WILD AND WONDROUS, PENINSULA PAPAGAYO IS THE PERFECT COSTA RICAN ECO-ESCAPE FOR LAID-BACK LUXURY

BY AMBER GIBSON

Spotting a monkey swinging by your window or an iguana lazily lounging in the sun are everyday occurrences in the tropical savanna of Guanacaste. For first-time visitors, Peninsula Papagayo is a beautifully manicured gated community, yet thoughtfully authentic when it comes to incorporating Costa Rican culture and con serving the region’s incredible biodiversity.

For most of the country’s history, agriculture was Costa Rica’s economic engine. Tourism only became popular in the 1990s after Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sánchez received the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for helping to end civil wars across Central America, making the region safe for tourists to explore. Coffee, bananas, and sugar are all Costa Rican ingredients widely consumed in the United States, but now tourism and technology are propelling the country forward.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, where Peninsula Papagayo is located, is considered one of the world’s five Blue Zones, identified as regions where people live longer and healthier lives. From diet and exercise to a strong sense of community and purpose, the friendly people here are happy to reveal their bio-hacking secrets, which are actually remarkably simple. Spending some time here living the “pura vida” may just inspire visitors to make a few life style changes back home.

United and Jetblue offer nonstop service to Liberia International Airport from Newark and JFK respectively. From there, it’s just a 35-minute ride to Peninsula Papagayo and all three resorts in the gated community offer private transfer ser vices. Prices on menus and for activities are listed in U.S. dollars, so there’s no need to convert cash to the local currency. It’s easy to rent a car at the airport if you prefer, but it’s not necessary to have a vehicle because complimentary shuttle service takes guests between resorts and throughout Peninsula Papagayo.

ATTRACTIONS

PALMARES OUTPOST

Situated within the 250-acre protected Palmares Preserve, one of the last old-growth tropical dry forests in the Americas, the Palmares Outpost is the ultimate eco-adventure hub. Choose from ziplining, tree climbing, aerial trekking, hiking, and mountain biking amongst wildlife then cool off with refreshing coconut water. The aerial trek course with 30 different trails, plus obstacles like rope bridges, swinging logs, and cargo nets, is especially fun for all ages if you aren’t afraid of heights. Keep an eye out for spider monkeys, howler monkeys, toucans, and coatis as you frolic in the canopy. papagayoex plorers.com/peninsula-adventures.

CORAL PLANTING

Costa Rica’s coral reefs are in danger from overfishing, warming ocean waters, and pollution, but you can contribute to Peninsula Papagayo’s coral restoration project by adopting a “coral tree.” Guests learn about the importance of coral reefs from naturalist guides before attaching healthy coral fragments with plastic zip ties to a metal frame. After the structure is complete, go out with the divemaster on a boat to plant your coral tree in Bahia Culebra, where it will be monitored as it grows. papagayoexplorers. com/tours/coral-planting.

WHERE TO STAY

ANDAZ PENINSULA PAPAGAYO RESORT

This chic modern resort overlooking Culebra Bay is a lively jungle getaway with plenty of daily activities and a secluded secret beach. Private balconies and river stone rain showers make every room feel special, and suites include deep soaking tubs. New two- and three-bed room residences are ideal for multigenerational travel. With an active kids’ club, the resort is more family-friendly than most Andaz hotels, but adults can escape to Ostra for poolside dining, which is conveniently located right next to the spa. Take a private boat over to new beach club Casa de Playa at Nacascolo Beach and relax under a cabana while enjoying Mediterranean bites and cock tails from Meso. andazpuravida.com

NEKAJUI, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE

The brand new Nekajui is perched on a dramatic cliffside, with a suspension bridge connecting two halves of the resort and a funicular taking guests to the beach. The design is inspired by sabanero Guanacaste cowboy culture, with hacienda-style architecture and public spaces furnished with local Costa Rican artwork and vintage décor. All 107 guest rooms and suites have an ocean view, and three glamping tents are the most unique accommodations of all. Chef Diego Muñoz leads signature Peruvian restaurant Puna, including a six-seat omakase counter, and the resort even roasts its own coffee and makes bean-to-bar chocolate from local cacao. The 27,000-square-foot spa is a high light, and there’s a speakeasy hidden somewhere if you know where to look. ritzcarlton.com

FOUR SEASONS PENINSULA PAPAGAYO

The first and largest resort in Peninsula Papagayo, Four Seasons has expansive soft sand beaches, including one for sunrise and another for sunset. The new bamboo yoga shala is a beauty, where visiting wellness masters host yoga, energy ceremonies, and sound healing. Even standard rooms have spacious screened terraces. Italian restaurant Pesce is a favorite among hotel guests and locals alike for seafood and freshly made pasta. There’s an excellent kids club here as well, with indoor and outdoor spaces for children to learn and play.

DAY TRIPS AND TOURS

EXPLORERS CULTURAL ROAD TRIP

T here’s no better way to understand Costa Rica’s Blue Zone lifestyle than visiting with locals, and this full-day road trip takes you through the country side into small villages to meet cheerful Costa Ricans who invite travelers into their homes to share their passion, knowledge, and meals. From encountering the hard-working sand diggers and their oxen at the Tempisque River, to dancing in the streets of Santa Cruz with colorful life-sized puppet “mascara das” while a cimarrona brass band plays, to learning all about Costa Rica’s famous coffee during a cupping class, this tour is a chance to support local businesses and entrepreneurs and see a different way of life. papagayoexplorers.com/tours/cultural-road-trip.

A DAY IN THE RAINFOREST

Choose your own adventure on this customized full-day tour across the Continental Divide to Costa Rica’s lush, verdant side. Encounter sloths, butterflies, frogs, and more in their natural habitat with volcanoes visible in the distance. Enjoy a leisurely float down the bright turquoise Rio Celeste before swinging from a rope to cannonball into cool natural pools. Next, visit a cacao plantation and farm full of traditional medicinal plants, while learning about Costa Rican ancestral healing traditions and trying your hand at making bean to-bar chocolate. You can even go horseback riding with a two-time Costa Rican national lasso champion on a working ranch. papagayoexplorers.com/tours/ rainforest.

DINE AND DRINK

CHAO PESCAO

Everything is meant to be shared family style at this lively restaurant at the heart of Andaz Peninsula Papagayo. Both the cocktail and food menus are maps of Latin America and the Caribbean, with dishes representing more than a dozen different countries, from Argentine choripán with housemade chorizo and Brazilian tapioca bites to Venezuela arepas, Nicaraguan grilled steak gallo, and, of course, Costa Rican rice and beans with chicken. Much of the produce is grown by women in the local community. andazpuravida.com/restaurants/chao-pescao.

MANGLAR

MANGLAR medicinal plants, while learning about Costa Rican ancestral healing traditions and trying your hand at making bean to-bar chocolate. You can even go horseback riding with a two-time Costa Rican national lasso champion on a working ranch. papagayoexplorers.com/tours/ rainforest DINE AND DRINK CHAO PESCAO Everything is meant to be shared family style at this lively restaurant at the heart of Andaz Peninsula Papagayo. Both the cocktail and food menus are maps of Latin America and the Caribbean, with dishes representing more than a dozen different countries, from Argentine choripán with housemade chorizo and Brazilian tapioca bites to Venezuela arepas, Nicaraguan grilled steak gallo, and, of course, Costa Rican rice and Dine with your toes in the sand listening to crashing ocean waves at Prieta Beach Club, enjoying refreshing watermelon spritzes and cocktails made with Costa Rica’s national sugarcane spirit, caci que guaro, under strings of fairy lights. The menu highlights local ingredients, including fabulous vegan and vegetarian options like a warm grilled cabbage and lentil bowl with tofu and agave dijon dressing. Snapper and sea bass are grilled and seared to perfection, tender with crispy skin and bold sauces. You can’t go wrong with Caribbean chicken and sweet plantains, either. peninsulapapagayo.com/food-drink,

NEMARE

This elegant steakhouse at the Peninsula Papagayo golf clubhouse takes live f ire Latin American asado to luxe new heights, serving local meat from third generation cattle ranch Finca La Josefina with housemade butters, rubs, and sauces. Signature dishes include a wellington Wagyu cheeseburger and flame seared roasted bone marrow. Ask for a tour of the lovely garden outside where many of the herbs used in the restaurant are grown, and groups can even book the private garden table for al fresco dinners. fourseasons.com/costarica/dining.