Costa Rica - Guidemag.com

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COSTA RICA
COSTA RICA
¡Pura vida!
Michael Thompson
t
he airport at Costa Rica’s
cosmopolitan capital city San
Jose is named for national hero,
Juan Santamaría, nicknamed
“El Erizo” (the hedgehog) for his spiked
hair. Santamaría, a young martyr of
1856, is memorialized with a holiday
each April 11. According to lore, he died
setting fire to a hostel containing forces
under U.S. mercenary William Walker,
who was trying to turn Central America
into his personal slave-holding empire.
The struggle for self-determination has
been a long and hard-fought battle in
Costa Rica, but this idyllic land is today
one of the most progressive and ecofriendly countries in the Western hemisphere; one-quarter of its land is protected wilderness reserves. No wonder
Costa Rica draws so many gay visitors.
San Jose
San Jose’s high altitude keeps
evenings cool, and in the rainy, or
“green,” season it’s never too hot, even
during the day. A little afternoon rain
might fall but there are fewer crowds,
and it’s less expensive in low-season
from May through mid-November,
before the snowbirds arrive, from
Thanksgiving through Easter. On my
arrival, I passed through downtown,
with streets and parks crowded with
Ticos (local slang for Costa Ricans) celebrating a holiday weekend for the
Virgin, a lively affair in this land of
Catholic faithful.
OCTOBER 2008
Fifteen minutes outside San Jose’s
busy downtown you’ll find the leafy,
tranquil Rohrmoser neighborhood,
home to Colours Oasis Resort (NW
corner, Boulevard Rohrmoser; Colours
oasis.com), San Jose’s only exclusively
gay, full-service resort. James Remes, a
pioneer in the promotion of Costa Rica,
has operated Colours for two decades.
This boutique hotel attracts guests
from all over the world. The staff here is
fluent in English, French, and Spanish,
and they offer Spanish classes, too.
They can arrange local tours for guests,
while a computer station and wi-fi
access throughout the complex will
keep you in touch. Beyond their own
great facilities – which include a Spanish-style courtyard, pool, and hot tub –
Colours is a good first-stop resource.
Casa 69 (69 Calle 25), another local
gay-friendly hotel, will satisfy the
budget minded. Eating out and doing
the downtown scene is a breeze from
their buildings on two sides of a small
street near the National Museum. Affable German owner Kurt keeps the rates
low, beer flowing, and entertainment
hopping. There’s a new jacuzzi, rooms
with private baths and all the amenities, plus wi-fi throughout.
The Fountains (FountainsGuesthouse.com), just 15 minutes from
downtown in the exclusive Escazu area,
also focuses on nature with decorative
and sonorous fountains in every room.
Owner and San Diego, California,
native Vicki proclaims Mi casa es su
casa, and is an expert about area
adventures. Officially a mixed property,
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Fountains often seems exclusively gay.
Their drivers and mini tour bus take
guests on day trips such as to Mount
Poas (the active volcano nearby) excursions into town, or to outlying jungle
reserves.
Hotel Kekoldi (Calles 5-6, Avenida
9) is a downtown hotel with private
secluded gardens in Barrio Amón, close
to points of tourist interest in the city.
They have 10 comfortable rooms and
very reasonable rates.
Orquideas Inn (Orquideasinn.com)
in Alajuela, just 10 minutes from the
airport, is yet another comfortable and
friendly option.
Nightlife
Heading out on the town, have your
hotel call a taxi, the recommended mode
of travel after dark in downtown San Jose.
Fares are cheap, but be sure they
have a meter or set the price in advance
– or risk paying more. For those who
like to walk or cruise at night, enjoy
Parque Nacional, a hustler pick-up
area (Avenidas 1 y 3, calles 15-19), or
evenings in Sabana Park. Needless to
say, caution is advised. The law in Costa
Rica requires you to carry at least a
photocopy of your passport, including
entry stamp, at all times. Most hotels
provide this service during check-in.
San Jose’s gay nightlife is diverse,
and busy. There are many bars and
clubs gay men and lesbians frequent,
some ostensibly straight. It’s the fashion with upscale locals to be “out” but
still somewhat on the down low.
For a real “gay” club, a first stop
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Roadside fruit sellers
Leo, Pedro, &
Roberto of Colours
might be host Marla Cartier’s campy
drag show at Puchos (Calle 11, Avenida
8). After a good dose of deranged lipsynch, out come the hot male dancers
to strut their stuff on the large stage
flanking the dance floor.
Costa Rica’s largest gay discotheque
Avispa (Calle Primera, Avenida 8 y 10)
was opened by Anna Berger almost
three decades ago when being gay was
legally questionable and raids were
common. Avispa (“wasp”) gets packed,
with everyone dressed to party.
Other popular night spots aren’t far
away. Bochinche (Calle 11, Avenida 10)
is a fashionable and lively video and
show bar. Club Oh (Calle 2, Avenidas
14-16) has a cute and upscale dance
crowd, mostly boys and men, a huge
stage for drag and dance acts, and a
sleek VIP bar. Al Despiste (50 meters
west of Universal Zapote) is another gay
spot open Wednesdays to Sundays with
Saturday go-go boys and music for
dancing.
Eating out
Cafe Mundo (Calle 15, Avenida 9),
in the historic Amón-Otoya district, is
a long-time favorite in San Jose with a
lively mixed crowd of all kinds and a
loyal gay following. Fresh fish and
healthy salads highlight the menu,
offering typical Tico fare.
Barcelona, a new and popular restaurant, just around the corner from Colours,
20
serves until 11 p.m. The pasta and ceviche
(delicious citrus-marinated seafood) here
is excellent and inexpensive.
In the same big block as Colours,
Yetsy is a sports bar and open-air
restaurant serving food and drinks until
11 p.m. (In the same block is a good
pharmacy run by helpful expat Americans who can fill U.S. prescriptions and
fix you up with a good doctor should
you need one.)
Steam and more
San Jose has three gay saunas.
Sauna Hispalis (Avenida 2, #1762),
near Casa 69, boasts a new pool and
spa and is crowded with hot men.
Sauna Paris, (Calle 7, Avenida 7) is
near the Hotel Holiday Inn downtown.
A short walk from here is an interesting
brothel at Hotel Nury. Prostitution
being legal in Costa Rica, this venue features guys offering “massage” for $20.
Another sauna near Parque Musical
is the Delfos (Paseo de los Estudiantes),
with dry and steam sauna, jacuzzi, and
more, open daily from 1 p.m. (11:30
a.m. weekends) until 2 a.m.
Beyond San Jose
Once clear of San Jose’s traffic, one
is soon surrounded by wild nature and
wonders to behold driving in central
and southern parts of the country. At
Cartago, the old capital, two cathedrals
draw tourists: one a 500-year-old ruin,
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the victim of several earthquakes, the
other famous for an “appearance” of
the Virgin that still draws millions of
pilgrims seeking healing.
Meandering into the mountains you
may lunch at Mirador Del Valle, a
mountaintop restaurant in Alajuela.
Here there’s also a jungle canopy park
– you can get shackled up in a gizmo to
zip through the jungle canopy with
ropes and pulleys. It’s exhilarating,
without requiring too much cojones!
In the high plains of central Costa
Rica there are great expanses of sugar
cane and pineapple plantations. This
contrasts with the dense tropical forests
surrounding Las Aguas Jungle Lodge
(LasAguas.com). This is a first-class, yet
affordable retreat with three guest
suites and several more rooms in a
large villa. Surrounding are mountains
with old-growth trees and the not-soquiet howls of animal life. There are
horseback and hiking trails here, and
skinny dipping opportunities under a
pristine waterfall a few minutes’ stroll
from the main house. A quick drive to
town for dinner might be followed by a
movie at Las Aguas’s in-house theater
before wrapping up with midnight
cocktails or a few laps in the pool under
a clear starlit sky. Rooms are like suites,
with large walk-in bath/shower rooms,
a sitting room with a mini-bar, and furnishings of local hardwoods, fully open
to vistas of surrounding wilderness.
OCTOBER 2008
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Out in San Jose
Wez at
Colours
Beach time
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Jerry & Christian
of Makanda
OCTOBER 2008
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COSTA RICA
Fountains’s
Christian
& Vicki
Aida of Calathea
22
The road to Las Aguas is being resurfaced and enlarged, so regular vehicles
will soon arrive more easily.
Monte Azul (Monteazulcr.com) is a
mountain retreat in Cartago, 23 kilometers from San Jose, where each suite
is a mini art gallery. Randy and his partner Carlos built it from an old coffee
plantation, near the highest point in
Costa Rica, Mt. Chirripo (over 12,500
feet). Located in the Talamanca Mountains, they boast a state-of-the art
printing press and artists in residence.
Near perfect year-round temperatures
encourage lush vegetation in a multitude of microclimates.
If you can, arrive at Calathea Lodge
in Golfito (Calathealodge.com) in time
for spectacular organic-food meals prepared by Aida, chef and one of the
owners. Cloudless sunsets, the nearly
fluorescent green of jungle glistening
from afternoon rains, Coto Valley, and
Baru Volcano are sights to behold here.
Dinner is served on freshly-washed
banana leaves and might feature succulent steaks and fresh vegetables from
their own farm. Aida is also an expertly
trained masseur, and her partner
Gabriella, who heads the local tourist
board, is a wealth of information.
Cabins have bathrooms, AC or fans,
and satellite TV and along their hiking
trail may be seen scores of species of
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birds and amphibians, and Amorfo
butterflies. A nearby jungle park has
idyllic pools with waterfalls and swimming, some further into the jungle,
accessible to visitors on horseback.
Located nine kilometers south of
Dominical in Puerto Cito, Cuna Del
Angel (Cunadelangel.com) is a mixed
but gay-friendly accommodation with a
great ocean view, an infinity pool, fullservice spa, gorgeous gardens, and elegant suites – each named for an angel.
Lunch is served in their open-air restaurant and the rich dessert of homemade
pineapple ice cream is recommended.
More affordable jungle lodge rooms a
few minutes’ walk from the main building hark back to an older era.
Funky little drive-up beaches near
Dominical invite a stop before setting
out on the long coast road separating
southern beaches of Puntarenas from
the tourist town of Manuel Antonio.
This largely unpaved road (Route 34)
can slow cars to a crawl at times, but
difficulties navigating its gravel winding roads are tempered by views at
every turn. A three-hour trip will soon,
with pavement coming, shrink to one.
Manuel Antonio & area
The town of Manuel Antonio lies just
south of the larger Quepos. Two local
airlines offer short flights to and from
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San Jose: Nature Air, the world’s first
carbon-neutral airline, and Sansa. Alternately you can rent a car, or take a shuttle bus, which your hotel can arrange,
from San Jose. It takes over four hours
with stops at several beach communities further north, but costs less than
half the price of a $60 to $75 flight.
My arrival at Villa Roca (Villa
roca.com) was timed perfectly to enjoy
their pool bar’s 4 p.m. opening, after
people return from the beach or other
outdoor activities. Duly impressed with
Villa Roca’s famed infinity pool, beautifully set in their tropical garden, I fell
in with guys visiting from New York,
Dallas, and Paris who were all in party
mode. Breakfast here is elaborately
hearty and delicious. Their full-amenity
rooms (including internet access) overlook the Pacific Ocean and nearby rain
forests.
La Hacienda (Lahaciendacr.com) is
a local gay-favored restaurant where
Bill and Tracy sponsor a popular
monthly fundraising chili cook-off. La
Hacienda is known for their Cuban
chef’s high quality fresh fish and game,
plus their tasty tropical cocktails and
excellent service.
Another gay-welcoming restaurant
is Salsipeudes (that is, “leave, if you
can”). Michael, a Tico, and his Argentine partner Marcella offer homemade
local dishes and tapas at reasonable
prices. Manuel Antonio is generally not
cheap so it’s nice to have such an
affordable, but romantic option, with
one of the best views in town of the sun
setting into the Pacific.
Barba Roja and El Avión are two
more dining choices on the water side
of the street. El Avión, next door to Villa
Roca, really has an old airplane on the
premises. The nachos and coconut
margaritas at Barba Roja’s new oceanfront bar are not to be missed.
The newest place for great food and
atmosphere is the gay-owned Latin
Lounge, with scrumptious fresh fish
burritos, served with “dish” by friendly
waiter Jim.
Speaking of “dish,” check out
Playita, Manuel Antonio’s infrequently
OCTOBER 2008
The Costa Rica you imagine
the
falls
at manuel antonio
fallsresortcr.com
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published, but informative, gay-zine.
Gente 10 (Gente10.com) has a
directory of bars and other gay businesses, plus a useful map of San Jose.
The town of Quepos, just 15 minutes or so to the north, is a good place
to visit for shopping on a cloudy day.
Here you’ll find two tour companies
with gay outdoor adventures: Canopy
Safari and Amigo Tours.
La Playita, the gay beach in Manuel
Antonio, is still fun in spite of a new
hotel nearby. Rumors that things
weren’t as frolicksome or as clothingoptional anymore proved, thus far,
unfounded. Ticos and tourists enjoy
antics on the beach – all without harassment from the friendly hotel guards.
For luxury lovers, The Falls (Falls
resortcr.com), formerly the exclusively
gay La Plantacion, is a boutique hotel
resort, with sloping pool, luscious tropical vegetation, a waterfall, and lavishly
appointed rooms and suites. Three
luxury tree houses are planned to overlook the jungle and creeks at the back.
Tutu, the closest thing to a gay club in
town, is conveniently next door.
Two other hotels here offer good
views of the water and easy beach
access. Hotel Casablanca (Hotelcasablanca.com) – with two pools,
pleasant grounds, and a gayer clientele
– is the more affordable option of the
two and is located on the main street to
the gay beach.
Hotel Makanda by the Sea
(Makanda.com) is more secluded, and
boasts an infinity pool and jacuzzi surrounded by an outdoor restaurant,
Sunspot, whose purple dining tents contrast with vivid greens of the abundant
wild flora. Six fully equipped villa rooms
and five studios come with all amenities
standard. The impressive lunch at the
poolside restaurant is open to the public.
For a relaxing après-beach treat, consider a deep therapeutic massage right in
your room. A call to Todd Massage (5062847-2010) can put this certified and talented Buffalo native to work; service is
professional, but informal and relaxed.
Points north and east
Other Costa Rica destinations
include the Arenal Volcano area where
the lava still flows, home to Palo Verde
Resort, a gay-owned hotel with the bar
Bambu Room (Bamburoom.com).
They host action-packed gay parties
each month, famed throughout gay
Costa Rica.
On the East Coast, in Puerto Viejo,
near Limón, there’s a gay-owned hotel
called Banana Azul (BananaAzul.com).
Owned by Colin, a friendly Canadian, it
has 12 rooms and suites, including a
beach house for rent. There are many
outdoor adventures in this largely
“undiscovered” area, including great
snorkeling and botanical garden tours.
Colin can direct guests to the restaurants and shops in the neighboring
beach town of Puerto Viejo, as well as
other easily accessible, unspoiled
beaches with names like Playa Negra,
Playa Chiquita, and Monkey Point.
Other gay-friendly scenes include
Tropical St. Tropez (Tropical
Stropez.com) in Guanacaste, Laz Divas
in Playa Samara, and Hotel Bulabula
(Hotelbulabula.com) in Playa Grande
on the Pacific Northwest coast – great
for surfers. ▼
ROMANCE IN NATURE FOR DISCERNING ADULTS
Hotel,
Villas and Studios
COSTA RICA
Manuel Antonio, Quepos
Poolside Restaurant
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OCTOBER 2008