NOSARA, COSTA RICA -- Arriving at our rented beach house in Costa Rica, my family was startled by a giant grasshopper latched onto the screen door.
"It wants us to leave because we are in its territory," said one of my Costa Rican relatives. The grasshopper's turf was a hill overlooking Playa Guiones beach in Nosara, a sleepy hamlet on the Pacific coast of this thriving Central American nation.
Costa Rica, located between Nicaragua and Panama, has become a tourism hot spot because of its natural beauty, friendly people and stable democracy. The Tico Times, the English-language newspaper where I used to work, reported that 1.9 million tourists visited the country in 2007, about a tenfold increase from the first time I came here in the 1980s.
The growing popularity, however, was a big reason I wasn't so keen to return to Nosara, where my wife and I once owned a beach house. Fortunately, my fears that the place might have lost its charm proved unfounded.
When I lived in Costa Rica, I passed yellow and purple butterflies as I walked to the beach. I also saw iguanas hanging out in the road, monkeys shouting from the trees and pizotes (raccoon-like animals) arriving at our front door looking for goodies like raw eggs. Some Hollywood stars had already discovered this tropical oasis; I once bought Woody Harrelson his first guaro, the local firewater.
But I'd been disappointed during a 2005 visit to Tamarindo, another Costa Rican beach town that's popular with surfers. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the coast was so undeveloped that we found the spot where Oliver North had a clandestine airstrip built to supply the Nicaraguan rebels. Nowadays, Tamarindo's beaches are dirtier and more crowded, and the skyline is marred by high-rise condominiums.
Costa Rica's northwestern coast, called Guanacaste, is so popular that it's hard to find a beach house during the high season. Either the homes are booked months in advance or they cost $3,000 to $5,000 a week, which is pricey for Central America.
Still, Nosara has always been a little bit cheaper than other nearby coastal towns, so that's where we looked. We found a modern three-bedroom house with wood ceilings and a swimming pool for $2,000.
Though heavy rains often produce mud holes in the local roads, the ride to Nosara was smoother than I anticipated. During our first morning, the howler monkeys in the trees woke us up. White-throated magpie jays and yellow social flycatchers flew from nearby trees while we relaxed in the swimming pool.
The view from our hilltop house showed the jungle was still largely intact. While there were more houses and businesses than 12 years ago, there were no high-rises protruding like an eyesore. The most obnoxious building was a hotel with a tower that looked like a spaceship from a bad 1950s sci-fi movie.
On my first morning, I rented a surfboard from Coconut Harry's and jumped into the water. After wearing wetsuits in Southern California, the warm water was a pleasant reminder of why people travel thousands of kilometres to surf and swim. The surf is challenging but not as dangerous as a place like Hawaii's Pipeline.
Costa Rica has also prohibited development 50 meters from high tide. Enforcement of this law has been slipshod at other beaches, but Playa Guiones is protected because its shoreline is part of a turtle refuge.
At low tide, the beach widens about 100 yards and you can walk about six kilometres on sand that is soft on your soles. Guiones is still as clean and refreshing as it was 15 years ago.
In addition to surfing and watching giant turtles crawl on the beach to lay eggs, you can take the Miss Sky Canopy Tour, an 11-kilometre ride on a cable strung through the jungle's treetops. During a walk along nearby Playa Pelada at low tide, we also saw 20-centimetre-long worms hiding among the rocks.
I was happy to see Olga's ramshackle restaurant still on the beach. As I sat drinking the national beer, Imperial, I rejoiced in knowing that this is one paradise that hasn't been paved over for a parking lot.
*****
Pack your bags
GETTING THERE
American Airlines and Continental fly from Toronto to San Jose. From there, it's a five-hour drive to Nosara. There are also buses that depart every day at 6 a.m. from San Jose. They leave from the Alfaro bus terminal, 14th street and 5th avenue. The fare for the six-hour trip is about $8 - but seats go fast so it's best to book your ticket a day in advance. Call 506-222-2750.
WHERE TO STAY
Nosara Beach Rentals For short- and long-term beach house rentals visit http://www.nosarabeachrentals.com.
Hotels A selection of small hotels can be found at nosara.com/community.htm#hotels.
MORE INFORMATION
Village of Nosara http://www.nosaranet.com and http://www.nicoyapeninsula.com/nosara.
Costa Rica Tourism http://www.visitcostarica.com.
Surfing conditions http://www.surfingnosara.com.
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