ON LOCATION LAND AND
ON LOCATION LAND AND SEAS From left: poolside at Pasha Beachfront Estate; surfing at Pasha; a seafood dish at Casa Lamia © CAYUGA COLLECTION Also on Nicoya is Pasha Beachfront Estate (pasha.cr), which opened last year as part of the Cayuga Collection, which operates five other luxury hotels in Costa Rica. Pasha is a 4ha private luxury estate with more than 1,400 square metres of private living space and 200 metres of pristine private beachfront on Playa Hermosa. Comprising a luxurious fourbedroom house and three two-bedroom villas, it also includes a staff of 19, who take care of everything from cooking to housekeeping to security. One of the country’s newest hotels is Botánika Osa Peninsula, Curio Collection by Hilton (hilton.com), which offers some of the region’s best sportfishing, thanks to its proximity to Crocodile Bay Marina, along with guided rainforest hikes, zipline tours, snorkelling and access to the Botánika Science and Nature Center. The 44-room resort has four drinking and dining outlets, a lagoon-style swimming pool, spa and manicured gardens across some of the resort’s eight hectares. This summer, Nicoya will gain Habitas Santa Teresa (ourhabitas.com), the sustainabilityfocused brand’s first property in Costa Rica. Tucked into a private beachfront inside verdant jungle, the eco-sustainable retreat will feature rooms that blend seamlessly into the environment with minimal disruption, built from local and ethically sourced organic materials. Designed to embrace Santa Teresa’s laid-back surfer lifestyle, the 45 earth-inspired rooms and 10 luxury tents will be hidden under palm trees and greenery, steps away from white sand beaches and longbreaking waves. © CAYUGA COLLECTION 66 NetJets
DINING WORTH A DETOUR Two recent restaurant openings in the country are worth seeking out. If you arrive or leave from the capital city of San José, book a table at the plant-filled DOMA ESCALANTE (domaescalante. com), which offers a fine dining French-inspired menu made with local ingredients by the English chef Richard Neat. Located in a beautifully remodeled historic house in the vibrant neighbourhood of Barrio Escalante, Doma Escalante also houses the atelier of owners and designers Óscar “Toribio” Hernández and Donato Morales of sustainable fashion brand TORIBIO & DONATO (toribiodonato.com). The restaurant features art from the personal collection of Hernández and a stunning flower shop. Over on the central Pacific coast in the beach town of Manuel Antonio, local chef Lamia Funti introduced CASA LAMIA (casa-lamia.com) in December. Perched on a hilltop with incredible sunset views, the restaurant offers tapas and pinxos and a raw bar (including vegan ceviche), plus entrees that focus on locally caught seafood like fish of the day in a sugar cane reduction, as well as dishes with a more global influence such as flatbreads and a Cajun lobster broil. Casa Lamia also has weekend brunch and offers romantic picnics on the beach. © CASA LAMIA NetJets 67
