Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This beach also happens to be a protected nesting site for leatherback, olive ridley, hawks-
bill and black turtles, and is officially known as
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre
Camaronal
( 8am-6pm)
. Nearby hotels and tour operators such as Carrillo Tours can
make arrangements for nighttime turtle tours.
Playas Corzalito
and
Bejuco
to the south of Punta Islita are both backed by mangrove
swamps, and offer good opportunities for bird- and wildlife-watching.
Islita is a pretty little town centered on a church and a soccer field, spruced up by art-
work. The place looks unexpectedly prosperous, thanks to the efforts of the Hotel Punta Is-
lita, which channels funding into the local community. Case in point:
Museo Islita
(
8am-4pm Mon-Sat)
, an imaginative contemporary art house crusted with mosaic murals, and
featuring carvings and paintings that adorn everything from houses to tree trunks. Worth a
peek.
The hotel's most recent sustainability project is a partnership with the
Ara Project
(
www.thearaproject.org
)
, a local NGO dedicated to the conservation of Costa Rica's two spe-
cies of macaw: the great green macaw and the scarlet macaw. Thanks to the hotel's dona-
tion, the Ara Project has opened a new breeding center in Islita, as well as an education
and viewing center, Lapa Lookout, where guests can learn more.
Sleeping & Eating
You can camp on the beaches (without facilities) if you have a vehicle and are self-suffi-
cient. Aside from the resort, there is one
soda
, a
pulperÃa
and not much else.
Hotel Punta Islita
RESORT
( 2231-6122;
www.hotelpuntaislita.com
; d incl breakfast from US$258; )
The hotel is on a hilltop, and has 57 fully equipped rooms with staggering ocean views. (If
you spring for a suite, you'll enjoy this view from a private outdoor Jacuzzi.) The infinity
pool and surrounding grounds are stunning. The amenities onsite do not stop, including a
full-service spa, a beach club with a sunken pool bar and lounges on a rolling lawn.
This luxury resort serves as an example of how to ethically operate a hotel. In addition
to implementing sustainability measures and organizing community arts projects, it
sponsored the construction of various public buildings, including the village church (which
hosts many destination weddings, so that was a win-win).
