Destination: Costa Rica

The Secret Garden

The Pacific coast at Tiskita is virtually untouched

 SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- You have to work hard these days to get off the beaten track in lotus-land.

 But with a smattering of desire, a sprinkling of information and a chunk of free time, there are few places as captivating as Costa Rica.

 Situated between Panama to the south and Nicaragua to the north, this Central American democracy has long been known for its egalitarian ways and sophisticated educational system. Yet until a decade ago, the country's intrinsic charms were pretty much a well-kept secret. No more.

 Each year the number of charter aircraft destined for the Pacific beaches seems to double, while scheduled carriers increase their flights to San Jose. Even the long-neglected Atlantic coast is receiving its share of the tourism pie.

 Seeing and experiencing the real Costa Rica nowadays is like looking for a needle in a haystack -- you know its there, but the question remains where to begin?

 One-time havens like Manuel Antonio National Park, Jaco Beach, Monteverde Cloud Forest and anywhere else that has been appearing in the guidebooks for the past 20 years have been discovered a thousand times over. In fact, when I visited such locales a decade ago on my umpteenth trip to Costa Rica, they were already teeming with foreigners.

Wading into the surf at Dominical

 The search, rather, is for spots that tourists have either not cottoned onto or are just being discovered. Tiskita and Dominical are two such sanctuaries.

 No matter where you are in the world, surfers unearth the best beaches. And if there is a whack of them in any one place, it means there aren't busloads of package tourists.

 A long drive from San Jose along semi-paved roads, Dominical is still a place where everything happens "manana" -- maybe. The town is peppered with laidback surfer-style accommodation consisting of a room with a floor. More savvy (and monied) visitors frequent Villas Rio Mar.

 In this tropical Lawrence Of Arabia setting, thatch-roofed cabins with wafting white mosquito netting are scattered amidst tropical gardens which encircle a large cool pool. Toucans and macaws sail amidst towering rainforest trees while hummingbirds dart in and out of glorious sprays of bougainvillea, hibiscus, orchids and birds of paradise.

 Tall frosty pink drinks and skimpy bathing attire are best suited to this sultry mise en scene. But be forewarned: Tearing oneself away from Rio Mar's hidden Eden is not easy. Nevertheless, Dominical is worth the trip.

 A short walk down a dusty road lies everyone's vision of the perfect Pacific pueblo, where dressing up consists of putting on a pair of sandals and early morning is thought to be around noon. Waif-like coconut palms line the sand where beach fare is served on makeshift tables. In the distance, golden surfer boys ride the waves until sunset while Kate Moss lookalikes laze in the sand awaiting their return.

 Don Lulo's Nauyaca Waterfalls is a short jaunt from Dominical, but light years away in terms of development. In true entrepreneurial style, Don Lulo and his family cut a path through the forest and started breeding horses for those wanting a trail ride to the falls. The senor knew that any journey to this part of the country was not complete without a dip in the pristine pools a la Tarzan.

 The nature experience is rounded off by a fabulous lunch en famille, complete with a trained toucan that will snap fruit off your tongue.

  It would have been easy to spend a month in Dominical, but we decided to hop a single-engine plane in Quepos and head for Tiskita Jungle Lodge, just north of the Panamanian border.

 Owner Peter Aspinall started carving his own utopia from 550 acres of virgin rainforest more than two decades ago. The results are shared with a lucky few who stay in the rustic cabins that face the crashing west coast surf.

Searching for trogons in Corcovado

 Ever the environmentalist, Aspinall has fastidiously charted paths through soaring thousand-year-old trees whose canopy creates a cathedral-like ambiance for the scores of birds, animals, flora, fauna and exotic fruit groves.

 Ornithologists flock here like bees to honey. The sight of a great tinamu, Bairds trogon, scarlet macaw, firey-billed aracari, white-whiskered puffbird or blue-crowned manakin is enough to send even the most reserved birdwatcher into paroxysms of delight.

 For the bug and butterfly lover, the stupendous blue morpho can make anyone believe in fairy-tales, let alone an owl butterfly, harlequin beetle or helicopter dragonfly.

 Monkeys run the gamut from the unreserved howler to spider, squirrel and white-faced capucins. The agouti, three-toed sloth and white bat tend to hang around Tiskita, as well.

 Aspinall has planted a mouth-watering array of fruits created from seeds collected around the world. Schooled in agronomy, he knew that not only did these Adam and Eve temptations harbour the possibility of mass production but, more importantly, they would attract an array of animals.

 The perpetually tanned and relaxed Aspinall leads afternoon tours of his farm to educate visitors about his treasured crop of Chinesewater apple, tropical snowfruit, jackfruit (the size of a toddler), abiu, sapote, mangosteen, rambutan, lansium and guanabana, to name a few.

 Tiskita is a blissful garden of enchantment that transiting humpbacks and orcas are reluctant to miss. Sea turtles also pass by, and every year the colourful antics of hundreds of thousands of migrating land crabs humour even the most hard-boiled visitors.

 Day trips by small plane can be arranged by Aspinall into "the Amazon of Costa Rica" -- Parque Nacional Corcovado -- which is today what Monteverde was a half-century ago.

 Corcovado is home to more than 400 species of birds, 116 different amphibians and reptiles, and 139 varieties of mammals on only 0.000101777% of its 41,788 hectares. Best to get there before this, too, becomes crowded with animals of the human kind.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:


 GETTING THERE: Most tour operators offer packages to Costa Rica but, to get off the beaten track, it is recommended to buy air only and design the rest on your own. Lacsa Airlines, the Costa Rican carrier, offers flights to San Jose three times weekly for $800 return. Signature Vacations features Royal Airlines for $529 return. Bookings should be made through a travel agent.

 STAYING THERE: In San Jose, the Hotel Milvia is an engaging hotel nestled in a garden. Frequented by those in the know, the 1930s era abode was the choice of Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts while filming nearby. All nine bedrooms come complete with ceiling fans, hand-painted ceramics and hardwood floors. Double is US$90 with breakfast. Call 506-225-4543 or fax 506-225-7801; e-mail: hmilvia@sol.racsa.co.cr.

 Villas Rio Mar rates start at US$65 for two including breakfast. Call 506-225-5712 or 506-787-0052; fax 506-787-0054; e-mail: riomar@sol.racsa.co.cr.

 Tiskita can be booked by calling Costa Rica Connection toll free 1-800-345-7422.

 In San Jose call Costa Rica Sun Tours at 506-255-3418, fax 506-255-4410 or e-mail suntours@sol.racsa.co.cr.

 Rates are per person US$120 for double accommodation including all meals and guided walks. Packages with air are also available.

 Costa Rica Sun Tours features many excursions that get away from the masses including mountain biking down volcanoes. They have been the operator of note in the country for more than 15 years.

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