During Costa Rica’s busy December to April high season, guests who spend a night or two at Dominical’s Costa Paraíso Lodge probably won’t hear owner Desiree Kantrin’s story.
But in the off season, Kantrin has time to join her guests as they drink coffee on a wide porch overlooking the ocean or stroll on the virtually private beach next to the hotel.
"I learned a new language and started a new life when most people are retiring or going into an old-folks’ home," said Kantrin, who fell in love with the country seven years ago.
Unlike many foreigners who dream of owning a small hotel but don’t know the work it entails, Kantrin had experience in the tourism industry in Canada.
After the death of her husband 10 years ago, she converted their country house on 40 acres in British Columbia into a bed and breakfast. But the upkeep proved too much for her alone.
"I got tired of long winters shoveling snow," she said.
She decided to visit a friend in Costa Rica, and on the way there impulsively got off the bus in Dominical. Kantrin decided immediately that the laid-back fishing village and surfers’ paradise would be her new home.
Kantrin bought an acre and a half of ocean-front property from a Canadian and set out to build a small lodge on her lot. The first three years, she could spend only a few months at a time in Costa Rica, and progress was excruciatingly slow.
"Sometimes as I was riding my bike back to the shack in Dominical where I lived while I supervised the construction, I’d think ‘What am I doing here? Am I nuts?"
Her perseverance paid off: five attractive and comfortable cabins sit on a gently sloping, manicured lawn overlooking the ocean.
The cabins, which sleep two to four people, have French doors that some like to prop open to catch the sea breezes. They have high ceilings, porches, and ceiling fans.
Amenities include hot water, comfortable wicker furniture and screened windows.
The cabins also have fully equipped kitchens, including gas stoves, refrigerators, dishes and pots and pans. There’s plenty of counter space to chop vegetables.
At night, the sound of the ocean’s pounding against the rocks lulls visitors to sleep, and in the morning birdcalls wake them. Costa Paradiso’s beach is much safer than Dominical’s, where strong currents put swimmers at risk.
However, submerged rocks can make swimming at low tide laborious, and guests should ask Kantrin to show them the best swimming spots.
Two guests rooms are in the main building, which includes Kantrin’s living quarters, her office, and breakfast tables only yards from the pounding surf.
"The view is what I like best about living here, and the wildlife," she said.
Sloths and toucans visit the grounds, and about a year and a half ago Kantrin rescued a spectacled owl that had become tangled in barbed wire. After several weeks in her care, it was able to return to the wild.
Every morning, Kantrin wakes up early to take her dogs, Kahlua and China, to the beach where they swim and bark at iguanas hiding high in coconut trees. In the distance, fishing boats head out to sea from the tiny village of Domincalito, and mist hangs over the ocean.
Favorite day trips include paddling with Kayak Joe on sea kayaking trips through a series of rock formations called Las Ventanas (the windows), and a day-long horseback ride to an impressive waterfall with a great swimming hole. Don Lulo, the farmer who runs the horseback riding trip, serves a delicious typical breakfast and lunch to riders at his ranch house.
The closest restaurant is a 10-minute walk along the main highway. Most of Kantrin’s guests come in cars. Those who come by bus take inexpensive taxis to dine out or buy groceries in Dominical.
Kantrin, who grew up near the border between France and Germany, is part of a tight-knit group of expatriates living in and around Dominical. They and their Tico neighbors help each other surmount the challenges of living in the tropics far from a metropolitan center.
The support of friends has been invaluable to Kantrin, who speaks English, Spanish, French and German, and has also lived in Japan and trekked in Nepal.
"You have to be a character to live in Dominical," Kantrin said. "And I’m one too."
Costa Paradiso is two km. south of Dominical. During the high season, cabins cost $72-$83 per night.
Breakfast is available for $4.50 per person. For more information, call 787-0025, e-mail costapar@racsa.co.cr or visit http://worldwideheadquarters/costarica/Dominical
Getting there
Take the Delio Morales bus from the Coca-Cola bus terminal in San José to the central Pacific town of Quepos, then continue toward Uvita. Let the bus driver know where you are going, and he or she will stop right in front of the hotel. The bus leaves San José at 5:30 a.m. and costs ¢1,410. For more information, call 223-5567.
By car take CA-1 (Inter-American Highway) south to San Isidro de El General and follow signs to Dominical. Or try the coastal highway (Costanera) from Quepos. Cross the Dominical Bridge and continue straight for about 2 km. The hotel is off the road on the right.
