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Welcome to Hotel Jaguar
Tropical Splendor on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast
Hotel Jaguar is
a new hotel, which sets the standard for Cahuita. Rooms in several
buildings, well-spaced on informal grounds, are extraordinarily large with high
ceilings, clerestory windows, white stuccoed walls, red tile floors, wooden
louvers, and generous wooden trim. Covered passageways have squares of garden. A
number of the design features effectively aid passive cooling without air
conditioning.
There are trails through the property, 17
acres with fruit trees and exuberant and unruly vegetation. Treks to the
Talamanca mountains, the indian reservation; river fishing and boating
excursions can be arranged. Cuisine is excellent. The owners, a Canadian and a
Tica, have extensive hotel experience.
Dining
The cuisine of the Hotel Cahuita Jaguar
would get high ratings in San José, so you will be surprised to find such excellent
fare in this little place. French Caribbean cooking with creamy wine sauces.
Abundant use of local fruits and vegetables with a salad with every meal. Local
specialties like breadfruit, ayi kee and pejiballes are also served. The menu
changes daily, and features such items as sirloin in peanut sauce, medallions of
beef in two sauces, shrimp in herb sauce, dorado in herbs, lobster, moussaka,
and even at times, chile con carne.
The setting is the open-air patio under a
traditional Caribbean house, a sort of take-off on unpretentious fine dining in
the French countryside. Perhaps best of all is the price. Most items, even
shrimp, go for $10 or less including salad, vegetable, dessert (often fresh
fruit topped with ice cream) and coffee. Complete breakfasts go for about $4.
Grounds
The hotel grounds are one
of its major attractions. Nature trails wind through 17 acres of hard woods and
fruit trees. The hotel kitchen makes good use of bananas, avocados, oranges,
limes, grapefruit and ayi kee, all grown organically on the hotel grounds.
The hotel has 220 meters of
beach frontage. The beach has good shade from the many wild almond and coconut
palms which line the sand edge. The beach has a changing pattern of colors
depending on wave action and can vary from black to gray to light brown. The
water is quite shallow for about 75 meters out and swimming conditions are
excellent in the shallow water.
REVIEWS
Costa Rica Today
"Hotel Jaguar dining room, the home of sauces galore...Imagine waking up from a
long nap, showering in lots of hot water then meandering to the restaurant to
feast on sea bass steamed in banana leaves and covered with a heart of palm
sauce that will make you want to stay forever."
Natural Destination:
"Meals are a treat, truly elegance by the seaside".
The Tico Times:
"The airy, sparkling white cabinas of the new Jaguar Inn stand out in upscale
contrast. The beautifully designed 45-room inn is located on the beach north of
downtown, a 20-minute walk from the entrance to the Atlantic Coast's spectacular
Cahuita Coral Reef National Park"
Chile Pepper:
"That evening we found out why the hotel had such a good reputation for it's
cuisine." "We were lulled to sleep at night by the soothing sounds of the
rustling palms and the gentle waves...the night will forever live in our
memories as one of our favorites."
Guest Comment
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