Before discovering the Zamora Estate, I had stayed at the Marriott in Escazu during my first visit to Costa Rica in December of 1998. It faces the huge, modern, air conditioned indoor mall, the Multiplaza. Away from the chaotic capital of San Jose, this area is the premium suburb.
Little did I know that hidden away only minutes further along the new highway, the autopista (that goes all the way to the beaches), that a stunning natural retreat sits surrounded by the most lush and beautiful Costa Rican wildlife. A centerpiece of the estate are four spacious and airy cabins with outside decks overlooking a pond with wildlife spreading out as far as the eye can see. It is restive, private, tranquil and beautiful. Compared to some cramped room at the Marriott nearby, one is suddenly in genuine Costa Rica in a cabin with all the amenities (including a TV, Wi-Fi and a small refrigerator).
A friend told me about the Zamora estate and set up my reservation. On my next flight to Costa Rica, the owner, Roman Zamora, met me at the airport as he does all their guests. He was gracious, vital and a virtual encyclopedia on Costa Rica.
I was stunned when I entered the inside of the property and looked far off into the distance, seeing only pristine natural habitat without even a hint of the modern world nearby. Ahead was a large pond bordered by 4 attractive private cabins. In the foreground stretched a brand new swimming pool fed by natural springs. Colorful plants of all varieties punctuated the perimeter of the cabins reminding me of Maui.
I knew right off that this hidden natural preserve blew away any small room at the Marriott with a view of a parking lot and costing 30% more. Around me was the reason people come to Costa Rica, to see the majesty of its natural world, not to hide off in some hotel franchise that could be anywhere. I felt a deep sense of relief.
Roman and I headed to Cabin one, a spacious newly built structure that had a king sized canopied bed and an outside deck with a couch and a table. Farther back there was a walk-in tiled, spacious shower, a rare treat for me.
I went to bed realizing that one doesn't need a heater or an air conditioner. True to Costa Rica's reputation of having the best climate in the world, the night reminded me of Maui in prime season.
Breakfast, which is included in the price, is brought to the cabin and placed on the table on the outside deck overlooking the pond. You eat watching nature in full majesty--with glimpses of ducks, birds, turtles, even monitor lizards around the pond. In the distance were the hills of the Zamora estate. Far from view was the vast thriving Mall just over the hills.
The lavish breakfast came with fruit juice, coffee, fresh bread from the local bakery, jam, a bacon and ham omelet, and a large bowl of fresh Costa Rican fruit including papaya, pineapple, melon, banana, pear and orange.
The food was outstanding. Ana Brenes Zamora is the daughter of a famed chef who teaches cuisine. For a reasonable fee I could get dinner there if I didn't eat out. Dinner there rivals the best restaurants around. I had steak au poivre cooked the way it is done in France, lasagna, Chilean Sea Bass, pork chops, grilled steak, each main dish accompanied with a salad, side dishes and a great desert. Ana's reputation as a cook has been spreading far and wide as groups fight to hold wedding receptions or private banquets on the estate.
Ana and Roman Zamora gave me lots of space, but because of who they are, inevitably became friends. For a hundred years the Zamoras have owned this rare property (that they have resisted selling to developers). Anything I needed to know about Costa Rica from the beaches to the dentists, they could tell me.
The Zamora estate is a natural treasure hidden away in the most upscale suburb of the capital, indeed, their La Jolla. Minutes away is the brand new highway that can take you to the beaches on the Pacific Coast in under an hour. Everything is in reach and yet you are tucked away in a rare natural setting. It is an unbeatable combination. You can go from an area that looks like it is a hundred miles away in unsullied natural wilderness to the new Imax in under ten minutes! That's really hard to beat.
Tal Brooke, author of Avatar of Night and One World
