Peninsula Papagayo is where the ultrarich go to avoid having to interact with the regular rich.

Peninsula Papagayo

Costa Rica

Some nights on Peninsula Papagayo, on the northern Pacific side of Costa Rica, the moon shone so bright, with so little evidence of human life, that I felt like an interloper just for bearing witness, for breathing through its stillness. Then I would remember how much it cost to be able to look at that moon from this particular part of the world and the poetry was quickly shattered.

If this bio-diverse Central American country has branded itself as a playground for rich North Americans  40 percent of its tourists come from the United States — then Peninsula Papagayo, in the Guanacaste Province, is where the ultrarich go to avoid

having to interact with the regular rich. The 1,400-acre luxury resort area is in a tropical dry forest, 70 percent of which is conserved as open green space. Guard stations and miles of cliffside roads separate its dwellings from any public byway. Lady Gaga rang in the New Year there. A night in a basic room at the Four Seasons, which is part of a development group that controls most properties on the peninsula, would set me back more than my monthly New York City rent. A night at its most expensive estate home goes for $34,500 in peak season.

As a traveler, I am deeply uncomfortable with frills. Our typical family vacation when I was growing up near Santa Fe, N.M., consisted of stuffing a black cargo van with camping gear and driving as far south across the Mexican border as we could before the van broke down.

In this case, though, some frills couldn’t be avoided. I’m on assignment to visit every destination on The Times’s 52 Places to Go in 2018 list, and the entirely private, entirely

exclusive Peninsula Papagayo — not to be confused with the plain old Papagayo region just to the south — came in at No. 20. Beyond the Four Seasons, one can stay in private condos, properties managed by Exclusive Resorts, and the Andaz, the “budget” option, where the cheapest room I could find for a single night came in at $735.


Why you’re going now
Located on the west coast of Costa Rica just two hours drive from the Nicaraguan border, Peninsula Papagayo is a 1,400-acre splendor home to four UNESCO world heritage sites. Then there’s the 11 miles of coastline, seven beaches, and 13 miles of wildlife-frequented trails for hiking and biking. Costa Rica draws visitors to its lush paradise year round, but it’s

the off “green season” (May to November) when you’ll want to make your way here. Short spurts of rain keep the area densely verdant, while the country’s dry high season makes for a hotter visit with parched landscapes. No matter what time you visit, you’ll be getting Papagayo at its best thanks to a recent $100 million investment in the private peninsula, breathing new additions like mountain biking trails, beach clubs, and adventure programming. But don't worry: the new additions on Papagayo won’t spoil the region’s natural life because of an agreement to keep 70% of the land conserved as green space, preserving the priceless biodiversity. There’s room for you and the howler monkeys.

Where you’re staying
There are a few different accommodation options to choose from on the peninsula. Should you choose to make Guanacaste your forever home, you can look into purchasing a custom private estate, oceanfront or ocean view house, luxury condo, or villa. If you and

your bank account are not ready for a full-on real estate plunge, that’s ok, too. You can stay at either the Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo and the recently renovated Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica. Both properties offer environmentally-minded high-end experiences, and both give you access to swim in the gem-toned ocean. (Not just one gem, many gems. The color of the water changes from sapphire to paraiba tourmaline to zircon depending on the time of day, position of the clouds, and number of beachside cocktails you’ve had. It rules.)

What you’re doing
You’ll get the question “what did you do today?” over and over again on Peninsula Papagayo. That’s because while the destination is of course a place for lounging and relaxing, it’s a magnet for adventure-seeking travelers. You’ll want to coordinate at least one experience-of-a-lifetime with the aforementioned Origen Escapes. In addition to the tree

climbing—a surprisingly near-religious experience that teaches you many things, like that the only way you can conquer an overwhelmingly daunting task is to take the first tiny step, or that Leafcutter ants practice agriculture—there are options like taking a speed boat to a super pod of dolphins. The tour company will fly a spotter plane over the ocean to locate the super pod (read: 12,000-15,000 dolphins frolicking and feeding in the wild), then get your dolphin-loving self out there to admire the phenomenon up close. “It’s a whole party,” Sánchez tells you casually. “We explain how

important they are for the whole environment.”

Practical Tips
Renting a car is highly recommended for getting around Costa Rica. Be sure to have tons of runway on your credit card for the $1,500 mandatory deposit, plus the cost of the rental. (I saw an American couple have to walk away carless and spend their vacation on busses

because they didn’t.) If your credit card provides rental insurance, you’ll still need to present a formal letter, in paper form, to the agency to avoid getting charged. Beware potholes and unexpected dirt roads. Always drive in the left lane on a highway to avoid hitting the many cows, pedestrians or cyclists on the right-side shoulder. When home, double check that the massive deposit has been removed.

Its the Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica. so u can travel this place.