August 13, 2008

My Week in Costa Rica

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After our stay in Domincal, we traveled another 40 kilometers South to the town of Ojochal. There we met up with Nick, the manager of the Villa El Bosque, the hotel we were staying at for our remaining three days in Costa Rica. It was the low season, and there was a big For Sale sign on the entrance of Bosque, which is probaly why we were the only guests staying at the Hotel. Despite it's noticeable vacancy, the Villa de Bosque was a wonderful place to stay. On our first day at the Hotel, Nick guided us through the network of nature trails that unlitmately give passage to Tartuga Beach. The beach is among the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, but it's only accessible by hiking an unmarked trail and crossing a muddy estuary. There was absolutely no one at the beach. The sun was out, the water was warm, and the waves looked surf worthy, (I saw the waves "barrel" as it were). We walked along a mile of beach and we saw not one footprint besides the ones we were creating. A rocky mountain separates La Tortuga beach from Playa de Vantana to the north, the most popular beach in the area. A very good swimmer could probably swim from La Tartuga, around the point, and back into Playa de Vantana. For the time being, Tartuga beach was completely ours, and it coud very well have stayed that way had we camped there for days. No one was visiting this beautiful beach.