along the spectacular beach. Throughout the trip I was astonished at how totally empty the beach was. I saw only one other person during my morning runs. A breakfast hot spot is Rudy’s, a charming outdoor restaurant that had excellent vanilla lattes and fruit plate. I also enjoyed catching up on CNN in the morning. Our final evening in Junquillal was spent dining at Café Serena, a charming hotel and restaurant located directly across from the beach. Owned by John F. Murphy and family, originally from Cape Code, this two story dark wood building features 18 rooms, a gym and spa. We met John and two of his three sons. John, a renowned artist proudly told us he has an upcoming show in Paris in February. An avid supporter of Costa Rican artists, the restaurant boasts more than 80 paintings from local art students that hang on the walls throughout his hotel.
Playa Flamengo A visit to the North Pacific Coast is not complete without a visit to Playa Flamingo, one of the most stunning places on the trip. Although only 12 kilometers up the coast from Junquillal, the drive took more than an hour through winding dirt roads and small rivers to cross we held our breath and wondered why we had not rented that Four Wheel Drive! Worth every pothole we crossed, we reached Flamingo Beach. This top tourist destination lies between Playa Brasilito and Playa Potrero. The area is much more populated than Junquillal and the roads are paved, a blessing we were soon to learn . . . With paved roads came multi-million dollar country clubs, posh resorts and lots of construction. I have to admit, I was dismayed to see more than one new strip mall in progress. We stopped for breakfast in Flamingo at Marie’s, a Costa Rican institution for over three decades. This casual outside corner is hooked up for Wireless Internet as we noticed many customers who had brought their laptops to breakfast. A British native, who has lived in Canada and California, she and her sister traveled in a Volkswagen bus down many roads less traveled before settling in Costa Rica over 30 years ago! When asked if she feels Costa Rica to be a good real estate or business investment, she said “Yes, Costa Rica has a strong middle class and a very stable government, making investments here stable as well.” Playa Flamingo was just stunning. There is no other word to describe it. It reminded me of the Amalfi Coast and the South of France with the tall cliffs running into the Coast Line. Because it is situated on a bay, the area is not as suited for surfing but known for excellent fishing. The town has just approved plans for a Marina which will further add to the area’s development. The approval will not include plans for Cruise ships, a welcome relief to everyone who agrees it would ruin the charm. While driving home a local literally chased us down the road to point out that something was hanging from the bottom of our rental car. Apparently we had “bottomed out” on the drive through that beautiful country side. We did find a mechanic and a quick fix. $10 later, we were on our way back, via a different route, to Junquillal. The next day, while driving back to San Jose, we experienced another auto mishap. This time a flat tire, and once again, we were informed of this by a friendly local who cased us down to point out our very flat tire. Again, a quick fix and $6 later, we were on our way.
A Few Tips Where to Fly: San Jose or Liberia. To visit to North Pacific Coast, Liberia is the best airport. San Jose is centrally located and accessible to both the East and West Coasts of Costa Rica. Both are available non-stop from Miami. Currency: 1,000 Colones equals $2. So $5,000 = $10, etc. Most places accept both Colones and U.S. currency. ATMs are readily available in San Jose and throughout the airports, but not as accessible in remote areas. Other Tips
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