Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [463]
The lodge is about 9km from Boca Tapada, and the staff can also arrange round-trip transportation from San José for ₡70,000 per person (two-person minimum).
Tico-run lodges near Boca Tapada include Mi Pedacito de Cielo (8308-9595; www.pedacitodecielo.net; s/d/tr US$65/75/85; ), whose name charmingly means ‘my little piece of heaven.’ The lodge has several rustic wooden bungalows built into the semiwild forest. Opened in 2009, Maquenque Eco-Lodge (2479-8200; www.maquenqueecolodge.com; r US$85/105; ) is located on 60 hectares with easy access to the new Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Mixto Maquenque. The 14 bungalows feature bathroom with hot water and private deck. The tropical garden has a lovely swimming pool, and there’s also an onsite bar and restaurant. Both lodges offer bird-watching, boating and horseback-riding tours in the Maquenque refuge.
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Getting There & Away
If you’re driving, getting to Boca Tapada is an adventure in itself. The nearest town of note is Pital, north of Aguas Zarcas. After passing through Pital, turn right after the church on the right and soccer field on the left and continue through the village of Veracruz. At the Del Huerto pineapple packing plant, hang a left and continue along the paved road. About 10km later, where the pavement ends, turn right at the intersection. When you come to the gas station, turn right at the intersection and follow the signs for Mi Pedacito del Cielo to Boca Tapada.
Buses from San José (₡2600, six hours) depart from the Atlántico Norte terminal at 5:30am and 12:30pm daily, with a connection to Boca Tapada, where most lodges can pick you up by prior request.
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MUELLE DE SAN CARLOS
This small crossroads village is locally called Muelle, which means ‘dock,’ seemingly because ‘Cañas’ was already taken – this is sugarcane country. Breaks in the sweet scenery include huge sugarcane-processing facilities, always interesting to ponder over a soda, and very slow sugarcane-hauling trucks, so drive carefully. This was, actually, an important dock (hence the shipping infrastructure still here) as it’s the most inland spot from which the Río San Carlos is navigable.
The main tourist activity in Muelle is pulling over to have a look at the map. A 24-hour gas station lies at the intersection of Hwy 4 (which connects Ciudad Quesada and Upala) and Hwy 35 (running from San José to Los Chiles). From Hwy 4 you can easily catch Hwy 32, the main artery serving the Caribbean coast. Can’t decide? A range of accommodations will let you sleep on it, and they’re convenient to just about everything.
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Sleeping & Eating
Cabinas Beitzy (2469-9100; campsites US$4, d without bathroom US$10; ) The cheapest accommodations option in town is on the road to Los Chiles. It’s perfectly acceptable if you need a place to crash, and the pool is surprisingly well maintained. Rooms are (not surprisingly) bare and share cold showers. If you’re counting every dollar, you can also pitch a tent here and save yourself a few bucks.
La Quinta Lodge (2475-5260, fax 2475-5921; s/d US$35/40, cabinas per person US$10; ) About 5km south of Muelle in the tiny community of Platanar, this friendly Tico-run inn has a pool with a small water slide and sauna. Birds have adopted the grounds, and there’s a small river behind the inn where fish and caimans can be seen. This is a popular option with Tico families as the atmosphere is warm and inviting.
SUGAR IN THE RAW
The origins of the sugar industry lie in the European colonization of the Americas, particularly on the Caribbean islands. Although it was possible for Europeans to import sugar from the colonies in Asia, the advent of slavery in the New World meant that sugarcane could be grown for a fraction of the cost. This in turn led to lower prices for the European consumer, which took precedent over the lives of the slaves forced to work in the fields.
During the 18th century, European diets started to change dramatically as sugar increased in popularity. Coffee,