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Welcome to our 11th trip south of the border. Last year, we visited Guatemala; this time, we venture further south into Central America to visit Costa Rica. This beautiful country is known for its stunning beaches, lush rainforests, and incredible wildlife. Our program leads us first to relax at the luxurious beach resort Casa Chameleon in Catalinas before continuing to the mountains, jungle, and volcano country at Hacienda Altagracia.

Vogue magazine nominated these two hotels for the best intimate stay (Casa Chameleon) and the best luxury hideaway (Hacienda AltaGracia).

On the way to Costa Rica, we will stop overnight in Oaxaca, the culinary capital of Mexico. I was there a few years ago, and just the memory of the mole makes me salivate again. On the way back from Guatemala, we will stop in Acapulco and spend two days in an architectural marvel, Hotel Encanto, that we were planning to visit last year, but hurricane Otis forced us to change our plans.

We will meet in McAllen, TX, on Saturday, February 8, in the afternoon for the takeoff into Mexico on Sunday morning. If you would prefer to skip that launching location, you can fly to Mexico yourself and meet the group in Oaxaca on Sunday afternoon.

Program

Unlike our previous trip, which included many extra activities, such as visiting archeological sites and cities, this trip is designed solely for relaxation. We will be staying in four gorgeous hotels and taking the time to relax. Of course, there are many activities available in each one, but none are mandatory, and the choice will be yours.

Oaxaca

We chose Oaxaca as an overnight stop on the way to Costa Rica because it is a city of unmatched elegance and fascinating culture. Most importantly, though, it is also the culinary capital of Mexico, and in the evening, we will have an opportunity to verify that claim. The flight to Oaxaca is only 560 nm, so we will be in our hotel early afternoon. Quinta Real is located in the beautiful Santa Catalina de Siena Ex-Convent, located in the heart of the city.

We could start our culinary adventures with the mezcal to whet the appetite: Mezcal, a spirit distilled from the agave plant, is central to Oaxacan culture, high on octane, and is practically the drink of the state. Mole, which means sauce, is a pronounced blend of chile and chocolate, and in Oaxaca, be careful what you say your preferred mole blend is because there are seven.

Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas

On Monday morning, we will leave Oaxaca for a short flight to Tapachula to refuel, which will allow us to overfly Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua on our way to Liberia, Costa Rica, and thus avoid permits and delays associated with landing in these countries. After landing, our handler will walk us through customs and immigration procedures and accompany the group to a bus, which will take us to our hotel for three nights: Casa Chameleon at Las Catalinas, part of the renowned Relais and Châteaux collection. The hotel was named one of the World's Top 100 Hotels for the second year and the #2 Resort in Central America by Travel + Leisure.

Casa Chameleon is perched atop a scenic oceanside cliff overlooking the charming little community of Las Catalinas, a car-free oasis with only 150 full-time residents. This boutique hotel has just 21 villas with a balcony and a sumptuous saltwater plunge pool. The property's crown jewel is its outdoor, Bali-inspired restaurant, Sentido Norte. It draws an evening crowd for cocktails with views and a daily sunset ceremony complete with a gong and flaming torches.

The hotel offers a range of activities, and we will let you decide what you would like to do during the next two days. Relax at the pool, zip down on a zipline, ride a horse on a beach, hike in the forest or at the base of Tenorio Volcano, visit a coffee factory, surf, paddle, swim, or dive right from the oceanfront of Las Catalinas, join a private catamaran tour along the Guanacaste coast or a sport fishing trip. Casa Chameleon is included in the Forbes Magazine list of the world's most beautiful hotels with pools.

Hacienda AltaGracia

On Thursday afternoon, we will board a bus for an hour ride back to Liberia and fly to San Jose Tobias Bolaños airport. This is not the main international airport in San Jose but rather a small GA airport. We will park our airplanes there for three days and board 30-minute commercial flights in Cessna Caravans to the airstrip next to the Hacienda AltaGracia. This is a 1700' grass strip, which I felt was too short for a Cirrus. Furthermore, there is no parking space for 12 airplanes, and the hotel does not allow private flights due to liability concerns.

Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection, opened in November 2021. It was formerly a luxury family retreat and coffee farm with strong connections to the people, culture, and landscape of Pérez Zeledón. The property is adjacent to one of the world's so-called Blue Zones, where locals tend to live much longer than the average. You can go horseback riding to a neighboring farm to learn how to make tortillas or leave at dusk and embark on a six-hour sunrise hike. You could hike the property's three miles of trails to spot yellow-headed Caracaras, jump into a helicopter and get dropped near the Pacuare River for a day of white-water rafting, or take lazy time at the incredible spa, where you'll be snapping pictures of just about everything in the room for future design projects. The all-glass, greenhouse-inspired oasis is filled with a massive pool and giant slabs of shiny white marble, which are warm stone beds.

There are 50 casitas, many with a pretty good-sized and heated private plunge pool and terraces with a hanging daybed from which you can look out for miles, past the secondary forest to the sugar cane fields in the distance.

In addition to the two poolside restaurants (Picoteo and Las Brisas) and Mercado, which has some packable goodies like jars of local honey and small ceramic bowls, there's the barbecue-and-rodeo-inspired Cienfuegos down by Los Establos, the resort's stables, and Picadero riding ring. Most nights, you'll want to have dinner at Grano. All the proteins and fresh produce are locally sourced, and the organic garden is steps from the kitchen. The menu changes daily, but expect dishes like grilled beef with green aji sauce, baked sweet plantains, onion crisps, and an herb salad. Or roasted small crown pumpkin with chickpeas, spiced pineapple salsa, and a chayote coriander mint salad.

Encanto Acapulco

On Sunday, we will board Caravans for a return flight to San Jose to find our airplanes. Then, we will take off for a 560-mile flight to Tapachula to re-enter Mexico and continue to Acapulco.

We stayed in the Hotel Encanto in Acapulco about 10 years ago. We wanted to see the city, and the hotel pictures looked terrific. We planned to visit the town, Diego Rivera murals, La Roqueta Island, Zocalo, and the beaches. Instead, we stayed all three nights in the hotel without moving, and we promised ourselves we would come back. The plan was to do that last year, but Hurricane Otis closed the city and the hotel, and we had to scramble at the last minute to find a replacement. I hope that this year, the gods of weather will be inclement. From the hotel website:

A concept by Miguel Ángel Aragonés, where a hotel is created in human proportions, complemented by the Architecture's harmony with the surrounding environment.

A place of sumptuous austerity, a seamlessly complete environment, protection in milieu, good food, and a sense of breadth. Architecture intended to start a conversation, spaces where one can listen to music. A temporary home with straightforward, discrete service. The perception of space and the all-white architectural structure is transformed at will by the passage of sun and clouds, reconfiguring the welcoming expanses minutely and continuously each day through an architecture fully transformed by natural light and its whimsical moods.

An attempt to understand the contrasts between light in interiors and exteriors. All this has been vital in facilitating the unity of space, the merging of inside and outside in my constructions.

Lodging summary

The summary of the exceptional hotels we chose for this trip is:

Operations

Flights

Procedures for flying into Mexico changed significantly in January 2024, but we will handle these complexities. We will also procure overflight permits for Guatemala and Nicaragua, as well as landing permits and parking arrangements in Costa Rica. In case you are wondering, El Salvador doesn't require overflight permit. You will just need to file a US APIS manifest, and we will help you do that if necessary.

Procedures

We will organize a pre-trip conference call in January 2025 to discuss flight procedures in Mexico and Costa Rica. In the meantime, please read the following notes to ensure that you and your airplane will be ready for the flight in February.

1. You must have valid pilot certificate; temporary certificates are not allowed.
2. You can fly under BasicMed in Costa Rica and Mexico, but a copy of a medical certificate will be required for the Nicaragua overflight permits. See a note in Flights section.
3. Aircraft must have valid permanent registration and airworthiness certificate.
4. You should buy a 2025 CBP custom sticker as soon as it is available.
5. We recommend that you have 406 ELT and the documentation proving it.
6. You should verify that Costa Rica and countries en route to Costa Rica are covered territory in your aircraft insurance policy.
7. While instrument rating is not strictly required, it is highly recommended. The weather is most often VFR, but we might not be able to help if you cannot continue the trip due to adverse conditions.

Questions

Please contact Thomas Daniel at info@thomas-daniel.com with any questions.