A Fashion Insider’s Guide To Seeking Inspiration From Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula

The Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, and one of its last remaining ‘wild places’. It was here, in this remote location, that artist and designer Emma J Shipley, immersed herself in nature: from the (very loud) howler monkeys that would wake her each morning, to the coatis, peccaries, anteaters and agoutis that seemed almost oblivious to her presence. With beautiful birds and butterflies overhead – including scarlet macaws and blue morphos – the occasional sloth sighting, and even whisperings of ocelots and pumas spotted around the area, she found that this magical corner of the world was ripe with inspiration.

And inspire her it did. Drawing on her travels, Emma J Shipley has teamed up with Lulu Guinness to dream up a new collection of wildlife-inspired bags. From eco lodges to waterfalls, this is Shipley’s fashion insider guide to Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. 

Where To Stay

I stayed at Bosque del Cabo, a private reserve and eco lodge at the very tip of the peninsula, where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific. The lodges are beautifully done and built using traditional local techniques – think, thatched palm bungalows with outdoor garden showers, run on solar and micro-hydro power. Many of the cabins have wooden decking, complete with your own hammock overlooking the Pacific Ocean – should you wish to relax and let the animals come to you. This is luxury, Costa Rica jungle style… 

Where To Eat, Drink & Hang Out

Despite being so remote, the Bosque del Cabo did not disappoint on the food front, the highlight being fresh local fish, meat, salads, vegetables and other Costa-Rican fare served on freshly cut banana leaves. They will also make you a packed lunch on request, which I loved taking on my hikes down to the beaches on the Golfo Dulce side, and eating under macaw-filled palms.

There is also Agua Luna, right on the beachfront, with a laid-back ambience, bohemian charm and a front-row seat to some of the peninsula’s most spectacular sunsets. On another night, I grabbed dinner at Soda Marbella in Puerto Jimenez, known for its exceptional ceviche and the way it brings together tourists and locals. There are plenty of beaches that are good for surfing, including Pan Dulce where I had an excellent first-ever surfing lesson, as well as some laid back beach bars – I kept going back to Encanta la Vida for their passion fruit pina colada, and I also enjoyed local bar Martina’s for its eclectic crowd and parties that go on late into the night.

Where To Shop

On Friday nights Martina’s (also known as Buena Esperanza) hosts an artisan market which is wonderful – local people set up each week selling crafts, homemade jewellery, naturally-made creams, local chocolate and more. Another spot for local goods is a small shop at Bosque del Cabo where they have sourced some beautiful crafts. My personal favourite are the elaborately carved masks made by the indigenous Boruca people (based just off the peninsula, slightly further inland). They are intricately carved from balsa wood and painted with vibrant, jungle motifs, famously worn during the annual Danza de los Diablitos (Dance of the Little Devils) to symbolize cultural resistance against the Spanish conquest. 

Secret Places To Discover

The King Louis Waterfall and the Pacific Trail waterfall; going out on the Golfo Dulce in search of dolphins, whales and turtles; visiting local conservation centre Osa Conservation, where you can climb a treetop canopy tower, and if you’re lucky, organise a guided tour at dawn, to help their sea turtle conservation project. Here, we released new hatchlings on the beach – watching them make their way to the ocean at sunrise was a rare and deeply memorable experience. 

My Perfect Day

There are so many ‘perfect’ days in the Osa, but one of my favourites is getting up at sunrise (around 5:30); waking up to the morning activity of monkeys, birds and more; walking over to the tropical garden in the hope of spotting tapirs in the pond (which happened on my last trip!), and just taking in the sights and sounds of the jungle. This would be followed by a traditional Costa Rican breakfast back at the lodge of Gallo Pinto, eggs and tortilla plus the delicious local coffee, before setting off a hike with my camera and a packed lunch, wildlife spotting as I walk the jungle trails. One day I would love to see one of the jungle cats – both pumas and ocelots (used in my prints for these beautiful bags with Lulu Guinness) are spotted in the area fairly regularly but I haven’t seen them in person, yet!

Next, I’d take a detour to King Louis waterfall – a 90ft high waterfall in the heart of the jungle – with a beautifully refreshing pool to cool off and have a bracing dunk under the falls. Then I’d head on to Backwash Beach, stopping for lunch under the palms in the shade. Here, I’d spend the afternoon swimming in the pristine Golfo Dulce, reading and wildlife spotting, before heading to local bar Encanta la Vida for a previously-mentioned passion fruit pina colada. I’d get back to the lodge before dark to watch the sunset from my decking, then enjoy a hearty dinner of delicious fish, vegetables and Costa Rican sides and salsas – sharing tables with guests and swapping stories of wildlife encounters, before taking in the night sky and the incredible stars. 

How The Osa Peninsula Inspires Me

It’s the whole reason my Bosque Dreams collection exists, and therefore this gorgeous collaboration with Lulu Guinness. I travelled to the Osa Peninsula because I love seeing animals in the wild for inspiration. Hiking through jungle trails with my camera, waiting to see what would emerge, are some of my favourite memories from my time there.

On my return to London, I pored over my wildlife photographs, drawing inspiration from the Pre-Raphaelites and Edward Lear’s surreal illustrations before beginning my designs, hoping to capture some of that sense of wonder. The collaboration with Lulu Guinness felt like a very natural fit. We are both British designers with a shared passion for colour, textiles and creating pieces that tell a story. Combining my hand-drawn wildlife-inspired designs from the Osa Peninsula with Lulu’s beautifully crafted bags felt like a meeting of worlds. I love how Lulu’s signature sense of humour, playful glamour and incredible craftsmanship have brought a new dimension to the artwork. As Lulu says: ‘Our collection strikes a balance between fantasy and practicality – designed to bring a dose of imagination to the day-to-day.’

I’m so excited to launch this design on bags as part of my collaboration with Lulu Guinness – it’s translated beautifully and I hope they will bring a touch of jungle magic to people’s everyday. Launching on 4 August, it’s been a dream to work together on this and see it come to fruition. 

Shop the collection at luluguinness.com and emmajshipley.com from 4 August