April 12, 2018
Written & Photographed by: Juancho Otalvaro
“…the fear of loneliness is at its root a fear of oneself…”
Sometimes I like to drive into oblivion; nothing on my mind but the road while listening to my favorite songs. It feels like escaping from everything. Will I ever come back? Is that what I really want, to go back? I could make a new life anywhere the road takes me; stop whenever I want and wherever I want, without ties. This is how you get to know places better that you never even thought of planning, but even better, you get to know yourself. That’s how I ended up in Cabuya.
To reach Cabuya Island is quite a journey. After taking a ferry, you drive through small coastal tourist towns, which if you live in Costa Rica are very famous for their beautiful beaches, tourist traps, and party paradises, so I wondered if Cabuya would be similar, but as the road became rougher and rougher, I knew I was on the right path to find a land gem. As I went further, the road was rocky with reefs paved with sand allowing cars to pass. Small bridges with huge rocks that had fallen from the side hills made the road seem challenging, but with patience and a bit of positivity, any car could go through (I was driving in the rainy season). The driver’s side view was amazing! The road winds through a tropical jungle beside the coastline, the sea always by your side.
View from the Ferry
I enjoy being alone; it’s relaxing and you can really clear your head. I’ve read that solitude can forge our character, away from the demands of others, maintaining our independence. I believe this is very important and healthy; it’s somehow a way to stay sane and prevent the loss of our identity to what others may “cultivate in you.”
For anyone unfamiliar with Costa Rica, and even for most Costa Ricans, reaching Cabuya feels like entering a green paradise. It’s not completely untouched, but its beauty is enough to overcome any imperfections. Because I was there during the rainy season, most of the restaurants, “sodas,” bars, and hotels were closed. The cozy little town is very simple, with a couple of coffee shops, a bakery, a main bar, and a few beachfront hotels, all looking quite old and rundown. The town is crisscrossed by 2 or 3 main roads, one leading to the outskirts of town, another to Cabo Blanco National Park, and one leading to where all the fishermen gather to set sail.
“It is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be a reason the more for us to do it.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
Upon arriving in Cabuya, the first thing I did (eager to visit the cemetery island) was to find a room or a place to settle. Since it was the low season, most of the few hotels in the area were closed, but luckily, there was an Irish guy with a nice small place that housed several cabins. The place was quite decent, with a nice clean pool; each cabin had its own kitchen, bathroom, hammock, parking, and a small gathering spot that seemed to be a bar. The good thing about this place was that it was beachfront and had a view of the mysterious island cemetery. Quite oddly, within the hotel property, there was a small Irish cross marking a burial – although I didn’t inquire about it, as it might get too personal for the Irish owner.
Cabuya Beach is not much of a typical beach you might expect. It’s rocky, and the sand is full of small shells that give it a rough texture underfoot. It’s almost entirely like this along its coastline, but there are nice “tidal pools” where people usually hang out.
Seeing Cabuya Beach and Cabo Blanco National Park to the left.
I’m not much of a beach person at all, but I was intrigued by the secrets and history of the Island. As soon as I settled into the cabin, I asked for directions and was told to simply walk along the shore towards the island, so I did. The tide was already high when I started, but the distance didn’t seem like much, so I kept walking through the reefs and wet sand.
The sun was hidden behind what almost seemed like rain clouds, so it wasn’t as hot, but still the high humidity made it difficult. There was absolutely nothing on the shore, no houses, no hotels, restaurants, or any other facilities, just me and the sound of the waves crashing as they chased me with the high tide.
To my surprise, I heard some rustling noises near some trees; two giant vultures lurking on a fallen tree, I think it was a mother and her chick. After taking some photos of them, I stayed watching them and tried to understand what they were doing. I kept walking and what I saw was just strange, at first I couldn’t identify what it was, or maybe my brain failed to relate it to something that should be on the shore. a half-eaten cow (or maybe bull) carcass – I felt like I was in no man’s land where the animals were kings.
Furthermore, along the way, the rising tide was closing off all possibilities of returning, but on the other hand, the animal kingdom drew my attention to a family of monkeys swinging right beside me. The experience became magical as they regarded me like a curious visitor; it felt like it was their first encounter with a human. I tried to interact gently, but unfortunately, it only frightened them away.
Look closely.
The entire land was a closed path with impenetrable jungle. I forgot to eat something before leaving, and I was getting hungry. Fortunately, I had enough water.
I realized I was getting into National Park territory, and the beach was disappearing right in front of a huge mass of green landscape covering everything on its path to the right into the sea as far as the eye can see.
Soon I managed to find a path where some fishermen were preparing to set sail, and from here, there was a road that connected back to the town. But I stayed there and watched the sunset while the fishermen got ready under a colorful sky backdrop that the sun provided as it descended towards dawn.
Cabuya is a small fishing village on the Nicoya Peninsula. Its island lies just off the coast, and what makes it so magical is that you can walk to the island at low tide. Adding to its mystery is the fact that the island is a cemetery dating back to pre-Columbian times. According to the owner of the cabins where I was staying, it was a sacred place for spirits, overseen and managed by a shaman. Later, people who began to settle here continued the tradition of using it as a cemetery.
While watching the sunrise and taking a time-lapse, a curious fisherman approached me and asked what I was doing. We started talking about the island, and as we followed the dark current, he said to me,
“If you stay long enough and you like the town, we could make space for you in the cemetery.”
Cemetery Island, from Cabuya
The rumors of haunted ghosts on the island wandered around, and the colorful sunset captured its magic in the air. The image above shows a frame from the time-lapse I took. From a dark cloudy sunset, suddenly the sky cracked open and shot a beam of light right onto the island, while a whirl of purple misty clouds spun over the cemetery. What an incredible sight! I couldn’t wait to get closer and explore the island.
Later that day, I went to the beach at midnight to try to capture a starry night. But the moon was nearly full and the clouds seemed to cover the sky like a blanket. I stood there for a while, occasionally peering through my camera’s viewfinder, feeling like I was seeing those hallucinations that give shapes to the void. I guess that was all part of the tricks the brain plays when it’s in the dark, or maybe the excitement of being close to a place that has many stories throughout its history.
Midnight Sky in Cabuya
Because the tide was high until noon, I woke up late. The day was sunny, with hardly any clouds in the sky. I took a dip in the hotel pool to cool off from the heat, then prepared my cameras and poured some water into my camelback from the kitchen tap. This time I drove my car to the spot where I last saw the fishermen and started walking towards the island across the reef cleared by the low tide.
Walking to the island cemetery: Cabuya Island
I didn’t wait long enough for the tide to fully recede, so parts of the journey were still covered in water, but shallow enough to wade through. Walking from one land to another was very exciting, but the arrival was even more thrilling. When you see the arch of the cemetery entrance, it feels like discovering ancient ruins and realizing that you are now part of that mystical piece of land that centuries ago belonged to spirits and legends.
35mm film of the entrance arch to the cemetery island: Cabuya Island
As I approached the entrance, two vultures flew and perched on the arch and the palm tree behind it.
The spiky agave plants that encircle the entire island and the literal silence inside create an atmosphere of mystery, and your whole body knows that you’re facing something challenging; you’re in awe.
Once you’re inside and get acquainted with what you’re dealing with, you become accustomed to being in a cemetery. However, what makes it more thrilling is that you’re not inside a standard cemetery; you’re in a cemetery surrounded by reefs and water.
The day was so pleasant that it made for a contrast that actually seemed like a very nice place to spend eternity. I quickly understood why it was a sacred place and why it has been kept that way until today. The entire island is kept clean and well-maintained; it’s a sign of respect paying homage to the earthlings who have departed to a better place.
Giant palm trees protect the skies above, swaying and waving goodbye. The reef shields the land from threatening waves that protrude with the tides, preserving the remains of distant memories intact. Last but not least, the agave and bromeliad enclosure inoculates against evil spirits and other unwanted entities that could threaten any disturbance.
After experiencing the charm of the island, I walked its perimeter to find a small, soft white sandy beach, then continued to the main entrance, where one of the vultures seemed as if he was waiting for me, until he took off and so did I, heading back to the mainland.
