Escazu, Costa Rica is a lovely suburb on the outskirts of San Jose, the nation’s capital. If you hop in a cab at the San Jose Airport and ask the driver to take you to Escazu, he will likely reply by saying “ohhh, Escazu is very nice! It’s the Beverly Hills of Costa Rica,” and the driver would be right to say this. Escazu is nearly identical to a southern Californian suburb just with much less traffic, terrible sidewalks and friendlier inhabitants.
I lived near Beverly Hills for 7 years and even worked there for a while. It’s a nice place, but is not nearly as special as other parts of California and the same holds true for Escazu. If you’re looking for a comfortable place to eat good food and buy nice stuff, Escazu is the place. The city is loaded with retail including Costa Rica’s only shopping mall, the Multiplaza – which is the largest in Central America, too.
Colin and I stayed in Escazu for the month of May. We spent most of the month housesitting for a retired British diplomat and his wife while they were away on vacation. We had a lovely, uneventful month in the so-called Beverly Hills of Costa Rica. After a very adventurous April in the country town of La Fortuna, Escazu was a welcomed respite. In fact our day-to-day life here was very similar to our old life back in Sherman Oaks, California.
There are three experiences that will stick out in my memory when I think of our month in Escazu: staying at the Hummingbird House, eating at Cocina Eclectica, and our Spanish lessons with Sr. Wagner.
We needed a place to stay at the beginning of the month because our housesitting assignment didn’t start until the 5th of May. When we are in need of lodging, it’s always my first instinct to seek out the nearest chain hotel. While there are plenty of American chain hotels in Escazu, the cost of a five day stay would have been hefty. I turned to airbnb.com to find more affordable accommodations and we were lucky enough to discover the
Liza, an American expat, runs the Hummingbird House from her beautiful and spacious home in one of Escazu’s posh neighborhoods. We had never stayed at a true bed and breakfast before and were unsure what to expect. Would it be weird living in a stranger’s house with a bunch of other folks we don’t know?
Nope. It was fantastic! The best part about the Hummingbird is getting to know Liza and her other guests. Every morning I would come downstairs to a breakfast of delicious fresh fruit and enjoy good conversation with fellow travelers and our hostess.
It’s obvious that Liza throughly enjoys sharing her home with many guests. Her passion and hospitality seem to attract worldy, warm and interesting people to the Hummingbird. One morning a guest, who happened to be from Escazu, organized an impromptu field trip to the local farmers market – talk about getting some insider information!
If you’re looking for the comfy beds of a high-end hotel (I always am), privacy, and some quiet time, you’ll find that in your room. Ours was furnished with premium bedding and a good desk to work from. I was even able to find a quiet, empty room within which to practice yoga.
After some seriously challenging yoga, I treated myself to a massage. Liza is a also a gifted Massage Therapist. Our stay just kept getting better!
Oh, before I forget, I should mention the wifi! If you’re a digital nomad or a business traveler, reliable wifi is probably on the top of your list. Liza has gone to incredible lengths to ensure you always have a connection from anywhere in her house. She even has broadband from several different providers so that you don’t have to worry about the occasional drop in service.
I deviated from my typical way of doing things and, once again, I was pleasantly surprised. Our experience at the Hummingbird provided the fun, international community of a hostel and the luxury of a Hilton. We enjoyed our stay so much that we returned to the Hummingbird at the end of May for a brief stay before moving on to our June house-sitting assignment in Playa Hermosa!
*If you google “LUXURY LIVING for PEANUTS!” you will find several links to Hummingbird House.
A few doors down from the Hummingbird is the best meal in Escazu. Skip the overpriced returanunts that are nearby. Especially pass on the which are even more disappointing then in the states – yes, it is possible! You won’t find menus or a wait staff at , just Chef Joanna in her home kitchen cooking up whatever inspires her.
She’s waiting for you to drop by and belly up to her table!
Upon your arrival, you will be warmly greeted by Joanna, a chef from New York who has found a second home in Costa Rica. She’ll ask you a little bit about your food preferences and then disappears into her kitchen. A few minutes later she will pop out of the swinging kitchen door with a mouthwatering dish you didn’t even know you were craving. Don’t even get me started on the fusion burrito she made us for Cinco de Mayo!
Joanna’s food is infinitely more inventive than anything you will find at any other Escazu restaurant and the dining experience is much more intimate. You can actually have a conversation with the person who cooked for you! Personally, I think that expressing your gratitude is much more fun when you can look the cook in the eye.