Close the Doors After Me

There is a common expression in Costa Rica among those of us who have chosen it as our new home, "Close the doors after me." Costa Rica has a lot going for it, but many wonderful little details of a country that once, perhaps, had its own identity, slowly fade away with the arrival of more and more developments and resorts to accommodate the hoards of people wanting their own little bit of "paradise."

When we first visited Costa Rica, we toured around different areas and marveled at how unspoiled everything was. In six short years we have noticed more and more construction going on as we revisit beaches and tucked away towns. Places that once seemed impossibly far away from it all, have transformed into where it all is. It is sadly inevitable. We are happy to have at least seen it the way it was.

One of the first vacations we took after moving to Costa Rica was along the Pacific coast and down to a tiny little town in Nicoya called Naranjo. From there, we took the ferry across the Gulf of Nicoya to Puntarenas. It is a beautiful trip. Just recently, we were graciously invited to spend the weekend in a lovely condo right in Naranjo. As we planned our little trip, I pondered revisiting a place where hardly anything used to be, and imagined how it must be wildly developed like many other places.

Much to my great surprise and pleasure, aside from a few rooftops that I don't recall having seen from the ferry before, the area has remained largely untouched. Once we settled in and had a nice dip in the pool, we decided to drive South, down the Peninsula. Seeing the typical little fishing villages dotted along the coast was like a breath of fresh air. We were able to see, once again, the Costa Rica that we found when we arrived. One that revolved around a simple life, sustained by fishing and agriculture.

I highly recommend a visit to this area for anyone wanting to get a glimpse of the real Costa Rica. The views are incredible, and the towns, totally Tico, precious. I will say, that the roads have improved 100% since the first time we visited. Perhaps the global economy has held off an explosion of development in this area. For what it is worth, I am very happy to have been able to have seen it myself. While it is naive to expect that it will always stay so pristine, I can only hope that everyone passing through the open doors to a new life in Costa Rica, will tread lightly.