COSTA RICA
Left: Line fishing in the tropical waters of the Gulf of Nicoya around the Isla Chiquita Glamping Hotel
NI CARAGUA
Caribbe an Se a
Nicoya
Puntarenas Paquera
Peninsula San Gerardo de Dota Dominical
P A CIFIC O CEAN
50 miles
COS TA RICA SAN JOSÉ
Siquirres
Los Quetzales National Park
National Park Osa Peninsula
Corcovado
GETTING THERE & AROUND British Airways flies direct to Costa Rica’s capital, San José, from Heathrow. Other carriers offer one-stop routes from major UK cities.
ba.com
aircanada.com
airfrance.co.uk klm.com
swiss.com
virginatlantic.com Average flight time: 11.5h. Car hire is widely available. Roads are in good condition but largely unlit so avoid driving at night.
rustic, governed by the tides and the arc of the sun, with the only soundtrack the guttural whooping of resident howler monkeys. Activities revolve around the water. When not cooling off in my tent’s plunge pool high up on the island, I’m choosing my next outing down at Christian’s ‘office’ by the beach, a wooden gazebo draped with all the trappings of sailing adventures — life jackets, oars, snorkels and the equipment we’ll ultimately need for our next tour: fishing tackle. As Christian explains when we cut the boat’s
motor, a short ride from the hotel’s jetty, this is a lesson in artisanal fishing — catching our supper with a hand-held line, bait and a bit of skill, the way all the locals here do. Frigate birds circle above us in the tangerine dusk, anxious for scraps. I grit my teeth and spear a wriggling ghost shrimp onto my hook, then drop it to the seabed off the side of the boat and wait. The line is draped over my fingers, the aim being to feel the almost imperceptible nibble of a fish and tug the hook sharply upwards to snare it. But while Christian pulls in groupers and gently tosses back puffer fish and catfish, time and again my bait is stolen without me noticing. Wind in, re-bait, try again. Finally, a catch — a flapping red snapper that I haul aboard and grasp with firm hands. Dinner, after all.
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NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL But we aren’t going straight home. Instead
we joyride into the pitch black, weaving around neighbouring islands. The air is warm and silky; it’s hard to know where my skin ends and the night begins. Christian’s looking for a dark cove, somewhere shaded from the starlight and waning moon. “Trail your hand in the water,” he advises once we’ve slowed down. There’s an explosion of light where my fingers meet the ocean; I pull my arm out and it continues to glitter for a few moments — a gauntlet of bioluminescence. As our eyes adjust, we’re able to track the
sparkling movements of fish and rays in the shallows; I hadn’t known the underwater world could be so complex, so active, nor that it could light up from within with sapphire pixie dust. Christian explains these are dinoflagellates, a rare marine plankton reliably found in Nicoya’s tropical bays. He fills a jam jar so I can gaze at the glowing specks up close, then pours it into the boat, our sandalled feet now bedazzled with bluish embers. I want to bottle this childlike feeling of seeing the world anew, of joyfully puzzling at my place in the vast web of creation — a feeling I’ve come to treasure over the past fortnight. I look over at Christian. My guide is laughing, splashing his hands in the water. It seems the magic isn’t lost on him either.
WHEN TO GO The Caribbean coast and Pacific south see rain year-round, while the west and northwest Pacific Coast experiences a drier season December to April. Average annual temperatures range from 26-32C on the coast and 23-26C in the highlands. Rafting on the Pacuare River is best June to December. Quetzals are best viewed during full plumage, December to May.
WHERE TO STAY Pacuare Lodge. From US$621 (£502) per person, per night, full board with activities and transfers, based on two sharing. Minimum stay two nights. Mandatory conservation fee US$25 per person, per stay.
pacuarelodge.com Trogón Lodge. Doubles from US$160 (£130), B&B.
trogonlodge.com La Leona Eco Lodge. Doubles from US$175 (£142), B&B.
laleonaecolodge.com Isla Chiquita. Doubles from US$186 (£150), B&B.
islachiquitacostarica.com
MORE INFO
visitcostarica.com
HOW TO DO IT A 13-day tailor-made trip to Costa Rica with Audley Travel costs from £10,800 per person (based on two sharing), including stays at all the accommodation above plus San José. The price includes international flights , transfers, car hire, accommodation and excursions.
audleytravel.com
PANAMA
IMAGE: AMELIA DUGGAN. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
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