Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [311]
The entrance to the lodge is located about 15km south of Quepos in the small town of Savegre. From here, a 4WD dirt road parallels the Río Savegre and leads 7km inland, past the towns of Silencio and Santo Domingo, to the lodge. However, if you don’t have private transportation, the lodge can arrange all of your transfers with advanced reservations.
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MATAPALO
Matapalo is off most travelers’ radar screens, though without good reason as this palm-fringed, grey-sand beach has some truly awesome surf. With two river-mouth breaks generating some wicked waves, Matapalo is recommended for intermediate to advanced surfers who are comfortable dealing with rapidly changing conditions. As you might imagine, Matapalo is not the best beach for swimming as the transient rips here are about as notorious as they come.
Just south of Matapalo are the Terciopelo Waterfalls, which are famous for their swimming pools. The falls are located a few kilometers south of Rió Hatillo Viejo, though it’s best to ask someone to point out the trailhead for you as it’s tough to find.
The first hotel you’ll see after turning off the Costanera is the German-run El Coquito del Pacífico (2787-5028, 8384-7220; www.elcoquito.com; bungalows from US$65; ), which consists of a small batch of bungalows highlighted by their beaming whitewashed walls and rustic furnishings. The entire complex is attractively landscaped with shady gardens of almond and mango trees, and centered on an open-air bar and restaurant serving up the obligatory traditional German specialties.
The US-owned Jungle House (2787-5005, 2777-2748; www.junglehouse.com; r from US$65; ) provides the epitome of relaxation, with five polished-wood quarters decorated with a good smattering of rustic knick-knacks. If you’re traveling with your better half, the bamboo ‘honeymoon’ cabin in the back is a large open-air unit with incredible views of the distant hills. Charlie, the friendly owner, is active locally and supports local education initiatives and trash pick-up efforts on the beach. Significant discounts are available for weekly and monthly stays.
Dreamy Contentment (2787-5223; www.dreamycontentment.com; r/bungalows/house US$25/75/200; ) is a beautiful, Spanish-colonial property with impressive woodworking and towering trees throughout. The bungalows are equipped with functional kitchenettes, though the real star attraction is the main house, which has the kitchen of your dreams, a beachfront veranda and a princely bathroom complete with hot tub. For those on a budget, there are basic but reasonably conformable backpacker rooms that put you in front of the surf without having to dig too deep.
ANDRES POVEDA ON COSTA RICAN PRIDE
Andres Poveda, the founder of the Costa Rican Hostel Network, has spent the last several years raising the bar for backpacker haunts throughout the country. Over an ice-cold Imperial lager and a bowl of nachos, Andrés shared his thoughts on being Costa Rican.
How did you end up owning backpacker hostels? That’s a good story, especially since the honest truth is that I always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. As a kid I used to get into a lot of trouble, so I thought that I should probably learn how to properly defend myself! Anyway, after finishing law school and landing a high-powered job with the government, I learned that wearing a suit and dealing with papers wasn’t the kind of life that I wanted. So, together with my identical twin brother Adrian, we decided to create a place where travelers could experience the real side of Costa Rica. Today, we are proud of the fact that we are one of the few Costa Rican–owned businesses in this country catering exclusively to backpackers from around the world.
What does it mean to be Costa Rican? To understand this, all you need to do