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Costa Rica | BCBusinessPURA VIDA: In a land where rainforest meets coastline under the warm sun, it's easy to discover the "pure life."
In compact, diverse Costa Rica—a fast-rising destination of choice for sun-starved Canadians—a week away serves up a world of experiences.
Costa Rica | BCBusinessPURA VIDA: In a land where rainforest meets coastline under the warm sun, it’s easy to discover the “pure life.”
Working in B.C. can be hazardous to your mental health. I refer to those standard two weeks’ paid vacation each year—far fewer than our European counterparts’ average (not that its current economy is proof that model is working). With only a fortnight every 365 days to switch off your multi-tasking, to-do-list-compiling, troubleshooting, problem-solving, networking brain, every day out of the office has to count.
Enter Costa Rica, a destination poised to corner the overworked North American market. You want the sense of escape and relaxation found in sun, rainforest, sand, waterfalls, surf and volcanoes? And you want to cram it all into six days? This is the place.
Start in San José, the capital city and jumping-off point for adventure in the province of Alajuela. Dedicated travellers will want to factor a day in the country’s sprawling capital to explore a true representation of modern-day urban Costa Rica. To tap the pura vida spirit, though, rent a car and make the four-hour drive (in daylight, the Costa Rican tourism board’s literature suggests, for peace of mind) along the newly upgraded Inter-American highway to the town of La Fortuna in the Arenal region, the country’s fertile northern lowlands.
There are plenty of hotels in La Fortuna, but I go straight to the top: the Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, which skirts the base of the region’s legendary volcano and surrounding rainforest. Here, my 1,200-square-foot private casita has all the amenities I wish I had at home: a wraparound porch constructed in elegant rosewood with an outdoor Jacuzzi tub, his and her bathrooms, a large walk-in shower that adjoins a double-headed outdoor shower, wi-fi, satellite TV and telephone and a king-size canopied bed draped in elegant linens. Birds sing and play throughout the open-air resort and tropical flora burst from the ground as though on some organic steroid. For a couple, Nayara is pure romance; for a solo traveller it’s unmitigated serenity.
Decompressing on my first night, I struggle to pull myself from the sway of my porch hammock in the balmy breeze, the sound of warm raindrops landing on the roof overhead. However, the swim-up bar and wine bar beckon with pre-dinner libations at the Altamira restaurant, which boasts an impressive wine list and international dishes served with considerable flavour and flair. I begin to wonder if—between the food, the pools, the hot tubs and the divine spa—there’s any reason to leave the property.
Eventually I do—to hook up with Desafio Adventure Co. and paddle a rubber dinghy down a winding river (Costa Rica is famed for both its pristine nature and legislation to protect it) where I’m rewarded with up-close experiences with cheeky toucans, frogs, armies of marching ants, lizards, sloths and the country’s notorious howler monkeys. Later that day, I give in to the local tourist cliché and go ziplining. It’s fun, especially for oblivious first-timers, and offers a great view from the lines out over the verdant valley.
But for real excitement I go canyoning with Desafio, though it’s almost inconceivable that after a mere three minutes of instruction I’m going to trust my life to a carabiner and a rope and rappel backward down a 70-metre waterfall. The experience is a pure adrenaline rush—right up there with skydiving and getting barreled while surfing—and I take to the moist rock walls of Lost Canyon like Spiderman to New York highrises.
Speaking of surfing, after three days in the rainforest I’m ready for sand, sun and waves, so I make the five-hour drive across the continental divide into Guanacaste province to Playa Tamarindo, the country’s tourism hive.
Tamarindo has changed in the past 15 years from an off-the-beaten-track surf town to a land of expats and international visitors, but still has lots to offer the sun-seeking traveller and is a hub for experienced and would-be surfers.
I happily wile away my first morning there reading on the beach, then spend the afternoon ripping around back roads on an ATV, searching for point breaks to surf and beaches with sand black as coal to lie on. The second day, a catamaran tour reveals that snorkelling isn’t Costa Rica’s best calling card, but a day at sea exploring the country’s coastline is reason enough to board the boat—and how I became privy to huge leatherback sea turtles mating in the open ocean.
Tamarindo is just an hour’s drive away from the newly expanded Liberia airport, gleaming from its US$68-million reno, which means you can maximize time in paradise before returning to reality—a key consideration when you’ve only got a week.
In 2012, the Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens in Costa Rica’s Alajuela province was named by Travel + Leisure as the top resort in Central and South America and came in at number six on their World’s Best Hotels list. We asked Jorge Gutierrez, Resident Manager at Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, what it takes to make such a prestigious list.
Where do most visitors to Nayara come from? The U.S., Canada and Europe.
Costa Rica is registering more and more on Canadians’ radars as a warm destination. Are visitor numbers on the rise? Absolutely. It depends on the season, but on average, of 10 couples I meet at the hotel at least five are from Canada. I expect to see this number increase with the addition of new flights to Costa Rica.
How did Nayara earn their high accolades from Travel + Leisure in 2012? Impeccable service to every guest. We consider these our luxury pillars: time (to deliver all services and anticipate needs); space (privacy, which our guests expect while here); health (relaxing and living experiences different from their day-to-day lives); and love (sharing with passion and care what we do).
What unique challenges do you face? Exceeding every guest’s expectations in the middle of the rainforest.
The Arenal volcano, once a key attraction for the hotel, has entered a resting phase. What brings guests to the area now? Several resorts in the area relied on the activity of the volcano and forgot the core of the industry, which is people dealing with people. We focus on service—that is our strength—without forgetting to promote the beauty of the area such as the rainforest, rivers, mountains, waterfalls and wildlife.