Tiskita: Costa Rica’s Hidden Coast
Pristine, seldom-seen beaches at Tiskita. Photo courtesy of Ángela Posada-Swafford.
Walk a few miles south from Tiskita Jungle Lodge in Costa Rica’s deep Pacific Coast, and you’ll need your passport to get into Panama. But then again, walking through this remote and unexplored forest is nearly impossible: You’ll either need a small plane or a boat. And that is the allure of Tiskita. A remote, hidden private biological reserve, with swaths of turtle-nesting beaches and a population of 275 bird species, which its owners rightfully dub Costa Rica’s best kept secret.
Tiskita, a remote biological reserve, is accessible only by plane. Photo courtesy of Ángela Posada-Swafford
I was there with 15 other guests, all tucked into three small Cessnas, after a scenic flight from San José that hugged the dramatic coast of the Corcovado National Park. We landed Safari-style on a grass runway.
From the basic, but very comfortable screened cabins, to the unassuming blue pool and log bar, and the open yet-cozy dining room, Nature intrudes into Tiskita’s every corner. This is great because it not only affords privacy, but also offers shade and a chance encounter with fruit-searching moneys.
Red-legged Honey Creeper. Photo by Lisbeth Núñez.
Tiskita is known for its turtle-nesting beaches. Here a newly-hatched baby. Photo by Sophia Fanset.
Above all, the experience is one of deep isolation, in the best sense of the word. You’ll see or hear nary a neighbor on the beaches — just the totemic power of the tidal wooosh, pulling you in.
Ángela Posada-Swafford is a science and exploration writer. In addition to feelancing for Scientific American Magazine, she is the Senior Science U.S. correspondent of Muy Interesante, the largest publication in Spanish language devoted to science for the general reader.
Ángela travels the world following researchers in field trips, and takes advantage of these opportunities to find inspiration for her collection of science and adventure novels for young adults. Most recently she was in Antartica, experiencing temperatures much different from Costa Rica!
