Arenal is responsible for the area’s many hot springs.
WHERE: 87 miles/140 km northwest of San José. TABACÓN: Tel 506/2519-1999; in the U.S., 877-277-8291; www.tabacon.com. Cost: from $225 (off-peak), from $330 (peak); day passes from $85. ARENAL OBSERVATORY LODGE: Tel 506/2290-7011; www.arenalobservatorylodge.com. Cost: from $120. CHACHAGUA HOTEL: Tel 506/2468-1010; www.chachaguarainforesthotel.com. Cost: from $120. BEST TIME: Nov–Mar for dry season.
Where Turtles Come to Nest
TORTUGUERO NATIONAL PARK
Limón, Costa Rica
A lowland wilderness on Costa Rica’s northern coast, Tortuguero National Park lies between the Caribbean and a dense maze of jungle canals. Its 22 miles of protected black sand beaches are one of the world’s greatest sea turtle nesting sites. (Tortuga means “turtle.”) Loggerhead sightings are the rarest, and giant leatherbacks the most magnificent. Growing as long as 6 feet and weighing 1,000 pounds, the latter nest from October to March. Though endangered, green and hawksbill turtles are the most common—they can be seen from July through October. Hundreds clamber ashore at the same time, dig a nest and lay their eggs, and disappear back into the sea. The hatchlings crawl out 7 to 10 weeks later and make a scramble to the sea. Very few will make it past the birds, crabs, sharks, and human pollution to reach adulthood. And yet that some of them do—and return to lay the next generation—is the magic of Tortuguero.
Reachable only by small plane or boat, the 47,000-acre Tortuguero National Park has charms that go beyond turtles. You can tour its warren of canals and inland waterways, home to manatees, river otters, spider monkeys, three-toed sloths, and 300 species of birds. Indeed, this park features a biodiversity that is often dubbed the “Amazon in miniature.”
Though the area is remote, comfortable lodging is available, most notably Tortuga Lodge & Gardens, which lures guests with its great food, a beautiful pool, and rich wildlife in the 50 acres that surround the lodge. The newest accommodation is the Manatus Hotel, with stylish, air-conditioned rooms and amenities you won’t find anywhere nearby, including an excellent restaurant and a lovely little spa.
WHERE: 140 miles/225 km northwest of San José. HOW: Il Viaggio Travel in San José arranges customized trips. Tel 506/2289-8225; in the U.S., 360-283-5266; www.ilviaggiocr.com. TORTUGA LODGE: Tel 506/2257-0766; www.costaricaexpeditions.com. Cost: from $250, inclusive. MANATUS HOTEL: Tel 506/2709-8197; www.manatuscostarica.com. Cost: 2-day package from $685, all-inclusive with transfer from San José. BEST TIME: Jul–Oct for opportunites to view turtle nesting and hatching.
Into the Coastal Wild
CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK
Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Costa Rica boasts one of the world’s best systems of reserves and national parks; its 35 wildlife refuges protect more than 25 percent of the country’s territory, so deciding where to head first is a visitor’s toughest choice. The largest, wildest, and most pristine is Corcovado National Park, the last great tract of tropical rain forest on the Pacific coast. Covering one third of the remote Osa Peninsula, in the country’s southwest corner, Corcovado has no roads to link its 103,000 acres of virgin rain forest, uninhabited beaches, jungle-rimmed rivers, and large swamplands. Within its boundaries live more than 140 species of mammals, with Baird’s tapirs and jaguars the rarest and most sought-after by wildlife spotters. Corcovado also has the largest population of scarlet macaws in Central America, which—together with the 375 other species of birds that live here in more than 850 kinds of trees—vie with four species of monkeys to be heard above the jungle cacophony.
The Bosque del Cabo is a 750-acre rain forest lodge that puts you in the midst of the primal magic. It’s a 45-minute drive into the park, but why bother? Stay in any of the comfortable thatched bungalows and watch for scarlet macaws and howler monkeys overhead or an off-shore whale from your porch’s hammock.
One of the first to discover this area’s treasure trove of wildlife diversity was Lapa Ríos, a pioneering luxury eco-lodge that has won praise from conservationists, hotel critics, and guests alike. Perched 350 feet above the Pacific in its own lush 930-acre nature reserve, it overlooks three panoramic ridges. Sixteen thatched bungalows feature lacquered bamboo walls and polished tropical wood floors; the lodge also boasts a bar-restaurant, infinity pool, and spa, along with open-air observation platforms from which wondrous expanses of ocean and forest are visible. Days revolve around nature, beginning with a sunrise hike and ending with shaman-guided tours that reveal the area’s natural medicinal plants. Excellent meals in the middle of the wilderness are as much a revelation as the nocturnal jungle walk that follows.
WHERE: 231 miles/368 km southwest of San José, on the Osa Peninsula. BOSQUE DEL CABO: Tel 506/2735-5206; www.bosquedelcabo.com. Cost: from $175 per person, all-inclusive (off-peak), from $210 (peak). LAPA RÍOS: Tel 506/2735-5130; www.laparios.com. Cost:$270 per person, all-inclusive (off-peak), $360 (peak). BEST TIMES: Nov–Apr is dry season, though many also like the “green” or rainy season of May–Oct.
White Sand Beaches and Rain Forest–Clad Mountains
MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Of Costa Rica’s constellation of national parks, Manuel Antonio is a pocket-size gem. Though just 1,680 acres, it is one of the country’s most heavily visited parks, with idyllic, easily accessible white sand beaches that offer snorkeling and diving in rich coral reefs, surfing, and fishing, all in addition to access to rain forest–clad mountains. The park is one of the last remaining habitats for the red-backed squirrel monkey and home to 200 species of birds and 100 kinds of mammals, including sloths and bold, white-faced capuchin monkeys that love to pester beachgoers.
La Mariposa, one of the first hotels in the area, nabbed the best location—a dramatic aerie above the sea. Many of the rooms and the split-level Mediterranean-style villas have magnificent mountains-to-sea panoramas, which can also be enjoyed by nonguests who come for drinks or an alfresco meal at sunset.
The area’s most stylish hotel is Arenas Del Mar, newly built on a forested hillside sloping down to the ocean. The brainchild of Teri and Glenn Jampol, two of the leaders of Costa Rica’s sustainable tourism movement, the 38-room hotel offers spectacular beach and nature activities and the highest levels of comfort and sustainability—along with a small but perfect spa. Contemporary Costa Rican cuisine served at the open-air El Mirador restaurant might include spiced pumpkin soup, fresh snapper with green plantain and tomato sauce, and a rich coconut–macadamia nut tart. The Jampols’ first property is the Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation & Inn, a half-hour drive north of the capital city of San José. The eccentric 13-room inn is surrounded by 30 acres of certified organic, shade-grown coffee; guests can tour the plantation and join in a catación—coffee-tasting—to learn more about the taste and quality of Costa Rican beans.
WHERE: 116 miles/180 km south of San José. HOTEL LA MARIPOSA: Tel 506/2777-0355; in the U.S., 800-549-0157; www.hotelmariposa.com. Cost: from $155 (off-peak), from $215 (peak). ARENAS DEL MAR: Tel 506/2777-2777; www.arenasdelmar.com. Cost: from $260 (off-peak), from $330 (peak). FINCA ROSA BLANCA: Tel 506/2269-9392; in the U.S., 305-395-3042; www.fincarosablanca.com. Cost: from $250 (off-peak), from $295 (peak). BEST TIMES: Dec–Mar and Jun–Aug are dry months.
Quakers and Quetzals in the Cloud Forests
MONTEVERDE
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Named for its lush mountains, known as the Tilarán, Monteverde is one of Costa Rica’s most visually arresting natural attractions, a cool, highland forest 4,600 feet above sea level that is perennially cloaked in clouds and rich in biodiversity. This extraordinary tangle of greenery is home to 450 varieties of orchids, 500 types of butterflies, and 400 bird species, including 30 species of hummingbirds and the rare, gorgeously plumed quetzal that keen-eyed guides can often spot.
Instead of government-owned national parks, private forests and wildlife reserves make up Monteverde, encompassing almost
70,000 acres of protected land. The largest (at 26,000 acres) and most famous, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was established by Quakers who emigrated from Alabama in 1951 as conscientious objectors to the Korean War.
To mix thrills with exotic scenery, explore Monteverde on a zip-line canopy tour, a high-adrenaline attraction invented here in the 1970s that has since spread throughout the world. The daring are strapped into a harness attached to an overhead cable that lets them whiz along above the treetops and through clearings; the less adventurous can amble along elevated walkways. The only operator located within the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is Selvatura Park. Its 2-mile treetop walk takes you across eight bridges of varying heights and lengths (up to 510 feet), while its zip-line canopy tour sends you flying (alone or with a guide) along 15 cables and 18 platforms.
Hotel Fonda Vela is a tidy Swiss chalet–style property with 40 comfortable rooms a walkable mile from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. For those who simply want to hike along quiet trails, the 27-room Monteverde Lodge near the less-visited 765-acre Santa Elena Reserve, is a longtime favorite owned by ecotourism leader Costa Rica Expeditions.
A casual but surprisingly refined restaurant in the area is the small, American-owned Sofia’s. After a successful day of quetzal sighting in the cloud forest, toast your good fortune with a ginger mango mojito, then dine on seafood chimichangas or beef tenderloin with chipotle butter sauce. The banana bread pudding is so rich you’ll need to share.
The concept of the highflying zip-line is said to have originated here.
WHERE: 104 miles/167 km northwest of San José. HOTEL FONDA VELA: Tel 506/2645-5125; www.fondavela.com. Cost: from $110. MONTEVERDE LODGE: contact Costa Rica Expeditions in San José, tel 506/2521-6099; www.costaricaexpeditions.com. Cost: from $158. SOFIA’S: Tel 506/2645-7017. Cost: dinner $25. BEST TIME: Dec–Apr is dry season and offers the best birding.
Colonial Monuments, Poetic Ruins
ANTIGUA
Guatemala
Gorgeously set in a green mountain- and volcano-rimmed valley, Antigua is one of the Western Hemisphere’s best-preserved Spanish colonial cities. Founded in 1543, it was Spain’s prosperous capital of the middle Americas until the earthquake of 1773. The crown ordered everyone out and moved the seat of government to Guatemala City, but the poorer families remained and Antigua never died.
Today’s strict preservation ordinances protect what remains of its Spanish Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, and homes, built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Some have been reconstructed, others remain evocative ruins, but they are all part of the lure for the wealthy weekend homeowners from nearby Guatemala City and the artistically inclined expats who flock here. The town center revolves around Plaza Mayor and Convento de las Capuchinas, so solidly built in 1736 that the earthquake damage was minor. It now serves as a museum dedicated to the history of the nuns who once lived there.
Distinguished by stucco pilasters, the brilliantly restored Baroque church Iglesia y Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (known simply as La Merced) serves as the starting point for the city’s elaborate processions during Semana Santa (Holy Week), one of the most lavishly celebrated in Central America. When the Lenten season arrives, the city becomes one huge passion play, as processions pass over intricate carpets of flowers and colored sawdust called alfombras, a tradition that originated in the 16th century.
Standing amid the fashionable cafés and shops and the poetically decaying ruins, the Casa Santo Domingo is Antigua’s showpiece hotel. It is set within the remains of what was once the city’s richest and most powerful convent, built in 1642. It is large for Antigua (with 128 rooms), and its museum-quality exhibits attract the curious, so those looking for more intimate accommodations should consider the Posada Del Angel boutique hotel. With just seven sumptuously decorated rooms, each graced with a wood-burning fireplace and fresh flowers, the inn is unpretentious, considering President Clinton and members of European royalty have stayed here.
The most-climbed of Guatemala’s volcanoes is 7,388-foot Pacaya, east of Antigua, which erupted in 1961 without warning and has been continuously active ever since—from minor steam emissions to explosions that have forced evacuations. A 2- to 3-hour trek takes you to the rim for a peek.
Agua Volcano looms above Arco de Santa Catalina.
WHERE: 15 miles/25 km west of Guatemala City. CASA SANTO DOMINGO: Tel 502/7820-1220; www.casasantodomingo.com.gt. Cost: from $170. POSADA DEL ANGEL: Tel 502/7832-0260; in the U.S., 305-677-2382; www.posadadelangel.com. Cost: from $195. BEST TIMES: Dec–Apr for nice weather; Semana Santa (week before Easter); Sep 24 for La Merced festival; Christmas and New Year’s.
Ancient Beauty, Ancient Ways
LAKE ATITLÁN
Panajachel, Altiplano, Guatemala
The Altiplano, Guatemala’s western highlands, is the country’s most stunning region, and blue-green Lake Atitlán—mirroring three Fuji-like volcanoes—its most perfect snapshot. Those who have seen it would agree with writer Aldous Huxley, who called it “the most beautiful lake in the world.” In certain seasons, the lake, under siege from human pollution, has experienced algae blooms, but international teams of scientists are working to alleviate the problem.
In the highlands surrounding the lake (a collapsed volcano cone that covers 50 square miles), descendants of the ancient Maya still live off the ash-rich land, their simple maize-farming methods unchanged over time. A dozen lakeside villages and numerous mountain towns, where life and customs have changed little over the centuries, promise interesting day trips, particularly on market day, which varies from village to village.
The best jumping-off point is still Panajachel, the largest and most touristy of the towns. With a population of 14,000, it retains some characteristics of its 1970s hippie heyday, but the finest accommodations in the lake region are found here, including lakeside Hotel Atitlán, whose 60 rooms all have private balconies and splendid views of lush gardens and the lake beyond. A few miles outside of town is the ultracharming Casa Palopó, which feels more like a rich uncle’s estate than a small luxury inn. Its seven rooms and two-bedroom villa all command some of the lake’s most gorgeous vistas. Boat tours and water taxis leave Panajachel regularly for the lake’s more traditional towns, such as the popular Santiago Atitlán, where proud Tzutujil Maya residents still cling to their old customs. At the Friday and Sunday markets women wearing colorfully hand-embroidered huipiles (blouses) sell hand-woven textiles. Posada de Santiago, nestled on a lagoonlike offshoot of the lake, is the place to stay. Of its 17 rooms, six are small stone cottages, with gardens and a well-known kitchen that brims with local flavor.
WHERE: 92 miles/147 km west of Guatemala City. HOTEL ATITLÁN: Tel 502/7762-1441; www.hotelatitlan.com. Cost: from $140. CASA PALOPÓ: Tel 502/7762-2270; www.casapalopo.com. Cost: from $175. POSADA DE SANTIAGO: Tel 502/7721-7366; www.posadadesantiago.com. Cost: from $65. BEST TIMES: Nov–Apr for dry, clear weather; Oct 4 for Fiesta de San Francisco de Asis in Panajachel.
Ghost Metropolis of the Maya
TIKAL
El Petén, Guatemala
In a vast empire that once encompassed Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, Tikal was the most resplendent of all Maya cities. A mighty religious, political, and military center, Tikal represented the apogee of Classic Maya civilization. Its pyramids and acropoli were the highest structures in the western hemisphere, and an estimated 100,000 people lived among them in a 10-square-mile area. It was abandoned by A.D. 1000, when its civilization collapsed. Only a small portion of Tikal has been excavated; nevertheless, more than 3,000 temples, ceremonial platforms, ball courts, and plazas now make up Guatemala’s most famous and impressive Maya ruin, which is less crowded than the better-known sites of the Maya Heartland in Mexico’s Yucatán (see p. 960).
Tikal’s centerpiece is the Plaza Mayor (Great Plaza), flanked by tall, well restored temples. Soaring to 186 feet and 212 feet respectively, Temple V and Temple IV are the highest
on the grounds, each an ideal perch from which to watch the sun set. Special passes are granted to visit the Great Plaza after hours on nights with a full moon, when Tikal is at its most magical. The ruins lie within the Tikal National Park, 222 square miles of dense jungle that, with over 400 species, ranks as a world-class birding destination, especially at dawn. The most comfortable lodging within the park is Jungle Lodge, with modest bungalows and easy access to the ruins.
Forty miles to the southwest and surrounded by the waters of lovely Lake Petén Itzá, the island village of Flores, reachable by causeway, is a popular stop for lunch and a boat tour of the lake. At its northeastern edge, the town of El Remate is the location of La Lancha, one of Francis Ford Coppola’s three eco-lodges in Central America (see pp. 962 and 963). Half of the ten quaint rooms face the lake, with balconies sometimes visited by friendly howler monkeys.
Lakeside Ni’tun is another of Guatemala’s most appealing eco-lodges. Its four stone-and-thatch cottages and two-story open restaurant are set on a wild 86-acre preserve; the compound is the launching pad for Monkey Eco Tours, whose organized day excursions include Tikal and other rarely visited Maya ruins.
Tikal Temple I is also known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar.
WHERE: 40 miles/64 km northeast of Flores. VISITOR INFO: www.tikalpark.com. JUNGLE LODGE: Tel 502/2477-0570; www.junglelodgetikal.com. Cost: $150, inclusive. LA LANCHA: Tel 501-824-4912; in the U.S., 800-746-3743; www.coppolaresorts.com. Cost: from $110 (off-peak), from $145 (peak). NI’TUN AND MONKEY ECO TOURS: Tel 502/5201-0759; www.nitun.com. Cost: from $195. BEST TIMES: Dec–Feb for nicest weather; Feb–early Apr for birding.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 152