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Sand and Sea to Spare in Costa Rica
By TED ROSE*
THE Nicoya Peninsula juts off Costa Rica into the Pacific Ocean like a misshapen
ear. It is rugged terrain, formed by the string of volcanoes inland. Other than
a few large beach resorts in the far north, Nicoya's coastline has missed much
of the development that has spread across the country.
In a search for an affordable, relaxed beach vacation, I first visited Nicoya in
January 2002, traveling to Montezuma, a small town on the bottom tip of the
peninsula, and returned last year. Once an active fishing village, Montezuma has
developed a reputation as a backpacker haven, a beachside Katmandu.
One can fly from the capital, San José, to several spots on the Nicoya
Peninsula, but on my first visit my three friends and I chose a combination of
buses and a ferry ride. With the closest landing strip about 18 miles away,
everyone completes the trip to Montezuma by road.
Horseback riding on one of the beaches at Nosara.
The town is at the base of a steep line of cliffs, a few dozen buildings cozied
up against the Pacific Ocean. A string of long beaches stretches to the south; a
picturesque lava-rock coast backed up against thick jungle lies to the north.
Montezuma itself is a cosmopolitan oasis, dominated by young visitors from
Europe and South America. Its two main streets form an L and serve as an
intimate town center. I counted one late-night bar, one mini-supermarket and one
town drunk.
We settled into two simple rooms at Cabinas Mar y Cielo, a six-room operation
behind one of the main gift shops. I soon discovered more elegant, affordable
accommodations north of town, but I stayed faithful to Mar y Cielo. It was
centrally situated, yet generally quiet. I could open my door and see the ocean
a few hundred feet away.
Soon enough, I settled into a pleasing schedule, alternating the natural and the
urbane. After a morning dip in the surf, I might head to town for a mango and
papaya smoothie. I'd take a hike to the waterfall. Then I'd return to town to
check my e-mail. By sunset, my friends and I might meet on the beach and go to
La Playa de los Artistas, the best among Montezuma's handful of good
restaurants.
We had intended to move around Nicoya, but Montezuma got the best of us. We
stayed there for 10 days and vowed to return.
On my next visit in January 2003, I found myself less enamored of Montezuma. The
town had grown slightly, sprouting a new supermarket and a couple new lodgings,
but I suspect my tolerance for Montezuma's culture had simply diminished. I
found the active night life unappetizing and during the day I found myself
longing for a beach with fewer young backpackers.
I proposed that my friends and I travel to Nosara, a small town about halfway up
the Nicoya Peninsula.
Most of the roads in Nicoya are slow, winding and poor. All of them are set in
the region's vertiginous landscape. Rather than endure a dusty five-hour car
ride we decided to charter a boat for the two-hour trip up the coast.
The ocean was choppy, but from the water we had arresting views of the untouched
coastline. We negotiated for some fishing time, which meant our 18-year-old
captain idled the boat while we ineffectually cast lures for about 45 minutes.
Because of the currents, our boat landed about 10 miles south of Nosara in
Sámara, an upscale beach town popular with well-heeled Costa Ricans. As we
approached Sámara's wide cove, our young captain recommended we stay in Sámara
rather than arrange for a car to drive to Nosara. "Nosara is very quiet," he
said, scrunching his face. "Sámara is more fun."
I wanted to leave for Nosara as soon as possible.
Less than a town, Nosara is more like a sprawling settlement. There are no paved
roads, and handmade signs for tourist chalets dot the roads. We followed the
signs to Lagarta Lodge.
If not for its location, Lagarta Lodge would be a forgettable place: a
collection of seven simple rooms, a modest pool and an open-air patio. But the
patio happens to be situated several hundred feet above a private nature reserve
that stretches north for miles and is bordered to the west by the Pacific. It is
a stunningly vast view.
Lagarta is run by a friendly couple: Myriam, a native of Colombia, offers a
generous dose of Latin hospitality, while Marcel, a Swiss national, keeps order
in the house.
I worried about losing the culinary quality of Montezuma, but Marcel and Myriam
eased my fears the first night with their weekly buffet ($12), which attracts
people from around Nosara and features a generous barbecue of meats and 12
homemade salads. Their simple breakfasts of fresh fruit and homemade cereal ($6)
were equally satisfying.
And really, I hadn't come to Nosara for the food but for the outdoors. I soon
learned I had my pick of the beaches. Playa Guiones, a long, white stretch of
sand, lies to the south. To the north, visible from Lagarta, is Playa Nosara,
which has the best surf. Beyond that was Playa Ostional, which is home to
popular nesting grounds for thousands of olive ridley sea turtles. I stuck to
the one within short walking distance, Playa Pelada, an intimate crescent lined
with palm trees.
I loved the 15-minute stroll down to Playa Pelada. It began on an invariably
empty dirt road and led to a monkey path through the jungle that ended up at an
invariably empty beach. There my friends and I commandeered a makeshift bench
under a lonely tree in the sand. We called it our recording studio and brought
down a guitar to play during the hottest hours of the day.
Early one morning, I spent some time exploring the Reserva Biológica Nosara, the
125-acre protected area below Lagarta Lodge. The air soon became muggy and
filled with the sounds of howler monkeys. I explored the handful of trails
through the valley of mangrove trees and tangled vines.
Another day, Myriam arranged for a friend and me to go horseback riding through
the reserve and around Nosara. We found the small area where the surfers hang
out as well as a few other isolated tourist spots like our lodge, and a good
number of "For Sale" signs, but otherwise Nosara was pretty much empty. We
headed to the ocean for a gallop on the beach.
Visitor Information
To get to the Nicoya Peninsula from San José, you can rent a car, take a bus (it
is about a five-hour trip by road and ferry to Montezuma) or fly.
*TED ROSE is a writer in residence at
Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado.
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