Diego Guerrero in his cabin at the Latitude 10 hotel overlooking Santa Teresa beach
“You have to leave the kitchen to re-enter it” , He says diego warrior while he takes a pejibaye to his mouth. We just landed in San José, and what better way to start our adventure than by filling our stomachs and exchanging words with the chef of DSTAgE.
That first dinner was enough for his naturalness, his closeness and his 'good vibes' –as they say around here– made Diego Guerrero, yes, the two-starred Basque chef based in Madrid, become, simply –and pleasantly– Diego.
“My dishes are my experiences, my way of seeing life. The more stimuli I receive and the more things that happen to me, the more stories I can tell.” Diego knows what he is talking about. In his passport, countries are accumulated throughout the planet, some of them are even tattooed on his skin.
“People have travel pictures of him as souvenirs. Me, when I see **the mariachi that I did in Mexico, or this balloon (in Chile), or the Ola de Canagua (in Colombia)** I remember the moments I spent in each of those places, of what I felt and the people I was with”, concludes the chef.
Diego next to a Volkswagen van in Santa Teresa
By the way, we are in ** Al Mercat , chef José González's restaurant in Escalante**, one of the liveliest neighborhoods in Chepe – the name by which the locals call the capital.
All the dishes on the table –such as cucumber ceviche with yucca and tapacu or chayote with coconut emulsion and black lemon– they have been made with ingredients from José's farm, who, after studying at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu school and working for several years in France, decided to return to his native Costa Rica to open his own business.
Edgar, our guide, and José, will accompany us during our journey through this land where everyone greets each other with an allefusive “pura vida”. Is there still any question as to why people from all over the world escape to this little piece of paradise? The show has only just begun.
The first stop, how could it be otherwise, is José's farm, on the outskirts of the city. "We are in an edible country," says the Costa Rican chef, who has not stopped picking and savoring fruits and leaves from the moment we set foot on the property.
“People are not aware that he has a treasure in the garden of his house! We are very lucky to live here.”
Diego on the road that leads to Playa Hermosa. He carries a board rented from Cactus Surf Shop, Santa Teresa
"This is kilometer zero taken to the extreme," says Diego. , which has also been encouraged to implement this advanced version of farm-to-table.
Ayote, tomato, avocado, chili, cucumber, cassava, Creole celery, coriander, basil... the vegetable supply is infinite. “For us this is a dream and here it is super internalized, it is a real privilege. They have a true natural pantry” he comments.
Walk around farmer's fairs , which are held in the capital and other locations in the country, is to attend a colorful show of stalls with all kinds of products.
Despite the variety, they all share a very important characteristic: the taste. “Here the strawberries taste like strawberries and the avocados like avocados, a few hours ago they were still in the orchard!” exclaims José.
Orosi market pineapples
It's time to dig a little deeper in this great pantry. After a few kilometers behind the wheel, nature surprises us again with infinite shades of green at the end of each curve.
After making a stop at the Orosi viewpoint and a climb not suitable for those who suffer from vertigo, we arrive at the Finca Agropecuaria Queveri. The door sign couldn't be more illuminating: "Sometimes the most difficult roads lead to the most beautiful places."
And it is that, from here and as far as the eye can see, the world seems much larger, and we infinitely smaller. The Irazú volcano and the Turrialba volcano rise imposingly on the horizon while a hummingbird crosses the postcard to remind us that all this is real, it is alive, and it is our responsibility to keep it that way.
The desire to continue discovering this wonderful country has taken hold of us and jet lag, for once, is on our side and makes us open our eyes at six in the morning.
Mangroves near Puntarenas
After giving a good account of a tasty spotted rooster –the Tico breakfast par excellence, based on rice, beans, pico de gallo, onion and Lizano sauce– we head towards the Gulf of Nicoya, in the province of Puntarenas. It's time to explore from the water.
Navigating between mangroves, deserted beaches and greeting the occasional whale in the distance, we reach the turtle islands (Alcatraz and Tolinga).
There he receives us Bert Cubero , the guardian of this wild corner full of palm trees and bathed by the turquoise waters of the Pacific.
“Here there are no hotels or accommodation of any kind, people come to spend the day. The best time is when the boats start to set sail and only the leaves of the palm trees are heard moving in the breeze".
“If we cannot stay here to sleep, we will have to find an alternative paradise. Next stop: Santa Teresa, which many have already baptized as 'the next Tulum'.
Diego opening an oyster on Isla Tortuga
What was a small fishing village a decade ago is now a dream place whose rhythm is set by the waves and whose sunsets make many cancel their return ticket.
Here the official religion is surfing , so we decided to go to one of the temples that receives the most pilgrims, Beautiful beach.
“Surfing forces you to be a very calm person, You have to know how to wait for the wave, not get nervous, get up at the right moment and keep your balance”, says Diego while he adjusts the leash of the board to his ankle.
“It is absurd to say that you surf if you don't live near the sea, but Whenever I travel to a place where I can practice it, I try to escape to catch some waves” , he adds before jumping into the water.
Playa Hermosa honors his name: An antechamber of wild undergrowth leads us to this haven of beauty guarded by the Pacific Ocean. Here there are no beach bars, no showers, no hammocks; wherever you look, everything is the property of nature.
Hammocks at the Nantipa hotel, on Santa Teresa beach
From our luxurious and cozy cabin at the hotel ** Latitude 10 ** we have direct access to Santa Teresa beach, although we can also watch the sun hide from the bed while we enjoy a refreshing pineapple water with mint.
Play Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen , and it is inevitable not to follow the rhythm with the foot. “I remember once this song played on DSTAgE and we saw how a whole row of tables shook their shoulders like Full Monty. That is one of the things that sets us apart: the closeness when it comes to telling our story,” says Diego.
"For us it is very important create an atmosphere. We are very aware that the dish is not the only thing that matters, there are many more things that are part of the experience, they are a series of intangibles that They make you feel very comfortable in the end, even if you don't know why”, says the chef.
"I'll give you an example: Why doesn't an orange taste the same here looking at this paradisiacal beach as it does in the office? Because everything influences: from the fluorescent light against the sunlight, the air conditioning against the sea breeze, to the sound of the sea against the voice of your partner across the street”, explains Diego. "The orange is the same, but what surrounds that orange is not, and that influences your mood," he says.
They must have thought the same Gisele Bundchen and Mel Gibson when they decided to get their own houses in the area, which, in addition to Santa Teresa beach and Playa Hermosa, includes the neighboring town of Mal País and Playa Carmen, all of them connected by a road, mostly unpaved, whose potholes are part of the bohemian and wild charm of the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula.
Santa Teresa beach
The mix of nationalities is part of the essence of the place: Canadians, Italians, Israelis, Argentines, French... They all came here with an excuse that soon became a reason to stay. Her skin tone, her windblown hair, and her shell-strewn ankles mean that we, too, can come up with endless reasons to become residents.
But not only surfing lives paradise, practice yoga outdoors or go horseback riding on the beach These are other activities that will reconcile you with someone with whom you surely have more than one pending account: yourself.
You can also visit the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve or take a hike through the jungle to the montezuma falls and take a bath under its refreshing waterfalls.
The days always end looking at the sea. And it is at this moment, saying goodbye to the sun on the table , when we realize that 'pure Life' It is not just a greeting, nor the hashtag that instagramers use to brag about their vacations in this tropical fantasy. It is the essence, the key, the reason why you wake up every morning in this part of the world.
Spice and Herb Crusted Tuna at Ubin by Keilor in Montezuma
“Sometimes, during the service at DSTAgE, I look up and see the dining room and suddenly I have a flashback of images: I see the restaurant under construction, the first day we opened... And then I come back to the present and I say to myself, 'Oysters, we've made it,'" says Diego, without taking his eyes off the horizon.
“It is as if you heard many things oblivious to any noise. And it's worth stopping for ten seconds to live and feel all that, They are the things in life that you have to hold on to, like a board”, he continues.
“The wave will last only a few seconds, but still during that moment you have felt more adrenaline and happiness than in a long time, ”he concludes.
Yes, you have to hold on there, especially when you return home. In the end it will be true that the most complicated paths, those whose slopes make you jump out of your seat , are the ones that take us to destinations where we feel truly alive.
Now it's time to go back to the kitchen. although, yes, with a few kilos of inspiration as excess baggage and a great desire to see again through the window of the plane this allegory of nature faded to green.
José González, chef at Al Mercat
JOURNEY NOTEBOOK
WHERE TO SLEEP
Golden Grain (Calle 30, Av. 2, San José) : the perfect center of operations in the capital of Costa Rica. An old Victorian mansion converted into a boutique hotel whose patios and gardens will make you feel in a true tropical oasis, always with the sound of its fountains in the background.
Queveri Agricultural Farm (Orosi, Cártago) : This farmhouse, located 20 minutes from the center of Orosi, is the best accommodation for those seeking total disconnection –in fact, there is only coverage on the porch–, surrounded by nature, horses and cows. The delicious food that Rosi prepares will be the prize for a day of hiking, horseback riding or rafting. A secret: its viewpoints offer the best views of the region.
Latitude 10 (Santa Teresa, Puntarenas) : five luxury casitas steps from the beach and surrounded by nature where you can enjoy sunsets in complete solitude from your bed and a delicious cuisine based on local products. The pineapple and mint welcome drink will have you hooked from the first sip.
Nantipa (Santa Teresa, Puntarenas) : opened in January of this year, Nantipa –which means blue in the Chorotega language– is sustainable luxury made hotel. From its amenities –with Costa Rican natural ingredients– to the objects in the room –made with recycled surfboards and wood from the area–. A dream catcher acts as a “do not disturb” sign. Don't miss breakfast with a sea view in the Manzu restaurant (or, why not, in a relaxing hammock).
WHERE TO EAT
to the market (Av. 13, San José) : you will go in search of food, you will fall in love with its agua 'e sapo poisonada (a drink based on sweet tapas, lemon, ginger and guaro) and you will stay for José González, his chef, whose energy and 'good vibes' infect you instantly. They make excursions to the farm from which they obtain most of their products to get to know their kilometer zero cuisine from the best hands.
Wild (Calle 3A - Ave. 11 - 955 Barrio Amón, San José): in what was the house of the writer Carmen Lira in the 70s we find this restaurant run by the chef Santiago Fernandez Benedetto, where the popular tica culture becomes a plate. For a more casual snack, stop by their Cothnejo Fishy Canteen.
Sikwa (Casa Batsú Barrio Escalante, San José) : "This is not a restaurant, it is a gastronomic information and education center that sells food." Thus they define Pablo Bonilla and Diego Hernandez this space whose menu is made from organic and fresh ingredients brought directly from the farmer's fair. indigenous cuisine in the coolest neighborhood of the capital, does anyone give more?
YOU (50 Mt. South Ronny's Santa Teresa Supermarket) : Randy Siles He came to Santa Teresa attracted by surfing, and he has been in that paradise of waves for 20 years. He began to recruit young people at social risk and trained them in restoration, thus his project 'Artisans of gastronomy' was born. Now his boys are flying free around the world, and he continues to recruit and train. The OS restaurant (mouth in Latin), offers dishes that will awaken all your senses: piangua ceviche with passion fruit air, local red snapper... a delight!
UBIN by Keilor Sánchez (Hotel Nya, Montezuma): After twenty years cooking around the world, Keilor Sánchez returned to his hometown of Montezuma and opened his restaurant across from the school he attended as a child. Located in the gardens of the Nya hotel , Ubin offers a wide selection of French-influenced dishes in a unique setting with a small orchard from which he obtains some of the ingredients.
the conches (From the intersection of Playa Carmen 1 km road to Mal País) : everyone who walks the road to this restaurant ends up with the same fascinated face when they reach the end and discover amazing ocean views. If we add to that what they presume to do the best ceviche in the area and that their quesadillas are addictive, the result is a unique corner that also has a pool to cool off!
WHERE TO BUY
Blade & Bone Collective (Playa Carmen Shopping Center) : as soon as you enter, your eyes go straight to the rings on the counter, continue to browse the shelf full of hats and belts, pass through the area of jewelry made with quartz and amethysts and, finally, notice that At the back of the premises there is a coolest barbershop. Britney, a Canadian living in Santa Teresa, is sympathy in person. They also do piercings.
Cactus Surf Shop (Santa Teresa) : In addition to selling wetsuits, surf shirts and jewelry, they rent boards and are just a few steps from the beach!
Pawo (Santa Teresa) : Alexandra Hawley (Spanish) and Simon Fernández (Argentine) met in Santa Teresa and fell in love.
By The Sea (150 meters south of the Selina hotel, Santa Teresa) : the most fashionistas will still remember the collaboration of sandra korn with the firm Comme des Garçons to create a limited edition of three hand-painted perfume bottles. In the shop that the German artist has in Santa Teresa, where she lives right now, we find paintings, sculptures, jewelry, candles, vintage jeans… It also has points of sale in France and the Netherlands.
***** _This report was published in **number 130 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (July-August)**. Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The July-August issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device. _
Piangua ceviche with passion fruit air, at the OS restaurant in Santa Teresa