Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [386]
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Eating & Drinking
Esquina del Mar Cantina (dishes ₡1500-2500) A Pavones institution that has great views of the left break, this is where you should grab a drink after your last ride.
Café de la Suerte (dishes ₡2000-4500; ) Animal-lovers and the health-conscious will appreciate this open-air vegetarian joint, which serves tropical-fruit smoothies and heart-healthy fare.
La Manta (dishes ₡2500-6000) This airy rancho, which catches the breezes off the bay, offers an impressive variety of Mediterranean food.
Restaurante La Piña (dishes ₡4500-8000) Located in Punta Banco, this Italian-run spot has authentic pastas and pizzas from the peninsula (Italy, not Osa).
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Getting There & Away
NatureAir (www.natureair.com) and Alfa Romeo Aero Taxi (www.alfaromeoair.com) offer charter flights. Prices are dependent on the number of passengers, so it’s best to try to organize a larger group if you’re considering this option.
Two daily buses go to Golfito (₡2500, three hours). The first leaves at 5:30am and departs from the end of the road at Rancho Burica (but you can pick it up at the bus stop opposite the Riviera); the second leaves at 12:30pm from the Esquina del Mar Cantina. Buses from Golfito depart at 10am (to Pavones) and 3pm (to Punta Banco via Pavones) from the stop at the Muellecito.
A 4WD taxi will charge about US$50 from Golfito, though you can also take a water taxi for about the same price. If you’re driving, follow the directions to Zancudo and look for the signs to Pavones.
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PARQUE NACIONAL ISLA DEL COCOS
In the opening minutes of the classic film Jurassic Park, a small helicopter swoops over and around Isla Nublar, a lushly forested island with dramatic tropical peaks descending straight into clear blue waters. The inspiration for this silver-screen island was none other than Isla del Cocos, and that single scene turned Costa Rica’s most remote national park into much more than a figment of our collective imagination.
Isla del Cocos is around 500km southwest of the mainland in the middle of the eastern Pacific, and is often referred to as the ‘Costa Rican Galápagos’ due to both its total isolation and unique ecosystem. As it’s the most far-flung corner of Costa Rica, you will certainly have to work hard to get here, though few other destinations in the country are as wildly exotic and visually arresting.
NEW 7 WONDERS OF NATURE SHORT-LIST CANDIDATE
Although you may or may not have agreed with their choices, the New 7 Wonders (www.new7wonders.com) campaign made international headlines in 2007. From the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro to the Taj Mahal in Agra, the New 7 Wonders campaign sought to modernize the list of departed ancient wonders – with the sole exception of the Great Pyramids at Giza, of course.
Following the surprising success of its original campaign, the Swiss foundation proceeded to nominate 300 natural wonders of the world, which will eventually be honed down to seven by popular vote in 2011. While Isla del Cocos didn’t make it to the finalist round, it did receive international recognition as a short-list candidate, much to the pleasure of Costa Rican tourism officials. Despite the fact that the island has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1967, few people know anything about Isla del Cocos beyond its association with resurrected dinosaurs.
According to a published interview with Danny Gonzalez, the spokesperson for MarViva (www.marviva.net/#/en/home), a conservation organization that helps protect Cocos: ‘The island houses great nature and cultural riches. It’s home to many endemic species and is, along with the islands of Coiba, Malpelo and the Galápagos, part of the East Pacific Tropical Marine Corridor, which allows the