Costa Rica - Week Two in the Nicoya Peninsula

I've often thought that different beaches and their gateway towns have different personalities, despite having sand and salt water in common. This was the case in the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica, a northern region with a string of beaches on the Pacific Ocean, where our family spent the second week of vacation.

After spending a week in the Osa Peninsula (see last post), the ten members of our family folded ourselves into two small planes that landed onto an airstrip tucked into a swath of jungle. We immediately felt the hot and dry air (contrasting with the humidity of the Osa) upon exiting our planes.

The road to Carrillo, where we had rented a house, was dusty and bumpy. Our van driver expertly avoided the large iguanas sunning themselves in the road and described points of interest, such as beaches used by professional surfers or thousands of nesting turtles. We learned that every beach in Costa Rica is open to the public (and that actor Mel Gibson had been prevented from privatizing a nearby beach).

Playa Carrillo

 

Beaching It

The house was a short walk from Playa Carrillo. This half moon beach has remained pristine because its shoreline is largely protected from development. Groves of coconut trees rim the wide, flat, and hard-packed sand, providing ample shade.

The mellow surf made it an ideal gathering place on New Year’s Day and Eve for Costa Rican families from the Capitol, San Jose, or interior jungle villages. Extended families gathered around picnic blankets and swung or snoozed in colorful hammocks strung between trees. Kids played in the surf or dug sand castles. Men of all ages (including toddlers and youth) played animated pick up soccer games. Women walked the beach in deep conversation and older men talked over card games or beers under the palms. Social young adults buzzed around on motorcycles.

The beach became quieter after the holiday, and our family spent many hours walking, running, boogie boarding or watching the sunset. The kids sampled Costa Rican-style “slushies,” prepared by pouring sweet and condensed milk over flavored ice.

Boating
Phil, Jim and the three boys went sportfishing off Carrillo Beach on a boat called the Kingfisher (captained by the owner of the house we were renting). Although hoping to bring home a Mahi Mahi for dinner, they found excitement in reeling in a Sailfish (estimated at 150-pound, but released) and a few small bonitos that the kids caught. The other thrill was watching the pods of hundreds of Common Dolphins, and Spinner Dolphins, who jump from the water, providing spinning displays around the boat.

Playa Samara

Shopping and Dining
The next beach over was Playa Samara, which offered a completely different scene. It was bustling with international tourists who patronized street vendors selling macramé jewelry, handmade hammocks or coconut water. This beach was lined with rustic bungalows, bars serving seviche and fruit drinks, small hotels and massage tables.

As you can imagine, Playa Samara was the place to be for New Year’s Eve festivities of fireworks and bonfires. We weren’t surprised (or that disappointed), however, when we couldn’t muster up the energy to go out late night after a day in the sun. We made up for it with near-perfect dining experiences other nights at Latina, Gusto's and La Garta, our last night enjoying tuna tartare and pitchers of Mojito's (made with rum, mint, lime and simple syrup).

Ziplining
A highlight of the vacation was ziplining above Samara with Wingnuts Canopy Tours. Jim, John, Phil, Carson and Austin and I harnessed up to 12 cables that zoomed through canopy tunnels or past views of the ocean. From our platforms, we spotted wildlife, including a group of Coatis (look like large minks with small raccoon faces), a Peccari and a large iguana on the next tree.


Our witty guide, Freddie, co-founded the tour business 14 years ago and was proud of the construction of the platforms and cable lines by himself and another local. He and the other guide made us feel completely safe and at home in the treetops.

Freddie was knowledgeable about Costa Rican’s forests, not surprising given his family belongs to the native population, which represents only about 2% of all Costa Ricans.  Freddie’s ancestry gave him an innate connectedness with the forest, too, illustrated through one story he told where he once had a "sense" that something was watching him while giving a canopy tour. He turned around an see an Ocelot lounging in the crux of a nearby tree.

Freddie was also in tune with trends that leads him to be concerned about the impact of climate change on the rainforest. He pointed out flowering trees showering yellow blossoms on the trails, and said that the trees used to flower in March (February at the earliest). He also said that the rainy season has shifted from 6 months to 2 or 3.

Playa Guionnes

Surfing
We went to Playa Guionnes to surf. The town of Nosara was referred by the Californian brother of our good friend, Grant, and was worth the hour-long meandering drive through the countryside up the coast (in fact, we did it twice).

An eclectic mix of people seem to be drawn to this town: One part juice bar-frequenting, yoga or wellness-focused (the Harmony Hotel is an upscale, but under-stated setting with food and spa); One part van-living, souvenir-selling gypsy (I bought some jewelry from a Patagonian woman that she carved out of wood from the Cocobolo tree, native to the local Guanacaste region); One part dedicated and accomplished surfer or surf instructor, complete with sculpted core and bleached and tangled hair (there are at least a dozen surf schools to choose from). One part high-end gallery owner, savvy lodge owner or popular restaurateur (the Tuscan Lodge has the prefect post-surf fish tacos and Robin’s is the place to go for ice cream).

The first session at the Safari Surf School had John, Phil and I with Enrique, who has instructed for 12 years and seems pretty rooted in the community with his plans to build a public skate park on his property next year. Austin, Carson and Jackson were matched up with Louis, a super-friendly surfer

Enrique’s technique was different than the one that Pollo taught us on Pan Dulce beach in the Osa Peninsula, but John and I liked it better (works more for the inflexible). He was terrific in moving us through a progression. He would say to me, “One more wave where I push you and then you paddle!” Then he would add something for me to think about with each wave, until I was catching my own.

Louis was the same way and had the kids popping up quickly. From his orientation on Pan Dulce beach, Jackson was catching his own waves from the get go (he skateboards at home). It was cool to look around and see us all bobbing around or riding different places in the surf.

Phil, the boys and I went back a second day and after the lesson kept the boards until our previously neglected cores were tired or we'd had enough whitewash pummeling (called “saltwater cocktails” or “the washing machine”). Enrique ended both lessons by putting his surfing dog on a board.

Base Camp in Costa Rica

Our house, Villa Oasis, was the perfect base for our beach excursions. It fit us comfortably and a small pool allowed for rowdy games of Marco Polo. The owner, Jackie, was great in arranging smooth travel arrangements and nailing recommendations for the perfect adventure or restaurant. 

Although we missed the wildlife immersion of Bosque, a troupe of fourteen Howler Monkeys visited the backyard towards the end of our stay. They provided entertainment and awe on our last night. Two mothers crawled around the canopy with inquisitive babies on their backs. An older monkey with cataracts came close bawling for a banana (Phil had left one out the night before, although we aren’t sure who ate it- he only had a Granny Smith apple this time...). The males vigorously consumed leaves on the trees, as if there would be never be food again.

Base Camp in Vermont

I was sad to leave Costa Rica. Not because we would return to snow and single digit temperatures, or back to jobs and school and routines like cooking dinner. But, I came to really connect with this country. Sure, the poverty was hard to see, the subsistence living of many in shabby housing with kids playing in the dirt. Sure, we had the luxury of two full weeks to immerse ourselves in the culture, travel the country and create unique memories. Sure, I was much in need of a break from my packed, task-driven daily pace, and easily took to the let-it unfold-on-Costa-Rica-time way of being (not doing).

But, I truly came to care for culture and the place. Costa Rica is a really special place in the world and I hope we can find our way back before too long. I better start working on my Spanish now.