Last Minute Festive Availability for Latin America 2024

It’s that time of year when everyone seems to be scrambling to find a last-minute spot for the holidays. Even though the festive season is approaching quickly, there are still opportunities for travelers looking to take advantage of rare openings at some of the best destinations in Latin America. Whether they land at one of our properties in Costa Rica, Argentina, or somewhere in between, they will have the benefit of an exclusive, immersive trip without any of the crowds typically associated with the holiday season.

Find our full list of all festive openings in our portfolio below. It includes exclusive specials such as Awasi Iguazu offering 20% off all bookings before December 31, 2024!

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COSTA RICA

• Arenas del Mar — Variety of openings for festive, particularly in their Ocean Breeze Superior category room—perfect for couples looking for a last minute getaway.
  

• Pacuare Lodge — One Room Dec 24 & 25, Two Rooms Dec 28, Plenty Dec 31 - Jan 03
  

• Lapa Rios — Three or more Rooms available Dec 22 to Dec 27. From Dec 31st and beyond there is plenty of availability.
  

• Kurà — This adult-only property has limited availability from 12/20-12/25, and 12/30-1/5.
  

• Hotel Aguas Claras — Limited availability leading through 12/29, and then space following the New Year beginning on 1/2.
  

• Pasha — Sold Out

• Senda Monteverde — Limited availability leading up to 12/27 followed by no space, and then openings from 1/1 on.

• Silvestre — Availability December 15-21, December 19-22, and December 27-January 8. January 1 onwards includes the newly available penthouse. Each of their room categories (aside from the penthouse) feature two rooms, making this a great fit for families or small groups of friends traveling together.

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COLOMBIA

• Hacienda Bambusa — One junior suite is available from December 21-26, and two junior suites are available December 31-January 2. These rooms are the largest available at Hacienda Bambusa (either two twin or king set-up) and feature spacious private balconies.

• Casa Yahri — Unavailable!

• La Casa en las Nubes — We do not represent this beautiful sister property overlooking Cocora Valley, but they do have two nights available from December 27-29.

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PERU

• Inkaterra — Unavailable for festive, but all properties have availability from January 4 on.

• Titilaka — Three rooms available from December 27-30.

• Cirqa — Four rooms available December 30 and 31.

• Puqio — Puqio has enough space for a group of friends traveling together to stay in a number of their luxury tents this festive season. Combined either with a sister property at Cirqa or Titilaka or with a stay at Inkaterra properties at Machu Picchu or the Amazon, this is a special opportunity to experience the holidays in Peru.

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PANAMA

• Isla Palenque — Limited availability, inquire to see if still available!

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ECUADOR

• Galapagos Safari Camp — Galapagos Safari Camp has a number of options for solo travelers, couples, and families traveling for festive season. Availability includes: a Festive Family Suite Safari (Private) from December 17-22 (5N/6D), a Festive Tented Safari (Semi-Private) from December 18-23 (5N/6D), another Festive Tented Safari (Semi-Private) from December 28-January 2 (5N/6D), and finally a New Year Tented Safari (Semi-Private) from January 2-7 (5N/6D).
  

• Hacienda Zuleta — Very limited availability throughout festive. Five rooms available December 23-25, and more space available January 2-6 to kick off the new year!
  

• Hacienda La Danesa — Availability from December 1-27! Travelers will receive 20% off all bookings in that time period.

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ARGENTINA

• Estancia Cristina — Availability for 12/29-1/1. Spend New Years at the most remote destination in our portfolio in the height of Argentinian Patagonia’s summer season!
  

• Awasi Iguazu — Availability with a special 20% off opportunity; inquire for details.

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CHILE

• Awasi Atacama — Sold out!
  

• Awasi Patagonia — Sold out!

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NICARAGUA

• Jicaro Island Lodge — This private island retreat has room in their nine treehouse casitas for festive! Each can accommodate up to two adults and two children.

• Rancho Santana — Rancho Santana has plenty of space this festive season at a variety of lodging accommodations across the property. From rooms at The Inn to Garden View Casitas, there is a room type (or entire house) for every group, from couples to multigenerational families traveling together. They are currently offering an exclusive offer: stay 6 nights, pay 5 for your clients booked between December 20-26, 2024.

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BRAZIL

• Ibiti Projeto — Engenho Lodge available for Christmas time and Ibiti Village for New Years Eve

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To stay in touch about last minute deals and more, please go follow us on social media if you do not already: Instagram or Facebook.

For more details, please reach out to Turney at turney@clarkkotula.com!

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Remembering Clark - A Letter From Turney Maurer

A Letter To Our Founder

The other day, I began looking at a Patagonia Itinerary that I had made for Paragon Expeditions back in 2016.  It made me realize that Clark was the only hotel or travel representative who ever took the effort to reach out to us, let alone come see us in San Marcos, TX. This is how it all came to be…

It was around June or July of 2015. I had graduated college that May and immediately became employed by Paragon Expeditions after being an intern my senior year of college. I had done a good job during my internship, but what really had me interested in visiting Peru was a friend who I met in my hometown of Austin, TX. He went to the Texas School For the Deaf, but was originally from Peru and was in the process of getting adopted by one of our Paragon Expeditions guides, Holly Wissler. She was a National Geographic History & Trekking Guide in Peru, and had her PhD in Ethnomusicology from Florida State University. And get this, now Holly is a Music Professor at Texas State University! (For more on that story, Hearing From The Heart: Turney & Dante's Adventures in Austin.)

His name is Dante, and he’s from Q’eros, Peru and happens to have Usher’s Syndrome—making him partially blind in his peripherals and fully deaf. Holly met him when he was 6 years old in Q’eros where he was a bit neglected due to his family’s misunderstanding of his rare condition. With the permission of his father, Victor, and his mother (both now deceased), Holly was able to bring him to Cusco in order to get a proper deaf education. Unfortunately, further deaf education in Peru after middle school is difficult to access. So Holly brought Dante to Austin where her sister lived. I hadn’t met them, but Paragon Expeditions Owner Ryan Weaver introduced me and we helped get them mountain bikes.

The initial idea of me becoming an intern at Paragon was because I wanted to create my own Tour Operation where I lead adventures in the Texas Hill Country. So, I thought it was a good idea to begin learning the industry. Nearly 10 years later, I haven’t looked back on that idea too much after discovering Peru and Latin America.

Through working with Paragon Expeditions and becoming close friends with Holly Wissler, I was invited to visit Dante’s village in the Peruvian Andes, a place called Q’eros: one of the last Inca villages that still exists. The native people in this region live at above 14,000 ft elevation, so the Spaniards never made it far enough to find their villages.

In order to go, I had to get permission from my teachers to take my finals early and miss a few weeks of class in order for me to graduate…and sure enough, they all said yes! So in April of 2015 I went to Peru with Holly and Dante. I hiked to Q’eros, the village Dante is from, saw Machu Picchu, and explored Cusco. Mind you, this was my first time out of the United States of America at 23 years old! 

Me, Turney, in Q'eros, Peru with Holly, Dante, and his Quechua-speaking grandparents. They are some of the last living Inca descendants.

We ended up biking with Holly’s friend, Paul Cripps, at Huaypo Lake to the Salt Mines of Maras and down into the Sacred Valley. I posted that video onto our company Facebook a few months after. Little did I know that would be my bridge to meeting Clark. When I became a full time employee of Paragon Expeditions, I was requesting marketing packages from different Patagonia hotels. I sent one to Awasi, and got an email back from this Dude/Bro named Clark. He sent me an email that said something like, “Hey dude, I saw that you reached out to Awasi and want to put them up on your website, but I saw on Facebook that you went mountain biking with Holly? Do you know Paul Cripps??”

After that we connected on a call that lasted a few hours. Clark told me that us boys at Paragon were crushing sales at Inkaterra and Titilaka and Hotel B, so we need to start selling Ecuador and Galapagos. He also could not believe that I was only 23 years old!

Clark ended up deciding to roll through Austin for sales calls a few months later and he wanted to meet up. I remember telling him, “Dude, I’ll be honest with you I live in San Marcos which is a college town about a 30 minute drive south from downtown Austin. Come down here, and I’ll show you around. I can take you paddle boarding on the San Marcos river, we can do some scuba diving, hit up some bbq, and check out some bars on the square, maybe even throw on some boots and hit the dance hall.” He said:

“Okay, Sounds good dude I got us on drinks and BBQ. I’m going to get a hotel room on I35 at the Holiday Inn so I can book it to some meetings in Houston the next day.”

I didn’t really understand at all what a hotel representative was or what Clark really did at the time. I was thinking: “This rad dude who is super well connected with the absolute most badass adventure lodges in Latin America wants to hang out and be my friend? Okay, I am absolutely down.”

We ended up doing all of the above, and more. The next morning he delayed his first meeting so that we could scuba dive in Aquarena Springs (the source of the San Marcos River) where no swimmers are allowed, but I had access being a volunteer scientific diver for the springs, and Clark being a Divemaster I was able to get him in with me. Of course, Clark knew another diver who worked at the Meadow’s Center, the museum and scientific study lab of the San Marcos River. If you’re reading this, shout out to you Rob Dussler!

Clark and I scuba diving in the San Marcos river.

It was epic, and afterwards I hit him with a custom maroon and gold TX State Bobcats custom-made Paragon Expeditions hat which he rocked everywhere for several years for some reason. It always fired me up to see. I’ll never forget when he was about to leave he literally said, “Dude, I totally forgot to give my presentation, I’ll email it to you and we’ll keep in touch. Just keep killin’ it Turn-Dog!”

I’ll never forget those words because that day Clark became a mentor in my life and someone that I could count on for advice with an honest answer. We kept in touch over the years, and I went on one of his FAM trips to the Galapagos Islands in May 2018 with the most legendary group of people from literally all over the world. He truly assembled a dream team for that trip—our marketing guru Whitney James was on that trip as well!

The epic FAM Trip group in Ecuador - May 2018.

He made sure to get a picture of the outfit!

I’ll never forget, Clark told us to pack nice clothes because his friend invited us to one of the finest restaurants in Quito, ZaZu. So, I packed a suit and cigar, rolled out to the lobby of Casa Gangotena in my newly-fitted dry-cleaned suit with cigar in front pocket, glass of Pisco in the other hand. To this day, I’m not sure if I ever saw Clark laugh that hard. He couldn’t believe that I took his suggestion so literal. He was always sure to never question my first impression ability or swagger after that one!

Eventually, Clark hooked me up with a job at Latin Excursions. After Paragon, I had worked at Facebook for a bit. I called him one random day about six months in and go “Clark, you gotta help me get out of this damn job, I’m losing my mind stuck behind a desk.” He goes:

“Okay dude, I got you, I’m at Remote Travel Show in Costa Rica, I’ll hook you up with someone here.”

The next day he had me on the phone with the owner, Eric Sheets. After that convo, the next week I was working with Latin Excursions doing a bit of itinerary building for all of Latin America, some representation meetings with different travel agencies. We sold lots of Panama, so I was invited to go on Kirsten’s FAM Trip to El Otro Lado and Isla Palenque. Kirsten Gardner is the Owner of Outlier Journeys and was the Central America Portfolio Manager for CK before I was.

That was an amazing experience because I got to see how Kirsten ran her FAM trips very similarly to Clark’s. That was another amazingly orchestrated group, a few who I now consider great friends.

I began to notice that all of the hotels in CK Rep portfolio that I had visited shared a common trait of creating truly authentic local experiences for their guests. If you’re open to learning about new cultures and exploring pristine wildlife areas, your mind will be truly blown away at any of the hotels in CK Representation portfolio. The staff members become your friends, and the hardest part about visiting any of them is leaving. 

Then, the pandemic happened and everyone lost their travel jobs. CK Representation stayed alive and Clark said, “F this, I’m bringing my family and we’re going to show the world that it is still okay to travel.” Looking back, what he did was truly honorable and gave a lot of people hope that things would go back to normal. I ended up working a tech job in Austin, but seeing Clark, Jacqui, Blake, and Carter full sending it to Latin America again fired me up! It was a reminder that there is a breath of fresh air on the other side of this thing. We just have to keep moving forward. 

In the midst of all that, my father passed away due to a stroke at the age of 70 in July 2021. Simultaneously, my pandemic job was not panning out because the startup company that employed me during that time burned through all of their money, fired everyone, and was trying to give me their company due to the fact that I had the highest consecutive sales numbers. However, they were paying me the bare minimum after laying everybody off and still to this day I’ve got no clue what the heck they were trying to do handing me their company. This nonsense went on for 6 months after my father passed away…I was seriously struggling internally, going through one of the roughest times of my life scraping by financially and mentally. My oldest sister Rachel had passed away when I was ten years old and she was 18, due to a car accident. She was my driving force all this way, but then when my dad passed, it felt like there was no gas left in my tank. My job was crumbling, my father was gone…I was ready to give up.

This is the kind of person that Clark is. He called me not long after my dad had passed and said that he was going to be in South Padre Island kiteboarding with the kids, but he wanted to take his boys floating on the river with ole Turn-Dog. So he drove five hours with the boys to come meet up in San Marcos. We had an epic time. I’ll never forget when we were getting off of the river, a huge thunderstorm and lightning storm hit. Blake and Carter were freaked out because they grew up in California drought and have never seen Texas thunder. Clark thought that was the funniest thing ever. Of course, we got out safely before the rain hit, perfectly on time.

Me, Carter, Blake, and Clark floating the San Marcos river. 

Before we left, Clark said, “Hey man, it seems like Kirsten is going to go do her own thing and start a Tour Operator which is fine, but I might need someone to come work for me next year. Keep your phone on.”

He knew everything that was going on in my life and never brought any of it up. We drank a couple Shiner Bocks on the river and just hung out while people-watching with Blake and Carter. It was one of the best days ever, and he subtly delivered a message of hope and positivity to me when I needed it most. All around solid guy in the most nonchalant way. A true legend.

One December afternoon in 2021, I got a phone call. First I believe it was Kirsten, then Clark afterwards. They both separately said to not tell one another, but they were going to recommend that I should come work for CK. I said okay awesome, sounds good, let me know. 

A few days later, right before the holidays, Clark called me and said, “Dude, I talked to our Central America partners and they all said we’re good to go. Do you have a wife and kids? Can you leave your other job? Are you able to go down to Costa Rica for a month ASAP?” I said:

“Clark, you’re literally saving my life right now. I thought I was about to go bartend or work construction. Also, no dude. I saw you two months ago and I’m still not married and don’t have kids. Let’s do this thing, I’m ready.”

Right afterwards, I called the startup and said adios. I literally had no money after quitting my job right away, so Clark had to buy my flights to Costa Rica and get me down there. About a week into the trip, I needed to get a rental car which I had never done before anywhere in the world. In order for me to pay and survive, Clark had to send me a company card. This man somehow sent my company credit card to Enterprise Costa Rica, had them take it out of the DHL package, and store it in some drawer by the concierge desk. At first they had no clue what I was talking about, but then when I messaged Clark he was like “ask this one lady Lisa—she was being nice to me on the phone and stored it away for you.” Pays off to know Spanish! 

Sure enough I asked the other lady and received the company card to get my rental car and continue on. ONLY CLARK COULD PULL THIS OFF. The rest is history. I spent the next 30 days exploring Costa Rica coast-to-coast and mountain-to-mountain, doing yoga, eating healthy, and going on adventures with local staff members who many now have become my good friends. I learned the ins and outs of each hotel that I now represent in Costa Rica. It truly transformed my life and set me on the best path that I could have possibly ever imagined thanks to Kirsten and Clark collaborating to help give me an opportunity. I will deeply in my heart forever be grateful for that. And while I’m still heartbroken for the loss of my dear friend, I feel the strength to carry on what Clark taught me and to honor his legacy alongside Jacqui, Blake, and Carter.

When someone pulls you out of a difficult situation and gives you the chance to shine, that can never be forgotten. It is the exact representation of the type of man he was.

Me, Niels, and Clark

Clark was one-of-a-kind. I, nor anyone on the face of this earth can ever replace him. He was a brave man who looked life straight in the face with full-confidence and never strayed away from being himself. He had it all figured it out. People always told me this about my oldest sister Rachel who passed away. For the longest time I was like, “what are they talking about?!” Now, I completely see what they meant. Very few people have it all figured it. They walk life at their own pace and people follow their lead. I suppose the ones that carry this ability depart too soon, only to leave us with all of the tools to know what life is really about.

Clark’s good soul will always exist, and we will all live on with the lessons that he taught us. I owe it to Clark and the Kotula family to honor his legacy by carrying on the torch that he lit, as if I’m running out to light the flame for the Olympics opening ceremony.

At the end of the day, with CK Representation it is all about the people. The lodges in our portfolio were all carefully hand-selected by Clark for a reason. It’s because they will absolutely knock your socks off and you will remember your visit for the rest of your life. But most importantly, because they are doing the right thing by supporting local people and preserving incredible pieces of land.

Take a step out of the ordinary, leave your suit and tie at home, and come have a life changing experience at any of the hotels in our portfolio. As something Fernando from Hacienda Zuleta would say “EMBRACE THE CLARK KOTULA SPIRIT, HERRRRNNNANNNDEZZZZ!”

The CK Way.

Peace, Love, & Unity with thanks and grace to all of the Clark & Jacqui’s family.

— Turney Maurer

• AKA “Pavo Loco” (people in Costa Rica thought my name was Turkey, so Clark coined that nickname pretty quickly)

• AKA “Turn-Dog”

• AKA “Herrrrrrnandezzzz” (This one came from Hacienda Zuleta when I told Fernando that my mother’s last name is Hernandez)

Until we meet again, our dear friend Clark.

Central America Sample Itineraries

This year we integrated a new feature into Clark Kotula Representation with the intent of making everyone’s life a bit easier. Since each hotel and villa in our portfolio are more “off the beaten path” we realize that logistics can be difficult to understand. Therefore, we created sample, unbranded, no pricing itineraries that strategically connects different hotels that we work with in Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Each one is tried and true by myself or Clark, having visited each hotel several times and speaking with local people to find the most authentic experiences where travelers fully immerse into the culture of each country.

Panama

Panama: Cultural Highlights and Remote Islands — Panama City, Casco Viejo (2 nts) / Isla Palenque (4 nts)

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Nicaragua

Nicaragua: Volcanoes, Lakes, and Beaches – Granada, Jicaro Island Lodge (2 nts) / Rancho Santana (4 nts)

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Costa Rica: Picturesque Pacific Coast & Cloud Forest

Costa Rica's Picturesque Pacific Coast & Cloud Forest — Lapa Rios (3 nts) / Arenas del Mar (3 nts) / Senda Monteverde (2 nts)

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Costa Rica: Wild Caribbean Side

The Wild Caribbean Side of Costa Rica — Hotel Grano de Oro (1 nt) / Pacuare Lodge (2 nts) / Tortuga Lodge (2 nts) / Hotel Aguas Claras (3 nts)

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Costa Rica: The Ultimate Honeymoon

Costa Rica: Ultimate Honeymoon — Lapa Rios (3 nts) / Kura (3 nts)

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Costa Rica: White Water Rafting & Caribbean Beaches

Costa Rica: White Water Rafting & Caribbean Beaches — Hotel Grano de Oro (1 nt) / Pacuare Lodge (3 nts) / Hotel Aguas Claras (3 nts)

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Costa Rica: The Böëna Ultimate Discovery Package

Costa Rica: The Böëna Ultimate Discovery Package — Hotel Grano de Oro (1 nt) / Pacuare Lodge (2 nts) / Tortuga Lodge (2 nts) / Lapa Rios (3 nts)

Pasha: Costa Rica’s Tucked Away Pacific Gem

The People Behind the Experience — Jennifer Lotz, General Manager of Pasha Beachfront Estate in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Pasha is a 10-bedroom, fully staffed villa located just north of Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. Many factors make this villa truly one of a kind, but what makes it especially amazing are the people behind the experience. Here, we get to know Jennifer Lotz, the resident general manager who has worldwide experience and is involved in the details of every guest stay, from reservations, pre-arrival preparations, and curating the actual guest stay. A newly minted Mom, and lover of dogs, Jen is the heart of soul of the Pasha experience.

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1) How long have you lived in Costa Rica? What region were you born in and how long have you lived in Santa Teresa?

“I was born and raised in San Jose de la Montaña in the Central northern mountains of Costa Rica. When I was ten, my family and I moved to a small German town called Staufen, where my sister and I went to school for a year so my dad could connect with his roots (my grandfather was German). I've lived in Santa Teresa for seven years now.”

2) You’ve worked in the travel industry for a long time. Tell us about your experience, how and why did you got involved? What lead you to become the GM for Pasha?

“I've worked in the travel industry for a little over 20 years now. I got involved in the industry shortly after I graduated from High School when I went to Les Roches Hotel Management School in Marbella. I did internships in Tenerife, Marbella, and Thailand during my studies. After I graduated, I came back to Costa Rica for a brief period before realizing I still wanted to continue learning and connecting; I was offered a Full Scholarship at Endicott College in Northern Massachusetts, where I got my BA in Business Administration while teaching Events and Service Management at the colleges' Hospitality Management School. After graduation, I worked for a year at the Four Seasons Boston; when my visa was up, I returned to Costa Rica, where I continued working for JW Marriott. After this, I decided to work less with corporate hotels and more with boutique sustainable hotels where guests focus more on their footprint, where they are traveling, what they consume, and where they stay.

I applied to Cayuga Collection in Costa Rica and was hired at Latitude 10 when I relocated to Santa Teresa and began my journey here. A couple of years after managing Latitude 10, COVID came simultaneously with the sale of the hotel, yet I decided Santa Teresa was my home and decided to stay. After COVID, I was hired at one of the oldest hotels in Santa Teresa, where I worked for a year while waiting to get back to a more boutique property. When Pasha was under construction, I met the owner, Cem, who offered me the job. This June will be my third year at Pasha; I began working here during the final stages of construction.  Even though I've been in Santa Teresa for many years, I try to travel yearly to keep up with changes and continue learning and interacting with new cultures. These past years, I have gone to South Africa, India, back to Thailand (to a different region ), and I've been to Japan twice as I fell in love with the country and had to go back to see other parts.

I'm looking forward to these coming years and focusing more on my travels in South America and seeing what's there!”

3) You’re a mother now, congrats! Do you find it challenging to juggle being a single mother while managing the best, most unique villa in Costa Rica? What’s your favorite part of being a mom thus far?

“Thank you! It's definitely been a long, challenging journey to motherhood, but I made it, and I still can't believe she's here. My little nugget is five months old and loves beach life; we'll soon surf together! Thankfully Mila is such a happy baby that it hasn't been too much of a juggle; the team at Pasha loves her, so when I'm in meetings, catching up on emails or with guests, someone will take her, and when we are busy, my sister, who also lives in Teresa, stays at home with her. My favorite part of being a mom is how Mila challenges me daily and keeps me on my toes; motherhood has given life a different meaning.”

4) Last but definitely not least, what makes Pasha so special and different from other Villa accommodations in Santa Teresa? If there is one, or a few, experiences that you feel guests can’t miss out on while staying at Pasha, what are they?

“Pasha is the only fully staffed Villa in Santa Teresa; we operate like a Hotel. Most staff members who worked with me at Latitude 10, have come to work for Pasha and have been here since opening day.  Pasha includes Breakfast; most of our products are local, organic, hormone-free, and grass-fed. There is a lot of interaction with guests, when they want to join the chef and learn how to make their ceviche or patacones, they can join and learn from our ingredients,  where they come from, and the different forms they can be cooked. Pasha offers complete Food and Beverage service during clients' stay (there is no need to hire a private chef, bartender, or server), all this is included in the rate. We are located on the beachfront between Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa, which is a plus, especially during the high season when beaches can get a little crowded; at Pasha, you are far enough to have peace but close enough that when you want to be part of the "active" scene, you are just a 5-minute drive. 

At Pasha, we do Beach setups for clients who wish to have a sunset beach Picnic with finger food and drinks. We can hire live music upon guests' requests. We also have a full-time concierge to do your grocery and regular shopping. We organize all activities, tours, and town reservations. There is a beachfront Yoga deck for private Yoga Lessons and a "Hammock Garden" under the Ceiba trees.  All ten bedrooms can be king or twin beds. We also have 24-hour security and 16 security cameras for those travelers who worry about safety. Most importantly, we will make you feel at home away from home.

At Pasha, we give back. We donate a percentage of the staff's gratuity to Casa de Restauracion, a children's shelter in Cobano, and make monthly donations to sponsor twin toddlers. We participate in and organize beach cleanups and have no single use of plastic at the villa. (When grocery shopping for guests, we encourage them to purchase non-single-use plastic and focus more on local, sustainable products. It 's not always the case, and we respect that, but we encourage as much as we can! 

Experiences you can't miss out on Surf. This is a local surf town with waves for all levels. Mountain and Beach horseback riding tour and the Blue Zone Nature tour.”

If you’re lucky enough, Jen might join your Pasha crew for a surf session. Her skills are impressive!

When doing a partial buyout of Pasha, let's say for the Main House 4-bedrooms only, do guests still get the full staff and service that is offered when doing a full buyout of all 10-bedrooms? Are there any dates during the year a partial buyout is not an option?

“With the partial buyout, guests get full staff and service. We encourage partial buyouts for last-minute bookings or low seasons. Partial bookings are not an option during any major holiday or peak season.”

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We Look Forward to Hosting You!

What’s left to say that already hasn’t been said? We are waiting for you to visit Pasha and Jen will be there to welcome you with open arms; to curate your experience exactly the way you dreamed of. Below is a link to our rates and also a video walkthrough of the property with Clark Kotula himself. See ya’ll in paradise at Pasha!

Partial & Full Buyout Rack Rates 2024 – 2025

Property Walkthrough with Clark Kotula

Disney Movie "Encanto" in Colombia Inspired by Hacienda Bambusa and Casa Yahri

HOW THE DISNEY MOVIE “ENCANTO” IN COLOMBIA WAS INSPIRED BY HACIENDA BAMBUSA AND CASA YAHRI

Colombia’s latest tourism boom has had its help in many forms. It was the first country in Latin America to reach pre-pandemic levels of international tourism arrivals, and the Disney movie Encanto was a major help in this.

The timing of the film’s release in 2021 meant that kids stuck at home in front of screens during the pandemic watched the movie repeatedly and developed a new fascination with the magic that Colombia provides as a destination, perhaps in stark contrast to their parents who grew up during a time when Colombia was plagued with problems that culminated in the 1990s, now some 20+ years in the past.

In 2019, the creative team from Disney Studios was sent to Colombia to seek artistic inspiration for the upcoming film Encanto. The travel arrangements for this Disney team were organized by Kate Doty of the San Francisco-based tour operator Geographic Expeditions, who has a long history of pioneering trips in Colombia and was one of the first international travel companies to discover and start using Hacienda Bambusa as their preferred lodging for guests in Colombia’s coffee region.

The Disney team used both Hacienda Bambusa and Casa Yahri as bases of operation during their inspiration trip for Encanto. In the images below, we can see how Hacienda Bambusa was eventually turned into the magical Casa Madrigal, and how the village of Barichara where Casa Yahri is located set the scene for village life in the film.

The images above clearly denote architectural attributes such as the bell tower, central courtyard with railings, cantilevered eves, and red roof tiles. As well as the tropical foliage of overflowing bougainvillea and tall, slender wax palms, which are native to the region.

The character of Camilo Madrigal in the movie Encanto was inspired by the real life Camilo Garcia, the house guide at Hacienda Bambusa who is a favorite of all guests for his warm smile, deep local knowledge and infectious enthusiasm for Colombia. In the second row of images we can see the intricate woodwork of the window coverings at Hacienda Bambusa next to an image of Maribel Madrigal in the Encanto movie where the woodwork was perfectly replicated. Lastly, Hacienda Bambusa brings a trio of local musicians to play for guest during special al fresco dinners at the Hacienda, and this experience of the artistic team was also brought to life in the movie.

The images above show the charming village of Barichara in the Santander Province of Colombia where Casa Yahri is located. The Disney team said about Barichara: “It’s like a town lost in time, which is really what we wanted to do with our film, to have it feel timeless and inviting to others. Barichara is a place where it probably looks the same today as it did 100 years ago and it feels like you're transported to a different era.”

If you would like to take your kids to live the real world Encanto experience, and have an amazing time yourself - consider a trip to Colombia with a stay at both Hacienda Bambusa and Casa Yahri. They might even get to meet Camilo in person!

The Remarkable Story of Estancia Cristina

The Remarkable Story of Estancia Cristina

Estancia Cristina is not easy to get to, and it never has been.  But the most remarkable places on earth are generally not easy to reach. 

Estancia Cristina, with Lago Argentino and Cerro Carnero in the background, a fantastic four hour round trip hike from the estancia to the summit and back.

Situated right in the middle of over 3,000 square miles of rugged Patagonian wilderness, there are no roads that reach Estancia Cristina.  The only way to get to it is by boat—a 30-mile journey across the azure waters of Lago Argentino, filled with massive icebergs calving off of dozens of glaciers that spill into the lake.  The fierce Patagonian winds rip off the southern Patagonian icecap, accelerate downward through gaps in the jagged granite peaks, and explode onto the lake’s surface, whipping it into a cauldron of rolling swell and whitecaps on most days. 

 As you complete this journey and land on the broad, rocky beach at the head of the Caterina Valley, the deafening roar of silence and isolation overwhelms you.  Taking a look around at the peaks, glaciers, and forests, you realize you made it to one of the most spectacular and secluded places on earth. You know you are one of the lucky few humans on the planet that get to experience this. 

 Present-day visitors to Estancia Cristina make this journey daily–no problem, in comfort–aboard modern vessels designed specifically for the lake conditions. The boats are decked out with radar, satellite GPS navigation, backup propulsion systems, dry heated cabins, comfy chairs to lounge on while soaking up the scenery passing by hermetically sealed windows, warm pastries, and coffee on offer. Just in case, life rafts in their white capsules are lashed into cradles and the captains’ VHF radio is perpetually tuned into channel 16, which on the other end is backed by the full resources and skill of the Argentine Navy and Coast Guard.

 This journey is made only between October through April every year now; the height of the splendid Austral summertime when the Estancia is open to visitors.  Once they arrive, guests drive in modern 4x4’s into the mountains to viewpoints overlooking the Upsala Glacier, hike, and horseback ride through mind-boggling scenery accompanied by jovial guides who know the land like the back of their hands and serve them elaborate picnic lunches.  Back in the main lodge, they dine on fine Argentina steak, organic green salads, and wash it down with rich Malbec in front of roaring fires while flipping through coffee table books late into the night. They retire to their rooms and snuggle under goose-down comforters in their heated rooms listening to the wind roar outside. In the morning, they wake up to splendid sunrises over Cerro Norte before a hot shower. Another day of guided adventures punctuated with unfettered relaxation awaits.

The original sheep shearing barn at Estancia Cristina, now turned into a museum.

The rest of the year, the Estancia is closed down—shuttered, in fact.  The extreme winter weather and limited daylight hours leave our imagination to wonder what it must be like on the other side of the lake during the heart of winter.

But just what would it have been like in 1913 for English immigrants, Joseph and Jessie Masters and their 11-year-old son Herbert and 9-year-old daughter Cristina, when they first made this 30-mile journey across the lake by rudimentary steamship?  To land in this never-before-seen wilderness, be dropped off and left to create a working Estancia from scratch—a place they would spend the next 80-plus years building out a life and legacy?

This is the thing that is most powerful about a visit to Estancia Cristina—an intrigue and fascination that gets into your soul and psyche—a feeling you are never able to shake.  Talk to anyone who has been out to Estancia Cristina, whether as a day visitor or as an overnight guest, and the conversation always contains two parts: 1) “Wow, what an incredible place…” and 2) “Can you even imagine what it was like for that family who founded it?”

Imagining what life would have been like for the Masters family at Estancia Cristina has a light and a dark side. You envision how pure and beautiful life must have been, cut off from the problems of civilization and surrounded by nature's majesty, watching the slow roll of seasonal progress.  From amazing sunsets to rainbows, bursts of wildflowers in springtime, thick runs of salmon cascading up the river in summer where you must have been able to just reach out and grab one by the tail for dinner. But you can also imagine how hard life must have been. Back-breaking work, terrifying storms, dark, cold winters, and frightening encounters with pumas. The isolation from society and yearning for human contact at times must have been utterly suffocating and depressing.

Clark, atop Cerro Carnero, with a full view of the Cristina Valley behind. One of the most amazing hikes in the National Park, only accessible to overnight guests of the Estancia.

There are no shortage of luxury lodges built within the last decade or so around the national parks of Argentine and Chilean Patagonia.  Places with incredible food, lodging and excursions, ideally situated to get guests out to those postcard-perfect photo opportunities to be able to say “I was there, too!”  And travelers have responded en masse. The closest town and airport to Estancia Cristina, El Calafate, receives over half a million visitors every year, offers 8,000 hotel beds, and is a well-oiled logistical machine in getting those 500,000 people out to the Perito Moreno Glacier on day trips to see the ice and lake before flying on to their next destination.

But Estancia Cristina has something more to offer. The historical aspect of the Estancia and the Masters family is unparalleled and utterly unique when it comes to lodging options for modern day travelers to Patagonia.  It’s the type of thing you just can’t create, no matter how much financial capital you have behind you.

Exploring the vast Estancia on horseback with the resident Gauchos.

 Luckily, the current team that runs Estancia Cristina has done a great job in preserving the history of the Estancia and the Masters family and presenting it to modern-day visitors.  The original sheep-shearing barn contains a delightful museum covering the chronological history of the Estancia and displays a wealth of original artifacts and displays. The Estancia staff are all well-versed on the history and take guests on docent-led tours through the museum, but for those seeking a comprehensive history, here is the history of the Masters and their remarkable story.  

The Masters Family from L to R: Joseph Masters (1876-1977), Jessie Masters (1876-1971), Herbert Masters 1902-1982 and Cristina Masters (1904-1924)

Upon the family’s arrival in the valley in 1913, besides the gargantuan Upsala Glacier (the largest glacier spilling off the Patagonian icecap), there were no buildings or infrastructure in the area.  The family pitched a tent beside the lake and got to work with the few tools they had and a few head of cattle and sheep they had brought with them. 

Over the years, they built up a lovely Estancia, all by hand, and their livestock operation grew in leaps and bounds.  They officially founded the Estancia in 1914 and ended up having 27,000 sheep, 50 horses and a healthy stock of cattle for milking and breeding prime beef. In total, their Estancia covered close to 50,000 acres.  Their initial small house of stacked stone and adobe still stands next to the guest common areas, and the grove of small willow trees they planted as a wind block around the buildings are now close to 100 feet high and still shelter guests from the constant Patagonian winds.

The viewpoint of the Upsala Glacier and the Southern Patagonia icecap from Estancia Cristina. Many scientific and military operations utilized the Estancia as a staging area for research and training on the ice.

Back then, their only connection with the outside world was an old steamboat they owned, brought from Buenos Aires in 1915 and rebuilt on site by Joseph Masters.  Christened the “Cesar,” she was 40 feet in length and had a 10-horsepower steam-powered engine that could make the trip from Estancia Cristina to Puerto Bandera in seven to eight hours, weather permitting.  The collective hard work of the family paid off. Their success allowed them to import and furnish their home with lovely items, serve spirits out of cut-glass decanters and beer out of metal-lidded ceramic German steins, and adorn their living area with leather-trimmed vanity cases and hat boxes from Paris.  These period details still decorate the Estancia today, and have not lost any of their charm over the years.

Modern cozy guest cottages for present day visitors to the Estancia.

In the early 1920’s, just when Joseph and Jessie Masters must have felt that they had finally established a safe haven in the wilderness for their family…tragedy struck.  Their beloved only daughter, Cristina, became seriously ill. With prolonged heavy weather that didn’t allow them to depart for help across the lake aboard the “Cesar,” Cristina’s conditions worsened.  Cristina died of pneumonia in 1924, at age 20. Parents Joseph and Jessie and their surviving son, Herbert, decided to rename the Estancia in her memory on the day she was buried. So, since 1924, the Estancia has been called Estancia Cristina.

 *It’s interesting to note that there was not a medical doctor in El Calafate, a full day of travel away from the Estancia, until 1935.  This puts into perspective just how self-sufficient the family had to be in situations such as the health of their children.

Arriving to Estancia Cristina by boat. Cerro Norte in the background dwarfs the Estancia below. What were the Masters’ family feeling arriving here for the first time in 1913?

Los Glaciares National Park was created in 1937 and Estancia Cristina sat right in the middle of it. The Masters family, through many legal battles, were allowed to stay and continue their sheep operations.  The Park Service granted them a temporary permit for occupation and grazing land, but stipulated that these rights would be “non-transferrable after the death of the original settling family”. This must have been a painful reality for the family in light of the death of Cristina, all responsibility for the continuation of the Masters' family bloodline and legacy fell to the remaining son, Herbert. 

The mourning family continued to toil away at their sheep operation and the exportation of wool which was quite lucrative through the 1930’s and into the 1950’s with World War II increasing demand for all types of materials.  Two major things, detailed below, happened during this time period which are documented beautifully in the museum at Estancia Cristina. 

One of Herbert’s shortwave radio models from the 1970’s and a collection of “QSL Cards” sent to him from around the world - A QSL card is a written confirmation of a two-way radiocommunication between two amateur radio stations, usually sent by post after contact was made to commemorate the occasion.

The first is Herbert Masters’ intense interest in shortwave radio. There are notes in archives that the Masters family installed a shortwave radio sometime in the 1930’s.  They had no electricity back then, and still don’t, due to the Estancias isolation. (Today everything is run off of a diesel generator or solar power.) But the radio sets back in the 1930’s were coming out of rural America, an area which also was not “on the grid” until after WWII.  These radio sets were powered by a “wincharger,” which like the name implies, provides it’s six watts of power from a wind turbine, of which there was no shortage in Patagonia. Shortwave or HAM radio were something that the younger Masters’ son, Herbert, poured his energy into. He became one of the most skilled HAM radio operators worldwide and was a certified member of the American Radio Relay Society.  The historical display of Herbert’s radio operations at the Estancia today is fascinating. The wall is covered with “QSL” postcards sent from the farthest reaches of the world, certifying the date and time in which Herbert established radio contact with that particular station.  Remote villages in Alaska, Kenya, India and from the metropolises of Tokyo, Moscow, Sydney—each of which would have also received, eventually, by mail, a beautiful reciprocal blue postcard with the station number of Estancia Cristina signed by Herbert. Experiencing this display, you have to conjure images of Herbert, alone, on a dark night with the wind howling outside and a sky spilling over with stars, hunched over his radio set listening intently through headphones to faint emissions from strangers on the other side of the planet.  Imagine the thoughts that must have gone through Herbert’s mind to talk to someone in the outback of Australia, to envision just how different their surroundings must have been from those of where Herbert sat, surrounded by glaciers, granite peaks, and the ever-present Patagonian wind. We take global connectivity for granted today, and this display really drives that point home.

The second fantastic display which brings to light just how difficult it must have been to complete some tasks in this isolation, as well as the extreme self-sufficiency and ingenuity the Masters family possessed, is the display chronicling the family’s building of the steamship “Cristinita” or “little Cristina.”  The “Cesar” which had navigated the lake for over 40 years and initially brought the family to Estancia Cristina and served as their personal and financial connection with the outside world, was on her last legs and they needed a new boat. Rather than buying one they decided to build their own from blueprint plans they found in a 1948 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine!  The greasy tattered copy of the magazine, creased open to the schematic diagrams, sits in a display case in the museum and is almost vertigo-inducing to fathom how you would start such an undertaking, even today. For the Masters family, a local hardware store was never an option. Anything they had done at the Estancia, they just figured out how to do it themselves. So they fell, cut, milled and shaped all the wood on site, machined iron nails and hardware from a coal-fired forge, and got the vessel together.  There is no exact record of when they started, but it is assumed they began in the early 1950’s. The very famous British explorer, Eric Shipton, who visited the Estancia during one of his climbing expeditions in 1958 noted in his journal that “the ship was almost ready but the family is waiting on the diesel engine to arrive, which they mail ordered from Detroit in the United States.” It is believed that the engine took over four years to arrive to the Estancia from Detroit, and was installed around 1962-63. The “Cristinita” served the family well and cut the travel time to Puerto Bandera down to four hours. The boat was sadly shipwrecked in the early 1990’s right on the beach in front of the Estancia, where it still sits today for visitors to admire.  The long-awaited Detroit diesel engine resides in the museum along with the original shipping manifests, invoices, and blueprints. It’s a remarkable thing to see in person.

The steamship “Cristinita” sits abandoned on the shores of Lago Argentina in front of the Estancia since the early 1990s. Built by hand by Masters family between 1950-1962, the diesel engine and construction plans are displayed in the museum.

The Masters family seemed to keep to themselves for much of the history of living there, although there are mentions of a few ranch hands and carpenters who must have been their closest friends.  But in the 1950’s, outsiders started to come to the Estancia with greater regularity in the form of scientific and military expeditions sponsored by the government. Due to the Estancia’s incredible location next to the Upsala glacier and the southern Patagonian icecap, it was used as a staging area to build a series of shelters and scientific research stations on the icecap.  Numerous army and air force operations were staged out of the Estancia, specifically used to train pilots for landing on the Antarctic continent. 

Historical trinkets sit atop a dresser in one of the 20 guest rooms the Estancia offers visitors today.

As Joseph and Jessie Masters began to grow older, they knew they needed more help than just their son Herbert to keep the Estancia running.  But it was extremely difficult to find someone who would be willing to live in such an isolated location, and who shared the extreme work ethic of the Masters family. However, in a stroke of serendipity in 1966, Janet Hermingston (originally from Edinburgh, Scotland) was sent to the Estancia under a medical order to be a “woman of company” to Jessie Masters, as her husband’s health was becoming fragile.  Janet fell in love with the beauty and isolation of Estancia Cristina—and seemed to be the only individual who was truly taken in by the Masters family and treated as one of them. Janet cared for Joseph and Jessie while helping Herbert with daily tasks. Jessie Masters died in 1971 at 95-years-old and her husband, Joseph, died in 1977 at 101-years-old. They were buried in the Rio Gallegos cemetery alongside their beloved Cristina, but Herbert built three white crosses as a memorial and placed them in the ground outside the farmhouse, they are still there today.  With their passing, only Janet and Herbert were left to run the Estancia. Having lived and worked beside each other for decades, Janet eventually married Herbert on his eightieth birthday in 1982.  Obviously, this was a joint decision to ensure there was a lineage in the family when he passed away to ensure the dream wouldn’t die.  Herbert passed two years later in 1984, bequeathing the entire Estancia to Janet.

One of the 20 guest rooms at the Estancia

Janet kept the dwindling sheep operation running by herself, tended a large organic garden which still feeds visitors today, and spent a lot of time “painting bad pictures,” as she put it.  Janet unknowingly laid the seeds for the future of Estancia Cristina as a tourism enterprise. Her time at Estancia Cristina from 1966 until her death was the golden age of international mountain climbing expeditions and Janet seemed, unsurprisingly, to get along well with these extremely motivated and adventuresome mountaineers that frequented the Estancia.  Janet was there to host Eric Shipton on the first solo crossing of the southern Patagonian icecap in the late 60’s, got to know the famous Italian climber Casimiro Ferrari whose name is stamped on first ascents all over Patagonia, and also befriended the Slovakian-born brothers Jorge and Pedro Skvarca, who had such a fondness for Janet that they looked after her during her final living days at the Estancia in 1997.  Many of these mountaineers who became her friends encouraged her to start fixing up buildings at the Estancia to house guests for tourism in order to share the magic and history of the location, and to provide an alternative income to ranching.  One of the most direct links to the present-day tourism operation came from Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia clothing company. Yvon stayed with Janet on his 1968 Fitzroy expedition, together with and became enamored with the place, telling many of his friends who were pioneering “adventure travel” at the time about its potential.  Two of those friends were Al Read (founder of Exum Mountain Guides and Geographic Expeditions) and James Sano (ex-President of Geographic Expeditions and current vice president of Travel, Tourism, and Conservation for the World Wildlife Fund). Al and James led frequent commercial trips to Estancia Cristina in the 1980’s, staying with Janet and helping her navigate Estancia Cristina into the world of hosting paying guests which continues to this day.

With such an incredible heritage and story, it is no wonder Estancia Cristina is one of our most beloved destinations in South America.  If you are a lover of wild places, fascinated by history, and seek unique and authentic travel experiences, Estancia Cristina is the perfect destination for your next adventure.

To learn more about Estancia Cristina and how to sell it, see our recorded WEBINAR. If you really enjoy this type of history, feel free to read the full historical document about Estancia Cristina, HERE.

Hotel Aguas Claras Announces Expansion

The oceanfront oasis unveils new tropical bungalows, tucked within two acres of lush gardens on Playa Chiquita

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica – Situated on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Hotel Aguas Claras has announced the debut of its new deluxe luxury bungalows. Filled with art and soul within the Costa Rican jungle, the inspiring hideaway is creating a new room category with the addition of the deluxe bungalows – the perfect complement to the hotel’s existing six luxury bungalows, six themed suites, and two-story Caribbean House.

Set within a lush garden overlooking the Caribbean coast, the deluxe luxury bungalows feature two spacious bedrooms, each with its own bathroom – one bedroom with a king bed and the second with two single beds that can be converted into a king bed. Curated by mother-daughter duo and owners of the hotel, Elizabeth Steinvorth and Elena Rohrmoser, the private sanctuary features an eclectic Caribbean-inspired design utilizing recycled and repurposed furniture and décor.

Back Patio & Plunge Pool of Hotel Aguas Claras new Two-Bedroom Deluxe Bungalows.

“The idea is a construction that maintains the essence associated with Victorian architecture, incorporating details such as railings and high airy ceilings,” Steinvorth said.

“However, we also wanted to put a focus on comfort and exclusivity, fusing it with a modern private style and a more immersive experience in unity with the nature surrounding our property.”

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Ideal for couples and families alike, the bungalows stand out from the other accommodations at Hotel Aguas Claras with their expansive open-air living space. Guests can relax in their own private plunge pool, or enjoy intimate deals outdoors while lounging on the covered veranda.

Lounge area on the patio of a Two-Bedroom Deluxe Bungalow.

Surrounded by a tropical jungle, this beachfront hotel (ages 8+ only) was conceptualized by a mother-daughter duo. Multimedia artist Elizabeth Steinvorth was looking for a place to put various artworks to good use – from floral water color paintings and mosaics to murals and up-cycled furniture pieces – and worked with her daughter to bring her vision to life. The hotel is filled with Steinvorth’s body of work as well as creations from the family’s cherished art friends.

The inspiring luxury hotel is comprised of six luxury bungalows, six themed suites, two deluxe two-bedroom luxury bungalows, and a two-story Caribbean house. Guests can take advantage of open-air spa treatments at Casa Gandhi; yoga, meditation, and chakra therapy sessions; two restaurants offering AfroCaribbean cuisine prepared with fresh, local ingredients; and access to Playa Chiquita - one of the best beaches on the south Caribbean coast.

Casa Ghandi

The inspiring luxury hotel is comprised of six luxury bungalows, six themed suites, two deluxe two-bedroom luxury bungalows, and a two-story Caribbean house. Guests can take advantage of open-air spa treatments at Casa Gandhi; yoga, meditation, and chakra therapy sessions; two restaurants offering AfroCaribbean cuisine prepared with fresh, local ingredients; and access to Playa Chiquita - one of the best beaches on the south Caribbean coast.

Rates for the bungalows start at $890 per night, including accommodations and breakfast for the duration of the stay. For more information, please visit www.hotelaguasclaras.com.

About Hotel Aguas Claras

Set on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Hotel Aguas Claras opened in 2018 as an expression of mother-daughter owners Elizabeth Steinvorth and Elena Rohrmoser creativity and love. Whimsical and thoughtfully curated, the collection of bungalows and suites feature tropical colors, original art pieces, midcentury modern accents, and Caribbean-inspired architecture. Just 10 minutes from Puerto Viejo by bike, the property offers access to the coast’s black, gold and white sand beaches, as well as the area’s best restaurants and shopping. For more information, please visit www.hotelaguasclaras.com. Images can be found here.

Playa Chiquita

CK Representation: Holiday Availability in Latin America 2023

Where Can I Spend the Holidays in Latin America?

Festive season is right around the corner and we’ve been getting lots of requests for availability at the lodges in our Latin America portfolio. Therefore, we’ve compiled a detailed list of what rooms are still open for bookings. Please take a look below and make sure to contact Clark for anything South America related and Turney for all things Central America.

The dates of the below availability is from December 18 - January 5 / Festive Season rates

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COSTA RICA

• Arenas del Mar — The Playitas Suite (2-bedroom villa) is completely sold out, however there is plenty of availability among various rooms throughout the entire duration of festive season. Only one room available from 12/27 - 12/31. Family friendly and recently named one of the best family hotels in the world by CN Traveler.
  

• Kurà (adults only, Virtuoso) — There are 8 total individual suites here and there is availability every day besides 12/29 and only 1 suite available on 12/30.
  

• Senda Monteverde — A family friendly hotel in the cloud forest of Monteverde. Combines nicely with Arenas del Mar for a 7d/6n itinerary. Plenty of rooms available besides 01/01/2024 New Year’s Day. Family friendly for all ages.
  

• Hotel Aguas Claras — Beautiful beachside hotel on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica in Puerto Viejo. There are a few bungalows (1 to 5 bedrooms) available, but plenty of Pavlova Suites (1 king bed or 2 doubles). Minimum age for this lodge is 8 & up.
  

• Lapa Rios — In the southwestern Osa Pensiula offers an excellent rainforest safari option for anyone 6 and older and has 17 individual bungalows & suites. There are several rooms available from 12/18 - 12/23, but all sold out after those dates. Four night minimum stay.
  

• Pacuare Lodge (Virtuoso) — Perhaps one of the most unique hotels in the entire world where guests can white water raft into and out of the lodge, arrive by 4x4 vehicle, or by helicopter. There are 20 individual Garden View Rooms & Suites scattered among the propertyMinimum age to visit the lodge is 7 years old, to raft into Pacuare Lodge its minimum age of 9, and to raft out the minimum age is 12. All dates have over three suites or garden rooms available besides 12/24 and 12/28. This is a true gem of Costa Rica and its rare to see this kind of availability, so act fast! Plus, only a 2 night minimum stay!
  

• Tortuga Lodge — Family friendly lodge located in Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Combines very nicely with Pacuare Lodge & Hotel Aguas Claras. We like to call Tortuga Lodge “an easily accessible slice of the Amazon abundant with wildlife.” 5 or more rooms are available every date during festive. 2 night minimum stay as well!
  

• Pasha — 10 bedroom fully staff beachfront villa by Cayuga Collection, available for full buyout from Dec 18 - 25.

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COLOMBIA

• Hacienda Bambusa — From December 25th to the 28th we have three rooms available.
  

• Casa Yahri —  4 bedroom villa in Barichara is available from December 26 to the 29th.  It’s also available up until the 22nd of December. This makes an incredible one stop place to go for the holidays for a family, combined with a few days in Bogota or Cartagena.
  

• La Casa en Las Nubes — A four bedroom fully staffed villa managed by Hacienda Bambusa above the village of Salento, in the coffee region, is available from December 22-25th. Staying at Casa Yahri for three nights and then moving to La Casa en Las Nubes for three nights would be an amazing family trip, we can connect the two with charter flights.

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PERU

• Inkaterra — There is still availability at all properties.
  

• Titilaka and Cirqa — availability at both as well.

December is a really cool time to be in Peru, a lot less people but incredible festivals and markets in every town. Availability is scattered, so we are not detailing exact dates available, best to just contact us and we can advise on a good itinerary based on availability.

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PANAMA

• Isla Palenque — Private Island eco resort in the Gulf of Chiriqui. The villa is completely sold out, but there are available beachfront casitas on al dates up until January 1st. This is an amazing option to combine with Panama City for a few days, which is so easy to get to.

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ECUADOR

• Galapagos Safari Camp — Dec 19-24, two spaces left.  December 24-29, two spaces left.  December 29-January 3rd, two spies left.
  

• Hacienda Zuleta — SOLD OUT
  

• Hacienda La Danesa — Dec 19-22, two rooms.  Dec 27-29 two rooms.

Combining a few nights at Hacienda La Danesa pre/post with one of the Galapagos Safari Camp departures would make a great trip for a couple!

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ARGENTINA

• Estancia Cristina — In Patagonia has space available up until December 22nd and then from January 1st or later. 
  

• Awasi Iguazu — Two rooms available between December 20-31 

Spend a few active days in Patagonia at Estancia Cristina then head to Awasi Iguazu on the 22nd would be an ideal combo.

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CHILE

• Awasi Atacama is fully booked from December 20th through mid-January.
  

• Awasi Patagonia — Sold out

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NICARAGUA

• Jicaro Island Lodge — Casitas are available for all dates, please remember when booking Rancho Santana that Jicaro is the perfect combination allowing guests to experience the culture and volcanoes of Granada before heading to the Emerald Coast. 2 night minimum stay.

• Rancho Santana — Some scattered availability. Please inquire for more details. There are several hotel rooms available at “The Inn” which is an 18 bedroom hotel on the property. Other than that there are some Garden View Casitas (2 bedroom individual houses), Residences (3 bedroom condos on located on the beach), and Ocean View Homes (3-5 bedroom houses scattered along the property). Contact us for more details. 6 night minimum.

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BRAZIL

• Comuna de Ibitipoca — Their three bedroom “Carlinhos House” is available over festive, and a few of the homes in the village of Mogol are also available.

Fly into Ro de Janiero for a few days and then immerse in the magic of Ibitipoca, a dream trip.

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To stay in touch about last minute deals and more, please go follow us on social media if you do not already: Instagram or Facebook

For all things South America, please reach out to Clark: clark@clarkkotula.com. Turney handles Central America - turney@clarkkotula.com

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The Story of Böëna Wilderness Lodges: T+L 2024 Exceptional Eco Lodges

Costa Rica: 2024 Destination of The Year by Travel + Leisure

If you haven’t heard the news, I will be happy to be the one to break it to you. According to Travel + Leisure, Costa Rica was recently named as the 2024 Best Destination of The Year for travelers to visit from across the globe. As someone who has visited this beautiful country 14 times in the last 3 years, I am not surprised by this outcome, but my hope is that travelers choose to visit in ways that help the local communities and surrounding environments. That is why when Gina DeCaprio Vercesi, a freelance writer for T+L, reached out to Lapa Rios interested in featuring them in this article, everyone involved knew it was a great opportunity to promote eco-travel in Costa Rica with the attempt of attracting a “luxurious” crowd, if you will.

One main challenge I’ve noticed within the Adventure Travel Industry is that a lot of people believe you have to “rough it” by sleeping in a hammock or tent somewhere under a tree. Therefore, going “off the beaten path” can seem like a challenge to many, but Böëna Wilderness Lodges is completely changing that rhetoric. What began as an operation 30 years ago as a campground to help rafters have a place to sleep along the Pacuare River at night, to now hosting travelers on authentic Costa Rica travel experiences throughout the entire country. This is the story of Böëna Wilderness Lodges and how they became named some of the Best Eco Lodges in the World!

Highlights of Lapa Rios, Pacuare Lodge, and Tortuga Lodge

Started as Pacuare Lodge, Expanded to Böëna Wilderness Lodges

When it comes to ecotourism in Costa Rica, there are a few lodges who are considered the pioneers. One of them is Pacuare Lodge, a unique lodge where guests are provided an opportunity to whitewater raft into and out of the property. Beyond the amazing adventure activities, what truly makes Pacuare Lodge are the people behind it. Founded in 1986, it has been built up to the Virtuoso level and is an inspiration for other luxury adventure lodges around the world. Now, the owners have taken what they’ve learned along the way by adding several more luxury adventure lodges and services to form Böëna Wilderness Lodges.

Me at Pacuare Lodge in January 2022

The Story of Pacuare Lodge

Böëna Wilderness Lodges officially began in 2019, but their history as a hotel collection dates back from humble beginnings more than 30 years ago. Roberto Fernandez, the owner of Pacuare Lodge and now Böëna Wilderness Lodges, opened Pacuare Lodge in 1986 on the Pacuare River, actually known as one of the top 10 rivers in the world for white water rafting according to National Geographic. Roberto envisioned the Pacuare Lodge as a place where he could share the extraordinary uniqueness and biodiversity that surrounds the Pacuare River while going on rafting expeditions.

Original Pacuare Lodge Bungalow

This is an example of what Pacuare Lodge began as, a few bungalows with no hot water or electricity, but a place to rest your head at night and enjoy the sheer beauty of this place.

Current Garden View Suite

Now, Pacuare Lodge is a Virtuoso property with 20 different suites, this one is a Garden View Suite. Same bungalow format as the original, but now with running hot water and electricity operated by solar energy.

The land was purchased from a local farmer who had cattle on the property and was unfortunately destroying the forest. Roberto saw this as an opportunity to save the forest through ecotourism, but to also offer the locals a way to earn a living without harming the biodiversity of this unique region. Nearby the property is the Cabecar Indigenous Reserve, which belongs to the members of that ethnicity and they can’t sell the land.

Once Pacuare Lodge was purchased and ready for operation, they placed a few raised platforms with overhead covers on the property for guests to sleep on. Eventually, they bought more land and grew Pacuare Lodge into a Virtuoso property (formerly part of Nat Geo Unique Lodges of the World as well) for travelers from all over the world to come visit. Still to this day, the Cabecar indigenous community borders the hotel and guests can meet members of the village by hiking with an expert, in-house guide from Pacuare Lodge, or by meeting one of the Cabecar staff members at Pacuare.

A few of the current Pacuare Lodge guides who have a lot of history working with this unique property. On the left is Ananias, who is part of the neighboring Cabecar indigenous community, and Luis on the right grew up exploring Pacuare Lodge since his father was one of the first employees. They have seen the forest expand throughout their lifetime and love telling guests how wildlife has continuously been thriving since Roberto and his family purchased the property.

New Opportunities to Expand Ecotourism

Roberto’s wife Luz Cáceres is the Commercial Director and his daughter Natalia is the Director of Sales, making it a truly local and family-run business. Through their hard work and perseverance, Pacuare Lodge has remained one of the top eco-lodges in all of Costa Rica. In 2019, they were presented an opportunity to acquire Lapa Rios, another lodge in Costa Rica known for being one of the best eco lodges in the world – which was also part of Nat Geo Unique Lodges of the World, but managed by Cayuga Collection at the time. The owners of Lapa Rios wanted to ensure that it was sold to someone who was going to not only maintain their sustainability practices, but who would advance it as well. The collection of Böëna wilderness Lodges was launched after they purchased Tortuga Lodge and Monteverde Lodge. The vision of having a cluster of emblematic lodges in amazing destinations was achieved once they brought Lapa Rios, Monteverde, Tortuga Lodge to join Pacuare Lodge. Now, Böëna Lodges is locally owned by the Fernandez and Loeb families.

Of the 5 lodges, we represent Lapa Rios, Pacuare Lodge, and Tortuga Lodge. Originally, we represented Lapa Rios with Cayuga Collection, but once they sold to Böëna we continued working with them and eventually were honored to add Tortuga Lodge and Pacuare Lodge.

From left to right: Luz, Roberto, and Natalia at Lapa Rios.

Böëna is a Cabecar indigenous word meaning “Pura Vida” or “wellness; enjoying nature” is exactly how guests are invited to experience the lodges and allow their worries of the world to disappear in order to fully reconnect with nature.

After Lapa Rios was purchased, more opportunities to acquire eco-lodges in Costa Rica followed. In the late 80´s, Roberto met Michael Kaye who is considered the pioneer of adventure travel in Costa Rica, he was also the owner of Tortuga Lodge, Monteverde Lodge, and Costa Rica Expeditions. Böëna Wilderness Lodges was offered the opportunity to purchased Tortuga Lodge and Monteverde Lodge in the pandemic. Following that, they acquired Cloud Forest Lodge in 2022 and purchased a new Cessna Caravan under the name of “Xplore Air.” Instead of simply maintaining and operating these newly-purchased properties, they took it 10 steps further by upgrading each of them to the standard that a guest would experience at Pacuare Lodge.

Local guide at Lapa Rios happy to be guiding again after months of no guests during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Boena Wilderness Lodges Timeline:

• Pacuare Lodge (their original hotel, founded in 1986

• Lapa Rios (purchased in 2019)

• Monteverde Lodge (purchased in 2021)

• Tortuga Lodge (purchased in 2021)

• Cloud Forest Lodge (purchased in 2022)

• Xplore Air Cessna Caravan (purchased in 2022)

Recononstruction During the Pandemic

Once the pandemic began in March of 2020, Böëna Wilderness Lodges was put into a tough position. They made massive investments on growing their brand and purchasing hotels, so it was majorly unfortunate that travelers weren’t able to visit for some time. However, instead of looking at the negative side of things, they took the opportunity to make major renovations which is why all of the properties are at the luxury level of Pacuare Lodge currently. Instead of firing all of their staff, they allowed many of them to stay at the hotels and help with renovations/upkeep. When visiting these lodges, its inspiring to talk to staff members who have been working there for decades and are so passionate about Costa Rica. They make guests feel like family and are some of the most welcoming people you will ever meet.

As someone who has worked closely with the Böëna team and travels frequently to each property, what they have accomplished is unlike anything that I’ve ever seen in the travel industry. Beyond the luxury aspect of being some of the best eco-lodges in Costa Rica, most of them include their own spa treatments, nature excursions & activities, restaurants with locally-sourced food, and cultural activities where you can meet local people and learn their way of life.

Amazing locally-caught tuna tostada at Tortuga Lodge.

Making a Difference in Local Communities and Preserving Nature

Every guest who visits a Böëna Wilderness Lodge pays a one-time per person/per stay conservation fee of $10-$25. This money goes directly to programs that each hotel supports or has created. Böëna as a company sets aside a % of its revenues to support the different projects. This is the main source of the budget. The Conservation Fee helps to make those projects more ambitious.

An Ocelot caught on one of Pacuare Lodge’s Trap Cameras to monitor wildlife.

For example, at Tortuga Lodge, that money goes towards funding the “Escuela de música caribeña de Tortuguero” a school where local children attend to learn their local Calypso music in order to maintain its original Caribbean heritage. On weekends or special occasions, the kids will come perform at Tortuga Lodge. It is one of the most amazing experiences! At Lapa Rios, that money goes towards paying a full-time administrative person to be in the office doing paperwork and handling other matters. By doing so, park rangers are able to be out in the field studying and doing research full-time in the Osa Peninsula – where nearly 3% of our planet’s biodiversity exists. Last but not least, Pacuare Lodge has a Jaguar Research Program in conjunction with the National University of Costa Rica since 2009 where they set trap cameras throughout the forest to monitor wild cats and even offer a presentation at the lodge for any guest interested in learning more.

Escuela de música caribeña de Tortuguero performing for guests at Tortuga Lodge.

At each lodge, guests can partake in a sustainability tour to see how the hotel/staff operates behind the scenes with advanced solar and water-turbine energy sources, cooking classes, and much more. Since Böëna Wilderness Lodges owns and operates each of these properties, they preserve all of the land on it as well. For example, at Lapa Rios, one of the nature trails where guided hikes are offered is located in Primary Forest, meaning that it has been untouched for hundreds of years – which is rare to find in Costa Rica considering mostly all of the nature reserves are secondary forest. This preserved land at each property has been a corridor for wildlife species to live and thrive, that’s why guests are always in awe of how much wildlife one can see while visiting. In fact, Böëna Lodges preserve 2,000 acres of rainforest and cloud forest among its Private Nature Reserves.

Overall, Böëna Wilderness Lodges has become a fine example of generational tradeoff within the hotel industry, and how one company with a vision of luxury hospitality combined with environmental and cultural preservation can make a positive impact on a country – helping the adventure travel industry advance rather than deteriorate. Now, with the Xplore Air plane, guests can get to one another easily and experience many different parts of Costa Rica in a unique way.

New XPlore Air Cessna Grand Caravan helps guests get from one lodge to the other in luxury.

Why Should You Visit Nicaragua Now

Nicaragua: Why You Should Visit Now

Last year during March 2022 I made my way back to Costa Rica, but instead of visiting the lodges there this time, I would immediately make my way to Nicaragua from Liberia, CR for a site inspection of Jicaro Island Lodge, one of the properties under the Cayuga Collection sustainable hotels brand. After arriving in Liberia, CR the Sales & Ops team from Cayuga Collection picked me up in order to cross the border at Peñas Blancas into Nicaragua. I had never been to Nicaragua before this, so I was eager to learn more.

Turning the Page

At this point in time, no flights from the United States or Costa Rica were arriving in Nicaragua. Pretty much the only way to visit was via border crossing from Peñas Blancas, and I quickly learned that it was a long journey. This was my first time visiting Nicaragua, but I had heard stories of the resiliency of Nicaraguan local people, continuously working hard to keep tourism open and welcome to travelers far and wide. Before the 2018 political uprising in Nicaragua, ecotourism was booming and things were looking up for the country of lakes and volcanos. After the dust from political rallies settled, tourism once again began to rise, only to be shut down by a brutal hurricane. Once again, Nicaraguans found themselves cleaning up a mess to bring back tourism, and that is when the COVID-19 pandemic happened.

Just when it seemed like everything was going back to normal, in March of 2020 a complete economic & travel shutdown occurred with no flights entering the country occurred. This was devastating news for the locals who had already been dealt so much adversity. Once again, Nicaraguans remained resilient and did not give up hope.

Photo taken from the lookout tower on Jicaro Island Lodge, March 2022.

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Introducing… Rancho Santana!

When we arrived at Peñas Blancas, we waited our turn to get through customs & immigration. The only other people there were some backpackers who were either trying to go surfing, or visiting Nicaragua in hopes that it would be less expensive than Costa Rica. We got through the border crossing, found our driver and made our way to Jicaro with hopes of arriving in time to catch a sunset. In Granada, it was very quiet with hardly any tourists walking around, if any.

After several discussions and non-stop brainstorming among our team, it seemed like there was only one truly viable answer to this solution. That word was patience. We knew flights would eventually reopen, but the question was when… And to remember what the Nicaraguans taught us, to remain optimistic and resilient.

Several months went by after returning home and nothing had changed in regards to flights reopening. However, things began to start feeling different in August of 2022. Clark and I spoke briefly with Rancho Santana who was interested in possibly working with us. However, flights were still not available to Nicaragua. We decided to keep in touch, and told them once flights reopen, we would talk about coming down for a site inspection. Fast forward to November, I remember waking up one morning and seeing news from our team at Jicaro Island Lodge mentioning that American and United were both reopening a daily route to Managua. America from Miami and United from Houston.

So, long story short, Clark and I made our way to Rancho Santana shortly after in January of 2023 on the direct flight with United from Houston. We arrived in Managua, got right through a short customs line, found our driver and were on the way. We couldn’t believe how smooth this process was! Beautiful drive through the countryside with views of lakes and volcanoes along the route, only to end at paradise overlooking the beautiful Emerald Coast. This was way less exhausting and more fun than the border crossing.

Once we pulled up to Rancho Santana (2.5 - 3 hrs driving from Managua Airport), I could instantly tell this was a special place and perhaps the missing piece to a big puzzle that we were trying to solve. Within the Clark Kotula Representation portfolio of hotels, most properties that we work with are small boutique properties, typically with 8-20 rooms at each hotel. However, Rancho Santana has 27 houses to rent from, a 17-bedroom hotel, 6 two-bedroom Garden Casitas, and 30 three-bedroom Beachside Condos. At first thought, it wouldn’t be a good fit due to its size, but as Clark Kotula will tell you, we quickly realized that Rancho Santana is “SO WORTH IT!”

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Rancho Santana: Family-Friendly & Eco-Friendly

An Eco-Friendly & Family-Friendly Adventure Resort along the Emerald Coast of Nicaragua, sounds too good to be true, right? Well at Rancho Santana, they have cracked the code and managed to make this dream into a reality. When Vera, the Director of Sales for Rancho Santana, took us around the entire property for a site inspection I was instantly shocked with their operation. Instead of importing a bunch of things such as food, cement, steel, and energy, they create it on the ranch. They have a fully functioning solar farm, steel factory, and construction company all employed by local Nicaraguans. Beyond that, they operate and manage an organic garden & farm. Among the hotel and construction company, over 450 local Nicaraguans are employed here. One thing that amazed me the most was the quality of the hiking and biking trails. Guests are able to immerse in the authenticity of this place because of the friendly and passionate staff members who make it all possible.

Programs such as helping out in Rancho Santana’s Organic Garden are types of activities children can participate in, while parents enjoy much-deserved time to themselves.

Solar Field at Rancho Santana… Learn more here https://ranchosantana.com/sustainability/solar-energy/

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Putting All of the Pieces Together

As Clark headed out, I returned to Jicaro Island Lodge for a few nights to see how everything was going. To start, Howard the GM of Jicaro who we call “The Mayor of Granada” took me around the town to see how it has changed. There were travelers all over the place! We got lunch in a wonderful courtyard restaurant downtown Granada and I was jazzed up to see so many people out and about. When I got to Jicaro afterwards, I came to find out that almost every casita for the night was booked. There were people from Colorado, Asia, Europe, and Nicaragua staying there. The staff was thrilled! 

Adding Rancho Santana was an exciting addition for us because it combines really nicely with Jicaro Island Lodge. For most travelers, there is a “no-brainer decision” when it comes to stopping by Jicaro Island Lodge before or after going to Rancho Santana. Since Jicaro is only 45-minutes to Managua airport, the drive from Jicaro to Rancho Santana is only about 2 hours. By staying at Jicaro beforehand, it provides the opportunity to visit Mombacho & Masaya Volcano, and to explore the vibrant colorful town of Granada. That way, guests can really enjoy everything that Rancho Santana has to offer.

Also, as someone who has been honored to meet many local Nicaraguan people, and to be invited into their country, helping travelers return is something that I will be forever passionate about. Their resiliency to keep eco-travel alive by showing off the natural beauty of their country is one of the most special things I’ve witnessed in this world. We invite you to come experience it for yourself!

Feel free to email Clark or myself with any questions:

Turney@clarkkotula.com
Clark@clarkkotula.com

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Guest Feedback

Now that all the pieces of the puzzle seemed together, we began sending different travel agencies and groups to experience Jicaro and Rancho Santana in Nicaragua. They had an amazing time, and don’t take my word for it! Check out what they had to say and enjoy the photos. When you’re ready visit Nicaragua and begin sending clients there, do let us know!

Also, don’t forget to check out our Sample Itinerary of Nicaragua featuring Rancho Santana and Jicaro Island Lodge.

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“I loved starting our trip by staying in Granada. Jicaro Island Retreat is such a special property -- you have to take a boat to get there as it is an island retreat. The food was exquisite and it was so relaxing. You get the benefit of a quiet island oasis with the culture and activity of colonial Granada, just a quick boat and car ride away. From there, I recommend going to Rancho Santana where you can do everything or nothing. From surfing to horseback riding to spa to a cooking class, there is so much to do! The beaches are stunning and it is one of the most untouched, beautiful places I have ever seen. Jicaro Island Retreat and Rancho Santana make a great combination and a wonderful way to experience Nicaragua.”

— Natalie Kurtzman, FORA Travel

FORA Travel Advisors loving the views of Mombacho Volcano.

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“I would absolutely recommend for anyone to visit Nicaragua- in fact I have already told all my friends and will be planning a trip with my family to Rancho Santana whirred there is literally an activity to please all. Jicaro Island is such a magical special place it is hard to describe in words. Some of the highlights were simply waking up In my gorgeous casita tree house listening to the waves lapping against the shore of the lake. Coffee on the front porch and yoga on the lakefront were the perfect ways to start the morning. Hiking mombachu, zip lining and staring into the crater of (insert name I forgot of active volcano) at night were also highlights. And the food, the food! A 5 star menu, the fresh juices and fruit and the sheer variety of menu items were out of this world. And lastly the staff…wonderful kind thoughtful knowledgeable- we were sad to say goodbye when the time came. A truly magical and restorative retreat.

Also the highlights for me at Rancho Santana was surfing Panga drops sat that pristine stretch of beach Perros. Then signing up the rest of the girls for a surf lesson there which was truly joyful. The instructors were so fun and amazing. And then of course having tacos, sublime ceviche and table side guacamole afterwards. And our e-mountain bike ride (guided) was beyond fun. And the yoga, amazing and the spa…the hot and cold plunge pools - now I’m obsessed and doing it everyday at home

Oh and I almost forgot- felt beyond safe traveling there. Safer than other nearby countries”

— Alison Van Dis, Friends of Jacqui Kotula

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“CLARO QUE SI!!! I absolutely would and have! What an ecologically robust and culturally vibrant country with a ton to offer an adventure traveler! Highlights for me were the day that included - a boat ride, volcano hike, and zip lining was incredible! Also, the day that included mountain biking and surfing! Regarding safety… Yes, absolutely felt safe at all times. There is a sense of safety in a country without blasting volumes of tourism. You feel seen, watched over, appreciated and cared for in a unique way. It's hard to explain if you have not been to less-traveled destinations. Being one of only a spattering of tourists offers a charming sense of community and is a privilege as a tourist.”

— Casey Binstadt, Friends of Jacqui Kotula

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“Both properties are 1000x better than they look in the pictures. Jicaro was such a unique travel destination. The level of service there was above and beyond anything I've ever experienced and the food was delicious. Our time there was the perfect mix of activity, adventure and relaxation. The natural beauty of the area and the kindness of the people definitely added to the experience. 

Rancho Santana was, of course, incredible. It was nice to have all the amenities of a larger resort without any of the crowds. It felt like we had the place to ourselves at times. It was great for our group to be able to do things on their own or together as a group. The trail system for biking and hiking was incredible and very unexpected. 

I've been spreading the word about traveling in Nicaragua and hopefully some others will jump on board soon too.”

— Alison Bricker, Friends of Jacqui Kotula

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