Just Another Day at the Office

I’m not a health nut, but I love steak and beer, so I decided to jog from my hotel to Playa Avellanas to watch the sunset. After a full day of inspecting million-dollar homes, soaking in the sun poolside, and enjoying fresh mahi-mahi fillets, a little exercise was in order, both to offset my diet and to allow for a little contemplation.

The howler monkeys lined the road, cheering me on with deep whoops as they rose from their midday slumber. I’m not a biologist, but here at Hacienda Pinilla, the reforestation efforts that include planting 80,000 native-species trees annually are paying off. On either side of the 32 kilometers of road that wind through this 4,500-acre development, workers are creating a 30-meter buffer zone of these species as a type of biological corredor alongside the human corridor. Environmental work at Pinilla epitomizes the dramatic transformation that tourism has had in Guancaste. Whereas government programs forty years ago encouraged leveling the forest in favor of cattle farms, the eco-tourism boom has helped reverse that trend, changing Costa Rica into a country that has actually increases its forest cover annually over the last decade. Thus, alongside the rich baritone of the howlers, parakeets, myriad insects and other creatures that I couldn’t identify sang a chorus of rejuvenation and nature.

Arriving at Playa Avellanas, I passed the new Beach Club that is two weeks away from its grand opening. This building is an elegant of the Spanish-colonial architecture that prevails thoughout Pinilla. I’m not a surfer, but I can understand why they call this point Little Hawaii. The pounding surf forms formidable waves that curl into barrels that attarct surfers from around the globe. The sun was setting, back lighting the breaking waves like a light behind a swimsuit model’s wind-blown hair, painting the ocean with a golden brush and emanating a sepia glow, like living in a scene from Eternal Summer.

I headed back before darkness fell, passing manicured gardens, expansive estates and houses that I had only previously seen in magazines. I’m not a millionaire, but I understand why they are attracted to Pinilla. The low-density construction and reforestation efforts make every property seem like a private hacienda, within a community of private haciendas.

I am hungry, however. It’s dinner time, and I’ve had a look at the menu. I think I’ll have the steak, to go along with my beer.

Share It