When I am out and wandering about, I am always on the lookout for great places to stay. I look for quaint, cozy, clean and safe accommodations that put me near my favorite destinations, and I value personalized service and caring hosts at places I visit and stay. Check out my list, and if you wind up at one of my favorites, tell them the Gypsy Muser sent you!
WASHINGTON:
FORKS, WA (Near La Push, Rialto Beach, and many other Olympic Peninsula destinations)
Quillayute River Resort http://www.qriverresort.com
A small family run hotel, with only six units. This charming, riverside inn was formerly a deserted fisherman’s resort, and the current owners have completely remodeled and landscaped. The result is a quiet, peaceful garden setting, overlooking the Quillayute River. A great home-base for kayaking the river, visiting the ocean beaches at La Push and Rialto, and hiking the trails from Mora campground in the Olympic National Park. The hosts, Linda and Chip Keen, are incredibly gracious and accommodating. The units are spotless, cozy and well-appointed. (I have stayed in three of the six units, and they were all wonderful.) Fall asleep to the soft sounds of fishing boats on the river, wake up to crystal clear air and calling birds.
BAHAMAS:
Pete’s Pub http://www.petespub.net
A fun place to eat, swim, chill, drink and play games, right on idyllic Little Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas. Includes a funky gallery and gift shop with local art and fun tee-shirts. A great little hideaway to while away the afternoon.
Pineapples Bar & Grill, Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas (find it on Facebook)
From Abaco, walk on for a short ferry ride to Green Turtle Cay Marina, where you can rent a golf cart to navigate the picturesque island. Explore flowered lanes and historic cemeteries on the way to Pineapples, where you can casually dine poolside, hop out of the pool to beachcomb, and spend a glorious day relaxing in the sun.
CANADA:
Ucluelet, B.C. (West coast of Vancouver Island)
Wya Point Resort http://www.wyapoint.com
Quintessential West Coast, this resort has a wide array of accommodations. The Ucluelet First Nation tribe used their lump sum payment from the government to create a sustainable eco resort experience on the site of an ancient village. The camp sites that border the shore are tucked back into the trees, so when you are on the beach, you feel that you are alone, but most sites have an ocean view, framed by old growth evergreens and native shrubs, and access to the rocky beach. The yurts have several communal firepits on the beach, and close access to the shower and restroom facilities. Newly added lodges are post and beam gems, with fireplaces, carved totem poles, and views of and access to a private beach that is postcard pretty. Bears wander through the area, feasting on crab remains thrown on the beach, wandering down the dirt road at dusk, and occasionally taking a nibble from unsecured coolers. (A sturdy shed is provided for proper storage of coolers and food items) The absence of light pollution makes for wondrous star-gazing at night, and a short hike down the beach and a scramble over some boulders takes you to a tide pool like you have never seen before…it is large enough to tempt one to make like a mermaid and slip in. I have spent long afternoons sitting on the rocks in the sun, watching the waves crash over the edge and swirling the seaweed in the pool, and lying with my face inches above the water, watching the activity below the surface. The village of Ucluelet, just a few minutes south, has great restaurants, shops and a good size grocery/variety store, and a busy harbor with a fishing fleet and tour boats. Ride bikes, take a whale watching tour, look for bears from the observation deck at the hatchery, take a one- or multi-day kayak trip to the Broken Group Islands (I love Majestic Ocean Kayaking, http://www.oceankayaking.com/), hike the many wild Pacific coast beaches and old growth forest trails, or drive the short distance to Tofino for more fun.
COSTA RICA:
Pura Vida Resort and Spa http://www.puravidaspa.com
A gated, mountaintop retreat, with incredible spaces for yoga, meditation, soaking in the hot tub or pool, and gazing over the horizon to the lush green mountains. In the afternoons, the mist rises from the valley, and you feel magically embraced by nature. The spa has a full menu of choices, and I think I tried them all, including a nasal flushing with sesame oil, and Watsu massage in a private pool. My room was a private cabana with an outdoor shower, a balcony overlooking the valley, and fresh fruit every day. The meals are served in a community dining room that overlooks the undulating hills covered with coffee plants, and served the best Costa Rica rice and beans I have ever had. Close proximity to San Juan, and within easy driving distance to Cloud Forest zip lines, the La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, the volcano park, and world-class river rafting. I went out the gate and across the lane for a solo hike in the hills, and the wide, grassy lanes meandering through the coffee fields went up and down through river valleys, past waterfalls and sections of jungle, and it was one of the best hikes of my life.
Finca Exotica EcoLodge http://www.fincaexotica.com
A gem of a resort, deep in the Osa Peninsula. The property spans from the beach at the wild Pacific coastline, up into the steep, jungled hills, with an organic farm in the space between. We stayed in an open air, two-story bamboo hut (Casa Raiz), high on the mountain, with views of nothing but jungle and ocean. There were hammocks, an outdoor shower, and mosquito-net draped beds. We went to sleep with the sounds of the jungle, and woke up at dawn to howler monkeys. We were lucky enough to be there during the full moon and the Halloween moon crab breeding season (Gecarcinus quadratus), and at night, there was a ghostly parade of brilliant purple and orange crabs on the jungle trails, all making their way to the ocean to release their eggs. Between yoga sessions, we rode horses on the beach past crocodile lagoons, played in the waves with flying manta rays just offshore, and hiked the beach to the Corcovado National Park, encountering giant sea turtles digging their nests along the way. There is a tiny airstrip within walking distance, where we chartered a small plane to fly us to the mountain unit of the Park, where we hiked the jungle trails and saw monkeys, tapirs and crocodiles. The common room, the Casa Grande, is a magical gathering place for meals, music, and camaraderie. One evening after dinner and a spectacular rain storm, a giant tree in the valley below the Casa Grande came alive with the fairy lights of click beetles, and it was better than Main Street in Disneyland, natural and awe-inspiring. A gracious and patient staff, delicious food, and remote and unspoiled setting makes it the ultimate place to unplug and commune with nature. A cold outdoor shower, overlooking the jungle, with butterflies in the morning and click beetles for company at night, was a refreshing way to start and end each day.
Ojo del Mar Ecolodge http://www.ojodelmar.com
Another incredible place on the Osa Peninsula, not as remote as Finca Exotica. We stayed in another open, two-story bamboo cabina, on a lush, landscaped property with a zen-like feeling, dotted with ponds, fountains and sculptures. The Casa Grande was open and inviting, with comfortable furniture, candles everywhere, and delicious food served family-style. The grounds abound with birds and monkeys, and we returned from a meal one day to find a coati rummaging through the open bathroom, inspecting the toothpaste and performing trapeze tricks from the bamboo rafters. We had arrived by taxi, so we walked everywhere…a long beach walk brought us to another resort, where we rented surfboards, ate lunch poolside, and chatted with the locals. A short walk down the road from Ojo del Mar there is an eclectic open-air bar and restaurant that served great tacos and cold cervezas, and the owner’s dogs served as company. The owner is a transplanted German, and she rode around the roads on a quad, with her dog, Ringo Star, on board. A short walk down the road from Ojo del Mar delivered us to a local tour company that operates out of their home (psychotours.com), where they welcome you like family, then you walk up the road right into the jungle for a waterfall hike, where tiny shrimp nibble at your toes, and Strangler Fig tree climbing. Sampled a tree termite straight from its tree nest (sort of minty/piney tasting) The beach is rocky and interesting, the locals friendly, and the outdoor showers have hot water…a great place to feel like you are roughing it, without really roughing it.
Agua Dulce Beach Resort http://www.aguadulceresort.com
A low-key resort, minutes from the Puerto Jimenez airport, that makes a great transition to the more rural resorts on the Osa Peninsula. We stayed here for two days upon arriving in Puerto Jimenez, and for one day before leaving the Peninsula. Though close to the airport (which is so small, you are sure the pilot will take out trees on the descent to the runway), it feels far away, and has a broad, quiet beach, a lovely pool, and an open-air restaurant and bar that overlooks the pool, grounds and beach. Any beach with ghost crabs can keep me occupied for hours. You don’t need to leave the resort, but we did rent bikes and toured the countryside one afternoon, and went on a sunset kayak cruise in Golfo Dulce, where we were entertained by phosphorescence and dolphins. The food was good, the rooms were spotless, and after the bamboo huts and hot nights in the jungle, the air-conditioned rooms were heavenly. We booked the Beachfront Bungalow, which was spacious and comfortable. The resort has a loyal following of repeat customers, mostly from the States, and they are welcoming and eager to share their knowledge of Costa Rica.
Pura Vida Hotel http://puravidahotel.com
An oasis just minutes from the San Jose Airport. During the taxi drive, we wondered if we were being taken to the wrong place…it had come so highly recommended, but we began to get nervous about the surrounding area. When we arrived, we were very pleasantly surprised. The hotel grounds are surrounded by a wall, and the gardens are full of orchids and amazing trees. Nhi, the proprietor, is a gourmet cook, and we were amazed at both dinner and breakfast. We had a short stay, just one night, before our flight from San Jose to Seattle, but the central location allowed us to squeeze in a zoo outing before our flight. Peaceful setting, delicious food, and gracious hospitality.
