Costa Rica Guide
The Zona Sur
Dominical
The popular surfing town of DOMINICAL may represent the face of things to come along this stretch of the Pacific coast. Previously a secluded fishing village, it has, since the paving of the coastal road and the laying down of electricity and phone lines, begun to expand dramatically. A glut of new hotels, shops and restaurants have opened in town, while the coastal areas to the south, still largely made up of unspoilt stretches of beach and rainforest, are rapidly being bought up by hungry property developers and hotel chains. . Should the proposed paving of the Quepos– Dominical road go ahead as planned in the next few years, then the arrival of full-scale mass tourism, and all its attendant environmental problems, is surely only a matter of time.
Dominical activities
Surfing is the big draw in Dominical, and thousands of visitors flock here every year to ride the big waves that crash on to the town's dark-sand beach. Dominical is home to half a dozen surf schools offering lessons for around $50 per person for a two-hour session. Try the Green Iguana Surf Camp just back from the seafront ( 
787-0033, 
www.greeniguanasurfcamp.com ). As is usual with surfing beaches, the swimming varies from not great to downright dangerous, and is plagued by rip-tides and crashing surf. About twenty minutes' walk south along the beach brings you to a small cove, where the water is calmer and you can paddle and snorkel.
Don Lulo's Nauyaca Falls Tour ( & 
787-8013, www.cataratasnauyaca.com ; $45 per person including meals) makes for one of Costa Rica's best day excursions. The tour begins with a 3 hour horseback ride to Don Lulo's home and small private zoo for breakfast, before continuing on horseback through lush rainforest with knowledgeable guides to the two cascades that make up the Nauyaca Falls – the principal one drops 46m into a sparkling pool where you can swim. These majestic waterfalls are one of the main attractions of southern Costa Rica. A típico lunch cooked over an open flame completes the day. You'll need to reserve a place on the tour as far in advance as possible.
Equally popular, the private rainforest reserve at Hacienda Barú features tree-climbing trips where you winch yourself up extremely tall trees and also guided walks and an exhilarating canopy tour ($35), which involves swooping from platform to platform through primary rainforest on long steel cables, accompanied by guides who impart a wealth of forest folklore. Also recommended are the kayak and snorkelling tours (from $60 per person) to the Parque Nacional Marino Ballena and Isla del Caño run by Costa Rica Southern Expeditions ( 787-0100, 787-0203, www.southernexpeditionscr.com ).