New study on "boom and bust" coastal tourism in Costa Rica

The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is releasing today a new study analyzing the “boom and bust” of coastal sun-and-sand resort and real estate development on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. This multi-dimensional study, carried out over two years by some two dozen researchers in Costa Rica and the U.S., is the first comprehensive examination of the growth, trends, and impacts of tourism and tourism-related development along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, with particular focus on the years between 2002 and 2009.

At a press conference today in San Jose, CREST co-directors William Durham and Martha Honey, together with several of the researchers, presented the study’s key findings and policy recommendations. The CREST Co-Directors are also meeting with several top government officials to discuss the key policy recommendations emerging from the study.

Speaking at the press conference, Costa Rica’s former first lady, Margarita Penon, a member of the study’s eleven person Advisory Committee, said that the study’s findings are “critically important to our understanding of the risks that rapid and poorly planned coastal tourism development are posing to our successful model of nature-based ecotourism.” The study compares the increasingly dominant models of coastal and marine tourism – characterized by large resorts, vacation homes (“residential tourism”), and cruise tourism – with Costa Rica’s internationally acclaimed model for high value, nature-based ecotourism.

Over the last decade, Costa Rica’s Pacific coast has become one of the epicenters of rapid beach resort and vacation home development closely tied to the U.S. market. The research traces the origins of this coastal transformation from the 1970s to the present, with particular focus on the real estate and construction boom and bust caused by the international economic crisis.

The research project includes 18 individual studies, written in either English or Spanish, which are posted on the center’s website: www.responsibletravel.org. In addition, CREST is releasing today the Summary Report in English and Spanish, also available online, that pulls together the most salient points from all 18 studies.

Suzuki Strings entertains rural Costa Rica!

The Suzuki Strings Group from Boulder Colorado just completed a whirlwind 9-day tour of rural communities all over Costa Rica. They did two concerts in the Palmichal area, in the hills south of San José. Then they went to Montealto, a forest reserve and lodge near Hojancha, in Guanacaste Province, and performed at the Salón Comunal. They enjoyed a day at beautiful Playa Carrillo as well! Then they were off to La Casona in El Tanque, east of Arenal Volcano. They spent a day in the village of Juanilama, where organic pineapples are grown, and entertained at the local school. Another concert was at the La Fortuna Church. Canopy tours, hot springs and volcano viewing were included in their trip.
Kyra Cruz, director of ACTUAR, wrote to the group after their tour, saying "Thank you for letting us bring the Suzuki Strings to Costa Rica's communities. We heard very nice things about the concerts and I am sure that this was a very rewarding experience for the village children.  I wish we could have more visitors like you in our country!!!"
I invite the 21 Suzuki Strings participants to share their photos and stories here.

Special rice tamales at El Descanso!

At El Descanso they prepared tamales de arroz, a special form of tamales that are used on special occasions. Doña Eulalia, one of the owners of the lodge, took us to the open air cooking area behind the kitchen and showed us how they put raw, seasoned rice and meat in a leaf of the bijagua or calatea plant.
They wrap it all up in a neat little bundle, then put the tamales to boil over an open fire for several hours.
In the US, and in Costa Rica too, tamales are usually made of corn. It's beautiful how the rice expands inside its leafy package during the boiling process to make a delicious treat that was ready for us to eat when we returned from Boruca.

Why The New Key to Costa Rica leaves out the northern Guanacaste beaches

I came across a review of The New Key to Costa Rica at amazon, by a reader named M Seeley. He starts out saying "Be forewarned: this author - a seriously left-wing Socialist Greenie treehugger - has an agenda." and goes on to say:
"If you want to go to Central America and volunteer to dig ditches for the poor, this book is right up your alley. However, if you're looking to go on vacation and relax or see the country instead of seeking some kind of redemption, well you've got your nerve! (LOL). And the author has the gall (in this newest version) to eliminate EVERY hotel (green or not) in the ENTIRE province of Guanacaste because the infrastructure doesn't satisfy her eco requirements. Wow. I guess we won't be helping any poor folks in that area. So... if you looking for info on Flamingo Beach, Playa Hermosa, Coco, or Tamarindo, you're out of luck there." He further states "The author does know Costa Rica well, but It's too bad she couldn't be more objective. Yes, I'm environmentally minded and surely do want to go to eco places, but pretending other places don't exist is just silly."

M Seeley is misinformed. I have good reasons for leaving out the beaches of northern Guanacaste. Here is my reply:

Dear M Seeley,
I'd like to respond to several points in your review of my book, The New Key to Costa Rica, 19th edition.
First of all, Costa Rica's ruling party, Liberación Nacional, is a social democratic party. Why was Costa Rica not at war during the 70's and 80's like the rest of Central America? Because Liberación Nacional nationalized the banks, the telecommunications and electricity systems, insurance, and health care in 1949-50, all as a way of benefiting the population. Thus there were less poverty, better education, and better safety nets in Costa Rica, and a rising middle class. The socialized institutions have now become overly bureaucratic, but they served during the 50's, 60's and 70's to create prosperity and well-being for the Costa Rican people.
Costa Rica's reputation in tourism is built on its "treehugging" policies, with over 25% of the country in some kind of protection. So being green and understanding the value of democratic socialism are consistent with understanding why Costa Rica is what it is today.
Nowhere in my book do I mention volunteering to "dig ditches for poor people". I do try to draw the reader's attention to the network of 30 Costa Rican communities that own their own ecolodges. So rather than the Costa Ricans digging ditches and being gardeners and maids at foreign-owned ecolodges, they have the chance to build and own their own ecotourism businesses. These places are not only stunningly beautiful, but provide the experience of getting to know the people who live in the place you are visiting. Relaxation and adventure are easy to find at these and all destinations mentioned in my book.  Owning their own lodges helps people stay on their land, creates jobs for their families, and helps them preserve their forests, rivers, and traditional culture.
It is erroneous for you to say "And the author has the gall (in this newest version) to eliminate EVERY hotel (green or not) in the ENTIRE province of Guanacaste because the infrastructure doesn't satisfy her eco requirements."
My book has a 44-page chapter on Guanacaste Province, including the southern beaches. I do not include the beaches of northern Guanacaste because there is widespread agreement that the amount of tourism there has outstripped the capacity of the local infrastructure. Local communities have sued Guanacaste hotels because there is not enought water left for residents. Many beaches that formerly received the government's ecological Blue Flag rating have lost it because of high levels of contamination in the water. While this edition was being researched the government had to shut down two hotels in Guanacaste for dumping raw sewage in the sea! If anyone is pretending, it is those who trust that when they take a long luxurious shower or flush a toilet on their relaxing beach vacation, that there exists a water and sewer system that is handling it all in a responsible way. Most successful hotels in Costa Rica have their own septic systems, but there are very few sewage treatment plants. Tourism has developed rapidly, and the infrastructure has not caught up.

My main point is that tourism has a direct effect on the communities you visit. Communities can choose to take responsibility for their relationship with tourism. They can choose to maintain it at a sustainable level, but if they let it get beyond that, they have to pay for appropriate infrastructure.

After 28 years of writing and updating this book, I am saddened to see village after village lose its soul to the monster of mass tourism. I support community tourism because I hope that it can give pristine villages a fighting chance to determine what they want from tourism rather than being overwhelmed by it. The beaches of northern Guanacaste long ago lost any pretense of being Costa Rican. My book is for people who would like to experience Costa Rica while they are there. If they would prefer to relax in an atmosphere that is more like Florida or California, then there are plenty of Costa Rica guidebooks and glossy brochures to meet their needs.
Learn more about my travel planning services at www.keytocostarica.com

Staying at El Descanso

The cabins at El Descanso are made in the traditional style, with thatched roofs. A reforested area beside the cabins creates cool, fresh air that is very relaxing. When we got there, the women of Térraba were making rice tamales, wrapping them in leaves, and putting them to boil on an open fire behind the spacious, open air dining room.
Our guide, Asdrubal Rivas, took us to the village of Boruca, about 18 kilometers (half an hour) away, where we could see how the native brown cotton is spun and dyed with natural pigments. Boruca is also known for their masks of "diablitos", scary spirits which are part of their annual dance, held at the end of December. The Térraba masks feature animals more than spirits.
When we got back to el Descanso, the tamales were ready. What a treat! After that, a gentle swing in one of the hammocks was just the right thing to do.
El Descanso is about 4 kilometers west of the Interamerican highway. The turnoff to the village of Térraba is about 5 minutes by car south of the town of Buenos Aires. Go thorugh the village and turn left at the soccer field. Follow signs to El Descanso. At El Descanso you can learn about how chocolate is processed, then visit the weavers at Boruca, then go to BriBri Pa Kaneblo, about 35 minutes away, to learn more about traditional indigenous life and culture.
Make this experience part of your trip to Costa Rica with a customized itinerary from CONSERVacations, www.keytocostarica.com

El Baile del Toro y de la Mula in the village of Térraba

From December 24 to January 2 each year, the village of Térraba devotes itself to the Dance of the Bull and the Mule. The village stopped doing this traditional festival about 25 years ago because of pressure from churches, but for the last ten years, they have found that the dance gives meaning to their lives and they no longer feel that they have to choose between their churches and their mission to revive their culture.
Each of the young men who perform the dance carve their own masks eah year, and take on the qualities of the animals and spirits that their masks represent.
One of the "grandmothers" of the Térraba oversees the preparation for the dance. The animals and spirits (parrot, goat, jaguar, eagle, boa constrictor, etc) go down to the river in search of the Bull. They drink the sacred chicha. "Everyone is equal when we drink chicha", says Asdrubal Rivera, who is largely responsible for encouraging the young men of the village to revive the celebration. At dusk the dancers sound the conch shell, and they all enter the village and whirl around the Bull, taunting him. He goes after them. Flutes, drums and shouts accompany the dance. The dancers go from house to house, where they eat tamales and drink chicha from 6 until about 10 p.m. each night. The popularity of the celebration has grown so that there are around 50 dancers each night.
You can accompany them as they make their rounds of the village. Contact beatrice@keytocostarica.com (that's me in the photo.

BriBri Pa Kaneblo is one of the best places to learn about Costa Rican indigenous culture. It is a member of ACTUAR, the Costa Rican Rural Tourism Association. They will soon have cabins so that you can stay overnight. Tomorrow we will tell you about El Descanso, in the village of Térraba, about half an hour west of Salitre and BriBri Pa Kaneblo.They do have cabins.

As with most ACTUAR members, it is best to make reservations in advance, and to go with one of ACTUAR's excellent bilingual guides, so that you can really exchange ideas with the people in the communities you are visiting, if you don't speak Spanish.

I can help you plan an itinerary that includes these memorable experiences of Costa Rican indigenous culture. And because BriBri Pa Kaneblo and El Descanso are owned by their communities, you can be sure that your money goes right to the people.

Don Eliecer took us up to a hilltop, the sacred place from which the Salitre BriBri can view the high Talamanca mountains, home to most of the indigenous tribes of Costa Rica,

He took a stick and drew the two triangles that explain the BriBri cosmology, two triangles connected at their bases to form a diamond shape, the two worlds with their different levels of manifestation. Even though the high mountains separate the BriBri of Yorkín and Kekoldi on the Atlantic, from the Salitre BriBri near Buenos Aires, close to the Pacific, they share the same legends and cosmology.

Preserving Costa Rican indigenous culture at BriBri Pa Kaneblo

After we took a turn at using the heavy rock to grind corn, the elders at BriBri Pa Kaneblo took us to a beautiful spot in the forest that has been traditionally used for purification ceremonies, especially for mothers and newborn babies.

BriBri Pa Kaneblo is in the BriBri Salitre Indigenous Territory near Buenos Aires, in Costa Rica's southern zone. When we visited there in February 2010, the elders greeted us in their native language and took us on a walk through their rainforest reserve, telling us the uses of the plants, and showing us native customs along the way.
In order to prove themselves ready for marriage, young men have to find a huge, flat rock for grinding corn, and carry it to their new home.
We all got a chance to grind moist corn kernels on the grinding stone, and got to taste the results of our efforts (the stone is heavy!) after lunch, when we sipped a warm corn atol (corn made into a sweet, soupy porridge).