Halfway between Quepos and Dominical is a small beach village, literally in the middle of nowhere. A place where the cicadas talk more than people, and the birds leave more footprints on the beach than the tourists. This is Matapalo. The beach in Matapalo stretches 45 km., with little interruption.
The town itself lies three km. inland, while "beachfront" hotels sit back from the sand, separated by a line of trees and vegetation. Since the town is accessible only by a poorly maintained dirt road, visitors are few. "We’re the only ICT tourist region without phones or roads," says Michel Trottlier of the 1.5 km. in Matapalo zoned for tourism. "We’re like an incognito tourist zone."
The isolation of the town provides a tranquility not found at the more popular Manuel Antonio or Quepos. "It’s not boring," says Autie Schiwinsky, who co-runs the Coquito del Pacífico hotel and restaurant. "It’s just quiet and different. Most people like it very much because it’s so quiet." Although rest and relaxation are the top priorities for most people who come to Matapalo, the town has plenty of outdoor activities to offer.
At low tide, the sea recedes 200 m., leaving hard, flat sand great for horseback or bike riding. Both horses and bikes are available for rent. Kayaks are available for exploring secluded mangroves, and the nearby mountains offer hiking and swimming in waterfalls.
At night, visitors can wander the beach and admire the stars, which fill the sky with a brilliance unseen in populated areas. The ocean shines an iridescent black on the horizon and phosphorescence glitters bright green in the breaking waves.
The small beach community of Matapalo is a close, friendly and slightly eccentric group composed of mostly of European expatriates, including Germans, French-Canadians, an Austrian, a Swiss couple, some Italians and a few Dutch. The cultural mix adds to the ambiance; the hotels are small and well run, meals are gourmet and the wine is good.
"We have quite good restaurants for the small place that we are," says Trottlier, who owns the hotel and restaurant La Terreza del Sol. Several nights a week he cooks up a gourmet feast for guests and friends alike, producing gastronomic delights such as fillet mignon with carrots and new potatoes, shrimp kabobs and fresh fish dishes. The restaurants at the nearby Coquet del Pacifico and Albergue Suizo are also very good.
Locals prefer to present Matapalo collectively, as a community of hotels and restaurants working together. "I have kayaks, he has horses," says Trottlier. "My guests use his horses, he sends people for my kayaks. They come over here to eat one night, sometimes I’ll go over there. Tourists have access to a resort that’s not a resort."
Changes will inevitably come to Matapalo. Roads construction should begin soon and cell phones are enabling visitors to contact hotels, at least some of the time. These developments, locals insist, won’t change the ambiance of this precious stretch of sand.
"When I came here I was the only one," says Trottlier, who moved to Matapalo from Montreal 11 years ago. "Now there are buildings, more places to go, but the essence of the place hasn’t changed."
Getting There:
By Car: It’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive from San José. Take the Inter-American Highway to Atenas and continue over the mountains to Orotinea. Follow the Costanera highway past Jacó to Quepos, then follow the signs to Dominical.
By Bus: Direct buses leave San José for Quepos throughout the day. From Quepos, take a bus to Dominical and get off at Matapalo. Call Transportes Delio Morales.
By Plane: Twenty-minute flights leave San José for Quepos airport, about a half-hours drive from Matapalo.
Geographical Division 
