Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [317]
About 1km further up the Escaleras road, Villa Escaleras (8823-0509, in USA 773-279-0516; www.villa-escaleras.com; villa for 4/6/8 people US$240/280/320; ) is a spacious four-bedroom villa accented by cathedral ceilings, tiled floors, colonial furnishings and a palatial swimming pool. Twice-weekly maid service and a wrap-around balcony awash with panoramic views make the setting complete. If you’re planning on staying here long-term, inquire about discounted weekly and monthly rates.
Located on a different access road that’s 1.2km south of the first entrance is Pacific Edge (2531-8000; www.pacificedge.info; cabins/bungalows from US$60/85; ). The owners are a worldly North American–British couple who delight in showing guests their slice of paradise. Four cabins are perched on a knife-edge ridge about 200m above sea level, while larger family-friendly bungalows accommodate up to six and come with fully stocked kitchen. Of course, if you’re not one for cooking, there is a wonderful onsite restaurant specializing in international cuisine.
Escaleras is best accessed by private vehicle, though any of the accommodations listed previously can arrange a pick-up service with advanced notice. If you’re coming for Movies in the Jungle, a taxi from Dominical shouldn’t cost more than ₡5000.
MOVIES IN THE JUNGLE
Every Friday night, a resident expat named Toby in the town of Escaleras invites locals and travelers to watch his favorite flicks. Cinema Escaleras (2787-8065) is built on a hilltop with panoramic views of jungle-fronted coastline and features state-of-the-art projection equipment and surround sound. Seriously, this guy loves his movies! Films are shown every Friday at 6pm, with a potluck dinner preceding the screening at 5pm. To get to the cinema, follow the first entrance to Escaleras a few hundred meters up the mountain and look for a white house on the left-hand side. Note that a small donation to pay for the projector bulbs is requested.
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UVITA
Just 17km south of Dominical, this little hamlet is really nothing more than a loose straggle of farms, houses and tiny shops, though it should give you a good idea of what the central Pacific coast looked like before the tourist boom. Uvita does, however, serve as the base for visits to Parque Nacional Marino Ballena, a pristine marine reserve famous for its migrating pods of humpback whales, in addition to its virtually abandoned wilderness beaches.
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Orientation
The area off the main highway is referred to locally as Uvita, while the area next to the beach is called Playa Uvita and Playa Bahía Uvita (the southern end of the beach). The beach area is reached through two parallel dirt roads that are roughly 500m apart. The first entrance is just south of the bridge over the Río Uvita and the second entrance is in the center of town. At low tide you can walk out along Punta Uvita, but ask locally before heading out so that the rising water doesn’t cut you off.
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Sights & Activities
Uvita is a perfect base for exploring Parque Nacional Marino Ballena, which is home to some truly spectacular beaches that don’t see anywhere near the number of tourists that they should attract. Then again, perhaps this is a good thing as you’ll have plenty of space to sprawl out and soak up the sun without having to worry about someone stealing your beach chair.
Surfers passing through the area tend to push on to more extreme destinations further south, though there are occasionally some swells at Playa