COSTA RICA’S PACIFIC COAST beach resorts hard to get to – or leave

welcome sign read “Bad roads bring good people.” It was Leap Day 2020, six days before the novel coronavirus was first confirmed in Costa Rica, and 11 days before it was declared a global pandemic.

Our concierge, Erwin, led my companion and me past a heart-shaped infinity pool, up to an open-air lounge, where we were served gingery welcome cocktails and were struck by the panoramic view. The vast jungle below us was bracketed by small mountains and a wild, empty beach that stretched to the horizon. We luxuriated in the 96-degree afternoon heat.

Nosara is hard to get to and even harder to leave. On the other hand, it’s surprisingly accessible. In the winter, two airlines fly nonstop from Minneapolis-St. Paul to the small city of Liberia in the western Guanacaste province. Before the pandemic, the route carried about 25,000 passengers a year.

This year, the flights continue through early April, with some airfares below $300 – about half