Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/162438
I 've hotels around the world, but I've never needed a life jacket, helmet or paddle to get to a check-in desk before. Yet travelling via raft on the whitewater Pacuare River is the only way for guests of remote Pacuare Lodge to reach their destination. My guide Jorge assures me that if the raft flips, there will be no reason to panic (easy for him to say), and then we push off from the polished-pebble bank. "This is no ordinary river," he informs me proudly. "It's one of the great rafting rivers on earth." And with that, we venture into the heart of Costa Rica, one of the last great wild places on the planet. Not only is this country stunning – as I'm able to discern once our group of three gets the hang of navigating the rapids – it's also one of the most conservation-oriented in the world. With good reason: while Costa Rica is a mere speck of land, covering only 0.03 per cent of the earth's surface, more than 500,000 unique plant and animal species (that's four per cent of all life) are found here. In addition to Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, and a spine of tall mountains, the country's borders harbour more than 70 lizard, 120 snake and 890 bird species, along with crocodiles, vampire bats and monkeys – and (though more difficult to spot) tapirs, deer and jaguars. It's no wonder this is an eco-tourism hot spot. And while the rest of the world is struggling just to recycle bottles, Costa Rica is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2021. With 80 per cent of its electricity already originating from sustainable sources, it's well on track. There are four popular eco-tourist areas in the country, mostly preserved through splendid isolation. Tortuguero National Park, on the far-north Caribbean coast and home to thousands of endangered turtles, can be reached only by small boat. Monteverde Cloud Forest (famous for strange orchids and stranger birds) is perched high among the cumulonimbi in the northwest and accessed by four-wheel drive. The third, the Arenal Volcano, in the northern lowlands, is accessible by car. The fourth, of course, is the Pacuare River. "Left, back!" shouts Jorge. It's my cue to paddle backward to prevent us from broadsiding a slab of rock. We careen past towering, moss-softened canyons, as unseen monkeys screech from the treetops. After a few more hours of spray-soaked, rock-dodging fun, we arrive at Pacuare Lodge, my home for the next three days. The resort lies beyond the rain shadow of the Cordillera de Talamanca mountains, east of the capital, San José, toward the Caribbean coast. The hub of the resort is a two-storey restaurant and lounge overlooking the river. >> stayed in my fair share of 22 w e s t w o r l d p20-25_Costa_Rica.indd 22 fa l l 2 0 1 3 (clockwise from left) Rafting the Pacuare River; a honeymoon suite at Pacuare Lodge; scarlet macaws inhabit the country's forests; pool area at Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens; zip-lining over dense forest; tasty bounty at Pacuare Lodge. A smattering of private villas is scattered among the trees, through which floats a confetti of iridescent butterflies. My room, a short walk through an Avatar-like landscape, is breezy and open-plan, with a net-draped bed, polished hardwood floors and a clawfoot tub with a river view. Outside there's a natural-stone freshwater plunge pool, expansive deck and outdoor solar-heated shower. The only thing missing is electricity. After a brief moment of First World panic, I realize all I need is candlelight (amply supplied) and a book. The thick timbers and screened walls frame a view of the treetops, which are atwitter with hummingbirds and twitching with insects. When evening falls, we guests head with moth-like predictability toward the electric glow of the lounge for cocktails and to trade stories of zip-lining, rafting and hiking – just three of the adventures the resort organizes for guests. The following morning, I take a tour with Andreas, Pacuare's general manager, to see first-hand the extent of the environmental credentials that have earned the lodge five (rafting, suite, food) courtesy Pacuare Lodge 13-08-19 9:09 AM