The trip to Costa Rica is one of those that I have better memories of. One of those trips you just think it was perfect. It was in February of 2021, just in the middle of the third Covid19 wave in Europe. Costa Rica was one of the few countries that were open to tourism those days, but nevertheless, until the day we took the flight we couldn’t be sure if finally some frontiers would be closed or even if in those PCR tests you could be positive and miss the trip. Fortunately, taking this risk was one of the best things we could do since traveling around those days was quiet and restorative. It gave you the possibility of discovering places, which used to be really crowded, in solitude, what became a special and unique experience.
We arrived very late at San Jose, so we went directly to take out the 4x4 vehicle that we had rented in anticipation. It was really stressful talking to the rental car’s guy due to his wile of scaring us about our itinerary’s road condition - overall, the way to Corcovado - trying to sell us a fuller assurance, what makes us doubt too much and lose time for resting. It got later than we expected and we drove directly to our hostel to rest.
San Gerardo de Dota:
Next day we went for our first local meal for breakfast, the so-called “pinto”, a beans and rice dish with fried bananas and eggs. We drew up cash and a SIM card and we drove to San Gerardo de Dota to do bird watching. We stayed in a bungalow before the village, Cabinas San Gerardo, a little bit higher than downtown in the valley. These mountains are a really good place to disconnect and the best one to watch the resplendent quetzal in this season. The owner of the accommodation was a really nice lady, very hospitable and friendly. She recommended taking a route with “aguacatillos” to try our luck to find it by ourselves.
This was a route starting on the road, just a little higher from where we were, in La Reserva Forestal Los Santos. The quetzal loves to eat the aguacatillos’ fruits so we were all the time trying to identify the tree and looking for this iridescent bird -its feathers show many bright colors that change with movement caused by differential refraction of light waves-. It was not possible, but the trekking was our first contact with the tropical forest and a nice walk hiking beside the river stream.
We had lunch in the hotel named after the Savegre river while we were observing hummingbirds through the windows that were feeding from the flowers and special feeders. After lunch we went down into the valley to the trailhead to the Savegre waterfall. The next morning we were meeting a specialist guide to find the gorgeous quetzal.
There was no mobile signal in the valley so we had set the appointment while we were on the way: 5:30 am in a crossroad downhill San Gerardo de Dota. It was still dark and cold, around 7ºC, and I was impatient for the guide to appear. Finally, he showed up in an open-top car. We introduced each other and we followed him in our own car for some minutes to find a good place to park along the main road. After that we jumped into his car and we went to the key location.
The quetzal is endangered although in Costa Rica its population is large thanks to the protection that the country has given to its tropical forests and biodiversity. However, finding it is not an easy task, it is a rare and elusive bird. The best time to see the quetzal is during its breeding season, from mid-February to July. It was the end of February but that year it was a little bit early. During the sunrise we kept in silence trying to hear the quetzal’s call but for a while no call was heard and I was starting to worry about the real possibility of not seeing it. Suddenly, its call came from the trees and it appeared: a beautiful male was standing in a distant tree. Later, it flew around changing the branches of trees in one and another side of the road, just over our heads. For us it was a spectacle since we could observe it from different sun refraction angles, what makes it change its colors. It may be the most beautiful bird I have ever seen: it has a stunning iridescent plumage, mostly bluish green but with a red breast and yellowish beak. It also has long and narrow tail feathers and a crest upon its head. We were lucky to bump into a male, because this species presents a highly sexually dimorphic and female is much plainer.
While observing the quetzal, other birds like the yellow-throated toucan poped into the surrounding trees. San Gerardo de Dota is a perfect place for those who like bird watching, since around 200 species can be seen there.
Once we were pleased by our luck with the quetzal we moved to another spot to try to see another individual, maybe a female. But we had to give up and try our best with other species such as woodpeckers, tanagers, warblers or woodcreepers.
After that, when we were having a quiet and nice breakfast in the Cabinas, we had the huge surprise of discovering a balcony full of hummingbirds that were feeding from the flowers and some feeders. I got closer to have some pictures and then, the lady, who noticed our interest in the birds, threw some fruits from the kitchen. One by one, numerous woodpeckers, tanagers and more hummingbirds showed up. The lady told us that even the quetzal comes across in the early summer. All entertainment.
Corcovado National Park
Corcovado National Park has 2.5% of the biodiversity of the world. Just this piece of information blows up one’s mind. Encounter with tapirs on the beach, feel you’re a gatecrasher when spider monkeys decided to defy you and throw you branches, “hide” from herds of peccaries (sainos) whose males grind their teeth and observe a crocodile catching a bull shark when it got close to the Sirena river seem to be scenes from an adventure film, but it becomes reality in the Corcovado National Park.
We decided to arrive in Corcovado by small boat from Drake. Getting to this small and in-the-middle-of-nowhere town wasn’t simple. There are two main options: from Sierpe, letting behind your car and getting a boat; or adventure yourself driving ‘til the town, crossing then some rivers -impossible to do during the rainy season!-. We chose the last option. Also, it has to be taken into consideration that there is not any petrol station in the small town or nearby, so your tank should be full to be ready for the unforeseen circumstances.
We stopped in Uvita to have lunch and refill for petrol and food. It was too hot, the weather was totally different than the cool San Gerardo de Dota Valley so we didn’t stay long. It was a good decision since the drive to Drake became longer than we expected (we were a little bit nervous about what we could find on the way, so maybe that changed our perception of the way to be long and tiresome). Luckily, the Agujita river was not very deep at that moment and we had the chance to learn from a local car crossing before us, so we tried to memorize and follow the track. It was our first time driving into a river. We were aware that lots of visitors got stuck there and that rental car insurances don’t cover the damages crossing rivers. We were already tired and edgy too… Many things made us nervous, but it was getting dark and each minute could set the adventure more against us so we powered the four-wheel drive mode and started entering into the river. The local advice was just one: “drive slowly but don’t stop” so we did. Once you have started, trust your driver and don’t hesitate ‘cause there is no backward option! If you stopped in the middle of the river, you would surely get stuck and the problems would begin there. It was suspenseful but following the advice we didn’t have trouble. After this stretch was done, the atmosphere became euphoric and more relaxed. We drove to our hostel in town and we met with our guide for the following three days in Corcovado.
It is mandatory to be accompanied by an accredited guide in Corcovado. We contacted Christian directly without any company as an intermediary. The reservation may become more strenuous but you can save significant money; in addition, you start establishing a relationship with your future guide beforehand.
We met the day before the expedition to assure everything was as the plan. During dinner, we obtained relevant and precise information about what we were going to find in the National Park. It was a strange meeting. It was obvious that he wanted to “scare” or joke with us about how dangerous a bad decision could be once in Corcovado. He was not without reason but in the transmission of the message everything seemed to be much more serious and risky. Me, who already knew Corcovado is safe if you are responsible, knew that everything he explained were under highly unlikely circumstances and that Christian loved kidding people…I was having fun. My friends, who did not know him, became more uneasy. It was a somewhat unquiet night deciding what was safe to carry around with us and what was not; or talking about what we would do if for the second day we found the Claro River at high tide, full of crocodiles and with the intention of crossing it. Obviously, you should trust guides, who control the tide times and are the first ones who, in case they had to cross it with water up to their necks, would think twice.
We saw nothing of Drake Bay that night; we would do it after Corcovado’s return. We had booked the same place again after the stay in the NP, so we talked to the owners about leaving the car parked on their property while we were out. Ticos – Costa Rican people - are very friendly and charming and they were pleased to help us out. That freed us from great concern. It isn’t very pleasant leaving the rented car anywhere unattended.
The next morning at 5.50 am we headed to the beach, 2 minutes from our hostel, to wait for the boat to Sirena. Sirena is the only place you can stay inside the park. It can only be reached by boat and, in the past, by light aircraft. Food must be ordered in advance, since they have to carry along just as much as it is necessary. Single-use plastics and own food (except for some snacks) are prohibited. You cannot go out at night to do night routes either (only one hour before dawn) because if an accident occurs, such as a poisonous snake bite, there would be no time for help to arrive. During the day, it is possible for a boat from the surroundings to come faster.
The boat takes an hour and a half. They say it can be rough, although it was very quiet for us. On the way some dolphins came across, jumping beside us. Along the natural park coast, some waterfalls fell to the sea and the exuberant vegetation already stood out.
At the arrival, you must take off your shoes (or wear submersible shoes), since the water is not deep and the boat may be stuck if they get too close to the beach.
A few meters through the sand stands the main entrance and the entering path already gives you a glimpse of what awaits you: a true jungle with abundant vegetation and full of life. It could not disappoint.
As soon as you enter, animals are already crossing. The boat is not private and, during no-Covid19 time, it could be too crowded. Surely then, the animals would move further away faster, getting more difficult to spot them just there.
We went ahead as quickly as we could to continue the way on our own and leave behind the other people as soon as possible. We came across some great curassows, which are impressive at first; but during the trip you get “tired” of seeing them. We entered next to a small stream with water where we found our first tapir (referred to as Danta by the locals). Due to poaching, habitat loss, and climate change, it is estimated there are only a few thousand Baird’s tapirs left. They are really hard to find in the wild, but Corcovado has become one of the best places to do so. It was amazing to start the stay like that. The tapir was stretched out in the muddy water, which was not deep. It was calm and hardly made a move. We stood there, observing it, for a few minutes respecting the distance to not disturb it much. Then, we continued the road to Sirena while the tall trees, the dense vegetation and all kinds of sounds coming from them made us anxiously wait for our next encounter.
In 20 or 30 minutes, we arrived at an open area which was once a landing place for small planes, now all covered with plants. In the background you could already see the Sirena facilities. The rooms are huge, open “bungalows”, with bunk beds for at least 22 people. But we were alone: 22 bunk beds for 5 people. Something good has to be traveling during a pandemic! The bunks have individual mosquito nets and it is better to ensure that it is well closed when you go to sleep (and that you don’t carry any tick after getting back from the humid forest).
We rented a locker for the 4 of us to store our things to carry around as little weight as possible and then, while we waited for breakfast time, we sat in the comfortable chairs at the reception entrance. From there, we were able to observe a female great curassow from very close. It is a beautiful black pheasant with a showy yellow snood. It was the first time and we were very happy with the entertainment.
Our first day in Corcovado was spectacular, although we noticed the fatigue of the sweltering heat. We could observe birds such as the toucan, the pale billed woodpecker and the trogon; mammals such as coatis or “pizotes”, three of the four monkey species in Costa Rica, peccaries, agoutis, etc. We saw more tapirs too, always in “ponds”, stretched out and cooling off.
Along the way, we were detecting smells, which Christian taught us to recognize: "an anteater has passed through here"; "peccaries prowl nearby"... It was really exciting. The ambient sound was really enveloping, full of songbird singing and monkey howls. Sometimes these animal sounds blew the whistle of their location, but other times it became outrageous, since it seemed like they were laughing at us; being just in front of us but keeping out of sight completely invisible.
When we reached the mouth of the Rio Claro, we sat down for a while to rest. It is the famous river full of crocodiles that we should cross the next day. The tide was a little high, but not too much. We built confidence since it wasn't as bad as people describe it. The ground was full of hermit crabs that never stopped moving around and after a while we could notice there were some crocodile eyes peeking out in the deepest side of the river.
There is another river nearby, still more full of wildlife. It is the Sirena River, at whose mouth Christian took out his telescope to watch the black vultures and brown pelicans that could be seen on the beach. There were some scarlet macaw flying, spoonbills and other aquatic birds such as sandpipers or black-necked stilts too. In the distance we could see a huge crocodile devouring a bull shark. With no doubt whatsoever, a wild and dangerous river.
Inside the tropical forest, we also came across some tiny squirrel monkeys that we could see from the corner of the eye and many more howler monkeys, which were much better seen -and heard-. It is said that this species of monkeys even throw their poop at travelers to scare them away. With us they behaved well. A potoo was sleeping on a branch just on the pathway. It was totally invisible to our eyes, its camouflage was perfect. It took us some minutes to recognize it, even if it was being pointed out to us.
The sun was hiding, so we took the way back. A family of coatis noisily foraged for food near the road. They are very restless animals and did not stop moving. Some of them were climbing the trees and swinging on the dartboards again and again. After a while they decided to cross the trail. One by one they passed ahead in front of us and then we continued our way.
At the end of the day, we had the most special moment of the day: a tapir and its baby resting peacefully in a pond. When we had been already nearby for a few minutes, we heard a large group of people approaching the place. Being a well-known key point frequented by these tapirs, Christian knew that they would come to find them. He asked us to leave since they and us could be too crowded for the tapirs. A little disappointed and outraged, we followed our guide to a natural embankment just off the shoreline. In an open area in the middle distance of the pond and the beach we stopped and stood up patiently. We could hear the tapirs getting up and then, we heard the branches moving in our direction. He demanded us to be motionless and silent. One of the tapirs crossed in front of us, sniffing at us approximately just a meter away. It seemed like we could have touched it just by stretching out our arms - of course, we did not -. We followed it with our eyes and cameras, while our faces only reflected astonishment and fascination.
The next morning we set out on our wildlife tracking an hour before sunrise. We looked for spiders, tarantulas, amphibians and other possible nocturnal animals. When we were back at the mouth of the Sirena River, it was dawn. Once again we were able to observe the brown vultures, this time at a much smaller distance (a few meters), and also a solitary coati, with its fur a bit tattered. Probably, it was a male that had been left behind by the group. We followed it along the coast and then we went back to Sirena for breakfast. Another coati was waiting for us there, wandering around the dining room.
With a full stomach, we set off to walk an alternative trail to try to spot the puma. We moved much further from Sirena and found a fresh footprint. Also quite a commotion generated by the monkeys. We thought they might be feeling threatened by the puma presence... but there was no luck to spot it; monkeys were sounding not far away, but deep in the forest.
In spite of that, we had an exciting encounter with the spider monkeys: we stayed near them a few minutes staring, observing and trying to get some nice pictures (they were so active that made this aim much harder). It took a while so our presence started to bother them. Then, they came closer until they stood right above us. They started shaking the branches and even dropping and throwing some at us. A clear sign that we were not being very welcome anymore.
We arrived at a small river. In some places there were no beds in the river, so we had to continue walking into the water with slippers in our hands. Some howlers came out onto the road. An enormous male with its beautiful brown and black fur, rested stretched out on a branch for our enjoyment. Following the river stream, we came to a beautiful gigantic tree. It turned out to be a fig tree, but I'm sure not the kind we're used to being in Spain.
Back in Sirena to rest for a while during the hottest hours, we made a stop to regain some strength and eat some snacks. Shortly after that, we began to sense the big stink from the peccaries. They were getting closer. We stayed slightly hidden, silent and motionless. Among the bushes we could see how they passed one by one, in single file. It was an endless line of the white-faced peccaries, a huge group, so Christian told us not to approach them. Later, we found some collared peccaries beside the road. These last ones are more friendly.
We had a hard time finding the first sloth of the trip, but we finally did. The animals tend to roam the trails closest to Sirena, which is where we always find the highest density of animals. This time this sloth was in one of them. It was a female adult with a juvenile, who was descending to a lower height in one of the trees on the pathway. It is a beautiful animal, reminiscent of a cuddly toy, as seen in the pictures. It is very slow motion, but the little one was very active.
Very close to the sloth, we found an anteater that was sleeping on top of a tree. Luckily we could see its face, although it was too high. For a moment, it raised its head and stuck out its long tongue. It was all the action it gave us.
With all said and done for the day, we were walking in line. Everyone was thinking about their things: in the experience of the day, in dinner, in what we would find the next and last day in Corcovado… whatever. Christian, our guide, was thinking about the next morning planning, trying to figure out which trails would be better for finding the puma I was behind him and, after me, Yolanda. Suddenly she stopped, petrified. Her sudden halt got off my alerts and then I realized there was an alligator just a few centimeters from Christian. I stopped too and I tried to alert him. I don’t remember exactly what I did, everything happened in milliseconds. He realized and jumped off. The alligator got scared and left in a blink… It was quite scary. Christian was shocked. He couldn’t understand what it was doing on a trail inside the rainforest. The rivers were quite far away from that point. It had never happened to him or to whoever-he-knows before. Quite interesting. For sure, there should have been water somewhere inside the wooden forest. In Corcovado it is forbidden to leave the trails to conserve it better, even for guides. You need a special permit to do it. So we could not explore deeply.
Almost every time we returned to Sirena, we had a hawk waiting for us. Once, there were people from the staff with a small terciopelo, a very poisonous snake. They had captured it from under the dining room. Taking into consideration the spiders, insects, ticks and now that, Sirena cannot be for anybody. Lucky me, I love this wilderness.
During our last morning in Corcovado, we crossed the Claro River to continue along the coast looking for alternative areas. The tide was out so we didn't have a problem. We took out our shoes and went forward without stopping, guarding that there were no crocodiles in the surroundings.
On the other shore, we had already seen with the help of binoculars a colony of proboscis bats and now we had them closer. These animals are nocturnal and during the day they roost in vertical lines, nose to tail, on the tree trunks.
After crossing the river we entered the forest again. At one point the extremely strong musky odor of white-lipped peccary came to us. White-lipped peccaries are widely considered the most dangerous peccaries. Unlike the shy collared peccaries, the white-lipped ones will charge at any enemy if cornered, and when one of them is injured, the entire herd returns to defend it.
We heard the snap of the males’ tusks, which sounded creepy. They were in front of us, almost on the path. Each of our movements was followed for a snap or a roar. Maybe it was just a coincidence but that makes us be alert. We waited for them to cross and move away, but it never seemed to happen. Each one of us looked for a place -tree- to get on in case we were attacked since we were a short distance away. We waited a little longer and when they seemed to be a few meters away, we plucked up courage and continued our way. First-hand encounters are unforgettable experiences!
We arrived at the coast. There were anteater tracks and footsteps on the sand, so we followed the way along the coast. We wanted to explore different places from those we had already walked the previous days. The place was beautiful, but the sun was burning. We looked for some shadow under the first line trees of the forest near the shore. We stopped from time to time to drink and take a coconut to drink from the water inside. We had no luck with the animals, so we decided to go back. Returning, not far from the Claro River, we searched among the rocky ground that jutted from the sea, where fish and others were trapped because of the waves. And in the surrounding palm trees, lots of scarlet macaws were being noisy, honking loud and raucously. These extremely beautiful birds named locally as “lapa roja” have their habitat fragmented, so many effort are implemented in Costa Rica for their conservation.
Just before leaving, a family of “friendly” peccaries - the shy collared ones - passed through the entrance of the park and, while we waited for the returning boat, we were able to spend the last few minutes with a tapir, which was on the beach. We were grateful that the boat was late and we took full advantage to say goodbye in triumph to this fabulous place, which we are still lucky enough to be able to conserve.
Drake Bay and diving in Isla del Caño
We arrived in Drake Bay after the one-and-a-half-hour boat ride and returned to our accommodation. The car and our belongings were all safe but we found a flat tire. Before panicking – well, a little bit– knowing that there were no gas stations or anywhere to change/repair it in Drake or nearby, I went to reception to ask what we could do. The guy, super friendly, told me “no worries”. We were staying one more day so his cousin could lend us a hand and fix it. It was a relief. We went to have a calmer lunch. We found a place not far from the diving club, where I should go later to try on my diving equipment. We asked for some vegan options and it ended up with a wonderful meal – as always in Costa Rica -. We went to Drake Divers and I tried the diving wetsuit - I hate to say that I was really brave choosing a thin one -. Once in the lodging, we rested for a while, since the heat was stifling and the days in Corcovado were totally restless. Our surprise was that, in the scarce two hours that we were away, the car was already like new! Ticos are very kind and supportive people. I’ll never tire of repeating that. We couldn't be more grateful. We relaxed with spectacular views from our rooms watching birds of all kinds that fluttered around us. After that we stocked up on some snacks and some beers and headed to the beach to lie down in the sand and see the sunset.
The next day, after pigging out for breakfast and repeating coffee on the beach, we waited to start our tour to Isla del Caño with the distraction of the brown vultures that roamed the area. Here my friends and I took different boats. I took one to go scuba diving, while my friends went on another one to snorkel.
While we were sailing to the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve, they explained to us that since Covid19, they are no longer allowed to set foot on the island. In fact, the number of people scuba diving in its waters is also controlled.
In the distance we spotted a couple of sea turtles floating on the surface. We got closer. They were olive ridleys that mated, riding one on top of the other. While the male appears to remain motionless, the female appears to be struggling to stay afloat. This action is quite a difficult task for both parties, but it is certainly more so for the female, who must take charge of swimming to the surface to breathe, carrying a male who is clinging to her for several minutes.
After the typical briefing, we jumped into the water. We were three and something unusual happened. Within a few minutes of being submerged, we grabbed onto some rocks, as there were strong currents. The monitor had to go to the surface in search of the third diver. We didn't know what was going on, only that she had talked to us with the hands meaning to hold on tight and wait. It became interminable for us. Although we were in a passageway for many species of fish, the truth is that we began to worry and wonder if we should surface or continue waiting. The wait was too long, but the monitor finally came back, alone. In this first dive we were able to observe white tip sharks, numerous colored fish, different puffer fish, a moray eel and rays buried in the sand among others.
The water was cold but I, who I am heat sensitive, could hold out without much problem. On the second dive instead, I regretted having asked for a thin wetsuit since I ended up having a hard time in the last 20 min. Almost two hours in the water made me feel already ultra-frozen and I could hardly care for the species that the monitor pointed out to us on the rock. Still, it was worth it. Here we saw some more olive ridleys sea turtles, multitudes of fish, buried rays and a red seahorse.
It was not very late after the two divings so we decided to join the snorkel team at San Josecito beach. We rested for a while chatting about the experience, the sealife of the place and the trajectory of the snorkel instructor, who was Spanish and told us how she came to work in this part of the world.
At noon, we returned to Drake Bay to lunch all together. We ended up in the same restaurant as the day before, so we were delighted. A youtuber who had been snorkeling with my friends sat down with us. Even if we were not very enthusiastic about a youtuber at the table, he ended up being a really nice boy and our chatting was quite entertaining. There were some kids around who asked us about him... he must be getting famous and the poor kid thought he was our friend. He was Araya Vlogs.
Nauyaca Waterfalls
The next stop was not planned out, but since Manuel Antonio is closed on Mondays and it was a Monday, we decided to visit it the next day and take advantage of the day somewhere on the road.
It was very hot and we wanted to cool down. We decided to do a short and easy trek and spend the day relaxing in Nauyaca waterfalls. On the way out of the Osa Peninsula, we stopped at a restaurant and asked for some lunch to take out. They cooked for us while we were having a coffee. Again, I adore Ticos. The guy prepared us some ideal meals, well packaged, with rice, beans, fried plantain and others - take-away casado -. Very satiety promoter and very cheap. We followed the planned route.
Nauyaca waterfall is close to the road that goes from the Osa Peninsula to Manuel Antonio, on the detour through which we came from Dota. The entrance has a cost of about $10. It was extremely hot and we feared the worst. But you could do a short route of just 1 km, accessing the official parking. From there we began the route up to the waterfalls.
It was hard due to the temperatures, but once inside the forest and near the water, it was a little bit cooler. We didn't mind the effort, it really was a beautiful place. It is private and they keep it clean and with the trails in very good condition.
Firstly, there is a quite big waterfall where the water is separated into several jets. It was very high and we thought we had reached the main fall, but it wasn’t. The trail continued going up, and after enjoying this place for a while, we followed the route. It ends at the main waterfall, very wide and powerful, with a perfect pool for bathing. There were quite a few people, but it was not overcrowded. In summer the natural pools in Spain are busier. We decided to have lunch there, chat and take a dip -who wanted-. A beautiful brown basilisk appeared in the tree that shaded us. It was quite large in size and not easily frightened.
Upon returning, we were surprised by a family of white-faced capuchins. We were upset for not seeing them in Corcovado, and it was the only species of Costa Rican monkeys that we had not yet seen. These monkeys are really intelligent and they can even make and use tools. We stayed with them for a long time – and with an agouti, a peacock and some cats -.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio is the Protected Wildlife Area that receives the largest number of national and international tourists. It is a perfect combination between jungle and wildlife with paradisiacal beaches.
We stayed in Quepo, using Airbnb accommodation. A whole apartment with laundry facilities and kitchen can be a treasure sometimes. At dawn the howler monkeys were heard very close to us. They were in the trees in front of our apartment. It is an incredible feeling to find animals so close to civilization. It is something that I really love and I miss in Europe.
We met our guide at the entrance to Manuel Antonio around 7:30 am. Lenny, whom we had contacted the day before, was waiting for us. If you want to enter the park accompanied by an accredited guide, it is more economical to contact him directly and then buy just the entrance ticket. It is not totally necessary, I think it is possible to visit the NP on your own and see many animals, although you miss learning about them. There are people who are going alone and manage to be discreetly closer to other groups' guides. It is an option but a guide is not expensive at all and you can help local people and promote jobs that maintain the environment conservation.
Manuel Antonio is very prepared for the tourists. It is noticeable from the start. The trails are prepared with wooden boardwalks and handrails in some places. It makes a comfortable route but, in my opinion, it takes its charm away. It loses by a landslide when comparing it with Corcovado, feeling much more wilderness surrounding. But it has some positive points: (1) it is easy to access since it is close to San José and the roads are very good; (2) many animals are seen easily and within a short distance. These are in complete freedom and they are wild, although it is noted that some of them are no longer scared of tourists and (3) the beaches of the national park are a paradise.
Following the marked trails, we came across a multitude of animals: iguanas, capuchin monkeys, three-toed sloths, white-tailed deers, toucans, agoutis... and finally, the one we were expecting the most: the two-toed sloth. We spent a while looking at the manzanillos -poisonous tree- and palms on the beach but it seemed like it wasn’t our lucky day. But at last, we found a beautiful sloth with white fur and an adorable face. It is quite different from the three-toed sloth, much shaggier and cute, a little bit smaller and with its arms the same size as their legs - in three-toed sloth, arms are larger -. It has nocturnal behavior so that’s the reason is less seen. It was the end of the route and we followed our guide to the door - even though we would return to the beach for a few hours-.
On the way, a Capuchin monkey tried to steal my silicone bottle of water– that's why it's forbidden to enter with single-use plastic, because animals can end up nibbling and eating them, which is a big and problematic issue. Luckily the bottle had a carabiner that linked it to my backpack. This monkey tried it a few times and it is a scene that makes Manuel Antonio National Park stand out in comparison to Corcovado. We went from monkeys who were kicking us out by throwing us branches to monkeys moving towards us to "steal" food or whatever interesting for them. In both places they are wild animals, but their behaviors have become totally opposite.
Following this family of capuchins, we came across a large group of squirrel monkeys. In this NP, associated troops of capuchins and squirrel monkeys have been observed traveling together, feeding together and transmitting alarms to each other in the presence of a predator. Without a doubt, a very curious fact that we were able to observe first-hand. Although we already saw squirrels monkeys in a blink-and-you-miss-it in Corcovado, we hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy it at such a close distance. Without a doubt, the encounter with the two-toed sloth and the squirrel monkeys were the highlights of the day.
Saying goodbye to our guide until nightfall -we asked him for a night tour around the park-, we went back to Playa Gemelas to have lunch, rest, and enjoy the beautiful place. Playa Gemelas is a white sand and palm trees beach, a completely idyllic one. We found a corner near the rocks with the shade. An iguana was appearing from time to time. We took our snorkel gear to explore the place a bit, but unfortunately we didn't see anything particularly interesting. We left the equipment in the backpack and dedicated ourselves to freshen up and regain strength.
A couple of hours later loafing around, we decided to go back to the apartment, have a shower and dinner to meet Lenny in the evening. We arrived at the meeting place at time, already dark, and we equipped ourselves with our headlamps and flashlights and entered through a narrow trail with plenty of vegetation along a stream. We were finding different frogs, grasshoppers, lizards, spiders and insects around the place. In one of the branches we found the red-eyed frog, an icon of the place. The tarantulas were also spectacular, as was the giant toad. And we were lucky enough to see a terciopelo snake, much larger than the one found in La Sirena. It was practically motionless and very well camouflaged. So much so that although they pointed out the place to us and lit it, it took us minutes to distinguish it. Spectacular.
In short, Manuel Antonio is a good place if you lack time on your trip, you like easy trails, and want to see wildlife within a short distance. The "but" is the feeling of too much comfort and a certain alteration in the behavior of the animals, which have become used to the presence of people. In any case, they are not animals that can be touched or that they have been there by force. It is a place rich in biodiversity within a very small area, so the chances of wild animals passing near the trails are very high.
Monteverde, with a stop in Tárcoles
The next morning we drove to the cloud forest of Monteverde. Along the way is Tárcoles, a small town where the road crosses over the river with the same name. From the bridge you can always spot the crocodiles sunbathing or swimming. On the sides of the road there is a restaurant and a stall selling souvenirs and clothes. It is clear that it is an easily accessible place, that it is on the way in almost any Costa Rica tour and they know how to exploit it. I have no problem with it, they are in the area above the river, next to the road and the animals are not disturbed by them. Tárcoles is, without a doubt, a place highly recommended to stop for a few minutes or an hour when you are in the surroundings.
Once in the cloud forest we went to the Monteverde Biological Reserve, inside the natural park, but when we tried to enter they told us that there was no reservation. We did not understand why but they were right, by mistake we had booked at the Monteverde Biological Station without realizing the small difference in the name. It was quite annoying and totally lowered our mood. It turns out that we would not be inside the park and that we also had to drive to the other side of the mountain.
It took us a while to find it but once there, Carmen was waiting for us - although all my previous contact had been with her husband, Marvin. She received us and explained that it was a private reserve, on the same mountain as the natural park. That there is a place of research for biologists and students, although at that time a group had just left, so they had no one but us... Covid time... The rooms were bunk beds for 4 although she let us use them as private rooms. She also told us and showed us a mobile video of an armadillo that had visited the place in recent days – To find it became my obsession throughout the stay -. I don't really know how, but Carmen's charm made us change our mood and have a good feeling about the place. We were not disappointed.
That afternoon we went for a walk through the "wild" trails of the place. In the National Reserve the trails are the same as in Manuel Antonio, wooden boardwalks (at least, that’s what I’ve seen in pictures), so surely these were more charming here. Trails surrounding the main house were full of marks that the biologists had placed for different studies. Then, we went along the river, clearing the undergrowth from time to time and gradually climbing the mountain. We heard some peccaries, but we couldn't see them. The strong point of Monteverde is the place itself, more than its fauna. The thick vegetation complicates the observation of animals. The only thing that bothered us was that everything was very clear, there was no trace of that so-called "cloud forest".
On our return from the route, we met Marvin and we sat down for a while to chat with the nice couple on their porch. We were surrounded by hummingbirds and a coati prowling over there. We led the conversation to the fact that we didn't see that cloudiness that we expected. We were worried about missing that gloomy atmosphere of the cloud forest because of being on the other side of the mountain. But it was an exceptional day, they claimed. Just the day before everything was cloudy and foggy in the mountains and they assured us that whatever happens with the weather here, is happening in the Biological Reserve as well.
The conversation with them was very pleasant. We were very comfortable talking to a couple that was very interesting and very cordial and friendly. We felt among friends.
When it started to get dark, Carmen asked us about dinner. We had commented that we were two vegans in the group and she wanted to confirm that the "menu" was as we wished. So it was. It was cooked from their gardens and with an excellent presentation and very tasty. We talked about the ingredients such as pumpkins and yucca that had been served to us and she even gave us some seeds for our gardens at home.
While we were having dinner we saw Marvin walking by with a flashlight outside. When we were enjoying the final tea, Carmen called us saying that Marvin had found the armadillo and that we should go to see it. This animal used to remain in its burrow, excavated in the ground during the day, and at night it ventures out into the open field to hunt insects and larvae. She showed us the place and we rushed off so quickly that I forgot my headlamp. With a light for the 4 of us we went slowly along the trails and we hardly found Marvin. But it was too late. The armadillo left into some bushes and it was now impossible to find. We explored for a while but we had no luck. However, this Marvin’s gesture of courtesy, going out at night to search for the armadillo to please us is worth mentioning. He had noticed that it was my obsession not to leave without watching it.
The next day, after breakfast, Marvin guided us through a route in the cloud forest. That day the fog did come down, immersing the mountain. The vegetation was all wet and the forest was dark even before reaching the dense fog. When we were into the mantle of fog, the visibility dropped dramatically. The forest became chilly but beautiful. Marvin explained the local vegetation and the history of the place. It was a very beautiful hiking route, with exceptional explanations and a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
That same afternoon we had to say goodbye to the affable couple to continue the chosen itinerary. Once we returned from the trek and had lunch, we spent a while with the coatis that were wandering around in the area of the main house. We also had a visit from some agoutis and a blue-diademed motmot in the same trees frequented by the hummingbirds.
When it was my turn to shower before leaving, I was cried to go out because the armadillo was there. Just great. I put on my clothes as fast as I could and, barefoot and messy, I ran to see it. It was foraging for food near the kitchen garden, right next to our rooms. We were able to get up to 2-3 meters from it. The ants climbed on my feet and the vegetation stung... but it was worth it. I did not expect to see an armadillo on the trip, they are very elusive and shy. Furthermore, it is an animal of nocturnal habits, so seeing a wild armadillo so active during the day is truly an experience. And there it was, next to our room. I could now leave Monteverde completely gratified.
Staying out of the Biological Reserve and ending up at this place was a mistake. But a mistake that turned out very positive. I would come back here rather than to the Reserve. Monteverde Biological Station is wilder and with excellent and close hosts.
Volcanoes: Tenorio, Arenal and Poás
It is the turn of the volcanoes. Costa Rica is not only famous for its biodiversity and its rainforests, but also for its beautiful volcanoes. It consists of three volcanic mountain ranges and more than 100 volcanic foci. We visited 3 of the most famous: Tenorio, Arenal and Poás. These last two are still active.
The first volcano we visited was the Tenorio volcano and the Rio Celeste. This river is located in the volcano NP and owes its name to its intense light blue color caused by the large amount of aluminum silicates that its water contains.
We lived an odyssey until we reached our accommodation, just 16 km from the NP but more than one hour away due to the state of the roads. We suffered a lot on the way and we arrived very late. It was night and with so many potholes in the gravel road that we thought we would never get there. No one alerted us to this problem. At least, the place was beautiful and offered natural pools where you can go bird watching. The owners, very nice, explained to us that the arrival at the place had always been like this, and they were fighting with the mayor to change it. There was no alternative way to get through. We would spend two nights there, so we were already afraid of the many times we would have to repeat it.
We got up at dawn, had breakfast and, without hurry, we set out to travel the horrible road. This time with light, it seemed easier and more manageable. Anyway, we couldn't pass the 10-20 km/h.
We arrived at the time of the National Park opening. The main trail is around just 3 km and the only one that was open. It leads to the most emblematic places of the NP, the first one is the viewpoint of the Celeste waterfall with a fall of 20 m. The arrival at the place is done by wooden stairs that zigzag with a pronounced slope. Refrain people with vertigo.
The blue color of the water is very intense and impressive, despite having seen it in the photos. The way to get here is through the forest, but with fully marked trails. The only "but" is exactly that one, it stops being a forest hike and becomes a tourist walk.
Following the path you reach the blue lagoon, even more intense in color. It also has its railing and its viewpoint. You can't touch the water, there is a handrail enclosing it. Then you come to Los Borbollones, where the water bubbles and the water can approach 100ºC due to the volcanic activity of the subsoil. Afterwards, the trail becomes very nice and pleasant, with several bridges that cross the riverbed. Here you feel more mixed up in the forest, with narrower trails and denser vegetation that sometimes even close or occupy the pathway. The last highlight point of the route is where the light blue color originates, Teñidero, at the foot of the volcano. Here are informative posters that explain the reason for this peculiar water color. Two uncolored tributaries mix at this point, changing the acidity of the water. This causes that part of the minerals, aluminosilicates, coming from the second river aggregates and settles on the bottom as white sediment, and another part remains suspended in the water, with the specific size to disperse the bluish tones of light (Mie scattering). At this point you can appreciate the less intense color of the water and a certain color’s intensity gradient through pools until the characteristic blue color is reached. Once you have finished this point, the path returns you to the entrance of the NP.
It is a very beautiful place, unique in the world; but I feel too much comfort for the tourists and little freedom of movement. We wanted to follow other routes but they were closed at that time. Surely we could have played dumb and followed the route that goes to the mouth of the volcano, but we thought it was not worth the risk.
Since the route is short, at noon we were free. We decided to hire a guide who was around the restaurant from the entrance, an excursion to see the dart frogs at almost a free price. But once we accepted, it was all pressure to leave in half an hour. We hadn't had lunch yet, so that was impossible. We were waiting for our meal at the restaurant. We agreed then to leave in an hour.
We got into their car and he took us down the road to a ceibo, telling us that it was the only one that persisted in Costa Rica -it's not true, we saw many more- and then he left us at a campsite where a guy was waiting for us. He left us in the new guy’s charge and left. Such a rush and it turns out that the tour of the frogs had to be started when the sun was down, just before dark. Too much hurry and pressure to make us wait ’til the appropriate time. It pissed me off. I felt scammed and I let him know. I didn’t want to scold him so I took it in my stride. We wanted to find a hideout of the Celeste River outside the NP to swim in those unique waters and the site we were left in was a beautiful retreat in a meander of the blue water river. We got it. It turned out to be a nice place. The water was blue as intense as that of the NP and we had that retreat all for us. Nobody else was there, except for the young man that would be our guide. The water seemed to be a bit cold, but just for the first touch; later on it had the perfect temperature. We took the opportunity to read, take photos and enjoy the breeze in the shade, since it was very hot under the hard sun.
Some little frogs jumped on the shore. There were some hummingbirds hovering around the surrounding flowers and even a heron appeared there. When we had been there for a while, the young man approached us and tried to start a conversation with us. He was a novice and quite young and he was then learning to be a guide. And it was noticeable. Although the truth is that he did his best. When the sun was down, we started walking along the river bank and we crossed it a couple of times. Once with the water up to more than our knees. We managed to see a green and black dart frog at the beginning… And it was the only dart frog we saw. Upstream, the forest was cut down and burned. Someone had started construction on that site, despite it being a protected site; or at least the one that you need a license from. A disaster. This wasn't the guide's fault though. And it was more serious the fact they were destroying the area than the pleasure or success of our tour. We reported the state of the place to the man who had sold us the tour, hoping that he could denounce the illegal logging. We'll never know if he did.
After finishing late, we again struggled to make our way to the overnight accommodation. Just what we wanted to avoid in the morning when we were planning the day. Things that happen.
The next morning, we went to the town of La Fortuna. It is very close to the Arenal Volcano, making it a point of reference for tourists. It was just a town. The best thing about the place was being able to have different food to pick out from. Restaurants of all kinds, from Japanese to Italian. After so many days eating rice and beans, a little more variety was welcome.
The official parking lot of the Arenal National Park is about 25 minutes by car from La Fortuna. There, while we were preparing for the walk, a loud shriek of a bird was heard. It was loud and harsh. A beautiful white-throated magpie-jay, also known as “piapia”, on a branch sticking out of the forest. It is a very noisy bird. You could approach freely, because it wasn’t scared of people at all.
We drove a little further, ‘til a viewpoint where you have a really good view of the volcano conic profile. It is an almost perfect cone and very photogenic. The last lava flows of October 2010 of a darker color can still be distinguished. The sky was very clear so the views were unbeatable.
At its foot, the forest takes over the landscape. A trail goes into the wooded area. For security reasons, access to the summit and the underlying area is limited, since the volcano is active and releases toxic gasses. The three existing trails can be linked by making a route of approximately 6 km. The lava flows trail takes you to a viewpoint, where the soil and rocks found there are solidified lava. A paradise for a geologist. Later, the trail of the ceibo is more wooded and full of life. We went without a guide, so we surely missed many animals along the way (besides the fact that it is a kinda busy place). However, we were able to see a family of howlers, which we followed deeper into the forest, off the trail. We also saw quite a few great curassows, reptiles, and insects.
La Fortuna offers more activities, such as guided tours on private trails to see sloths or frogs. As we had already seen these animals during the trip and, in addition, said tours seemed to be too touristy and overcrowded, we avoided them. It was in our backup plan in case we couldn’t have seen these animals in the wild, but we didn't need it.
We decided to go to the hot springs of the Chollín River first thing in the morning. It has free admission so if you go later it will be crowded and it loses its charm. Access is next to the road. There were already some people, so we didn't stay at the first pools and followed the river upstream. There, in another solitary pool, we took a soak. It was brief because after not much time, people began to arrive, very noisily. Many people are going to spend the day, so they take a lot with them. We got up and left. It was short but relaxing all the while. The water was hot, but not too much, and it was quite nice and restorative. After this we headed to the iguana dock in San Carlos.
We got to the bridge and firstly we saw absolutely nothing. We asked at the bar next door and they told us to wait a bit, since they used to appear before noon. And so it was. While we were looking at the souvenirs, ice creams and refreshing drinks, we saw some from the balcony of the bar. Two small, dark iguanas were close to the bridge. We left the bar and, surprisingly, when looking across the road, we saw quite a few huge iguanas, resting on a tree. They had reddish dorsal crests from their heads to their tails. They were large males, possibly close to 2 m. They seemed very different to those iguanas we had seen so far. They are impressive.
After the drive to the Iguana’s bridge, we found one just in the very inside of our hostel, close to the swimming pool.
The Poas Volcano had been highly recommended to us, so the next day we went there. You have to book in advance, but we did it just the day before. The drive until there passes through darker roads, due to the dense vegetation and high humidity. At one point we had to stop for a coati that was on the road, just beside a car that had stopped because of the animal. The car left and then, the coati crossed directly to our car. I understand that in no-covid19 time it is a road quite busy with tourists and this animal must associate cars with tourists and easy food. A shame. We went out to scare it and send it off the road, but instead of going away it came closer. After a lot of effort we made it go, but we had hardly started the car, when we saw its little head poking out again through the vegetation. Although we like to have them so close, we felt sorry for it. This is the main reason why you should never feed a wild animal. It changes their behavior and exposes them to many dangers. In this case, it's exposed to be run over by some absent-minded driver or to have a food intoxication and die.
Once you arrive in Poas, they take you to a room to watch a video about the volcano: its geology, its activity and the recommendations when visiting the place. It is a very active volcano, and you have to move around the area with a safety helmet, because of the explosions and burning rocks that it can expel without warning. You do the road to the craters alone. It is very short and wide, and filled with mist. In the craters' viewpoint we saw absolutely nothing. The fog was very thick. It soaked our hair and prevented us from seeing a few meters ahead. We waited a while hoping that it cleared up but it didn't. Apart from reading the posters, seeing the marks of the impacts of the volcanic stone bombs ejected earlier and taking photos with a completely white greyish background, we couldn’t do anything else. There is a trail that leads to Laguna Botos, but it was closed at that time. A curious squirrel coming out of the lookout area was the attraction of the morning.
It was a short visit. We were not lucky. I have to say that there are more days a year when the crater of the Poas volcano cannot be seen due to the fog, than clear days, but without trying there is no luck.
La Selva Biological Station
We continued towards La Selva Biological Station, in the Sarapiquí region. An ideal place for any lover of the local fauna and flora who wants to learn more. We were staying inside, so a guided tour by a biologist and the corresponding meals were included.
We arrived earlier than expected, so we went to have lunch in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí. We ended up in a hotel where the food was cheap but with no such varied menu for vegans. It was in this part of the trip that we began to beg for a meal without rice. We ordered again the typical Costa Rican casado (rice, beans, fried banana and side vegetables), but without including the rice. Once with a full stomach, we returned to the Biological Station. Already in the room we found a frog in the bathroom, which we carefully took it back to the vegetation outside (wet hands so as not to dehydrate it).
We walked the trails on our own. From the reception area, a huge suspension bridge is crossed to the lodging area for the residents (biologists) and the trails. In the river some turtles and fishes could be seen. The trails were very wooded and green. Also very wet. We were finding different insects, arachnids and other invertebrates that caught our attention among the lush vegetation. Some frogs and small reptiles. The howling of howler monkeys could be heard. We could even see a family in the trees, who were staring at us.
We were bumping into people from time to time. Few tourists, almost all of them were either biologists or local recurrent visitors of the area. We even met a documentary filmmaker. We came across a man with a powerful camera kit, who had it on its tripod pointed into the bushes. No matter how hard we looked, we didn't know what he had found. But he told us. He put us at the right angle pointing out the side of the road. There was a beautiful yellow horned viper. It didn't move much. He told us that they only change places to eat and that they can stay in the same place for several days. He was an enthusiast of snakes. I think he was studying them.
After a while we continued on the road. Part of the pathway was "paved", but it did not detract from its charm. There were numerous leafcutter ants, transporting them to their nest. We could also see some bullet ants, whose bite hurts a lot. And, finally, our first bluejeans. These dart frogs are poisonous, as their striking colors indicate. They were in the trunks of the trees in moss, where the humidity was condensed and enough for them to survive, since we could not see any stream nearby.
Once we realized that we were getting too far away and late, we turned back to continue exploring closer to the accommodation. Once in the residents' houses, we changed trails to a route that the woman filmmaker told us about. It followed some zig-zag bridges over tall grass that jutted out of the water of a creek. In this place it can be heard the songs of the frogs, but it was not yet the right time. When we cut through an area that was under construction, we were surprised to see that, stepping on the grass next to the rubble, countless bluejeans jumped around us. It was a very comforting sight, considering the bad luck in the Río Celeste area. We watched them for a while, until we noticed that some of them, which we had approached for a longer time to photograph, began to secrete a black pasty liquid from the small "moles" they had. It was the famous poison these frogs secrete. We guessed they were feeling threatened, so we decided to leave them alone.
At night it started to rain. Two of us decided to go back to the frogsong trail. We took the headlamp and the raincoat and we set off. Several people we had talked to at dinner joined us. As soon as the trek began, we saw a small bat that had been caught in a net that had just been placed for catching them for study. It was luck ‘cause it was cutting off the path itself and it was difficult to see if that bat hadn’t been there, very active, trying to escape. The documentary maker called the biologist in charge to come get it, but the bat escaped from the net before she came. She let us pass and we continued on our way. There were some frogs, invertebrates and many bullet ants on the railings of the bridges. That's what we could see, but the night and the walk became very nice since the rain lingered for just half of our walk.
The next day, at dawn, we went looking for the bluejeans again, although we found fewer than in the afternoon. On the way back for breakfast, many peccaries prowled the little houses, searching for food among the dried leaves.
At mid-morning we joined the guided tour of the station. Andrej, our guide, was amazing; a bird geek who conveyed his enthusiasm to you when he talked about it. We made a route similar to the one we did on our own, but this time, Andrej's sight and trained hearing allowed us to see a greater number of birds and others. We saw a crested guan and its chick, a broad-billed motmot, a yellow-throated toucan, a yellow-bellied tyrannulet, great kiskadees, a female slaty-tailed trogon and so on.
On a less busy trail, which started with an ascent, we were able to see the green and black arrow frogs and, although we tried, we could not see the bats that nest under the leaves. They had moved just a week before from the tended-leaves where they had nested and they had to be located again.
When we finished the tour, and seeing my enthusiasm for the bats, our guide took his bike and went looking for certain areas where they sometimes nest, but with no luck. He explained to us how to locate them without having to look at each leaf, explaining to us the form in which the leaves are shaped when the bats are nested underneath and the small holes due to the claws that we had to distinguish.
Before leaving, he also guided us outside the reserve to a place to spot the macaws. We saw some, but very far away.
South Caribbean: Cahuita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca and Gandoca Swamp.
The road to Limón, in the South Caribbean, is the main one in Costa Rica. It is in good condition, so it is the one used by everyone to cross the country or go from San José to the Caribbean beaches. And the one also used by the trucks that supply all kinds of goods… This means you will need a lot of patience, because the road can be very long and tiring. We spent a lot of time on a road that seemed to stop moving again and again. It was almost impossible to overtake the trucks, which slowed down the driving. Until it was time for dinner and the truckers stopped at roadside restaurants, the driving was infumable. We arrived in Limón at night, and we still had a road ahead to Cahuita. This section became much more pleasant and we decided to continue without stopping for dinner, since we thought that entering and getting out of Limón could become a big issue. We arrived at the hostel after check-in time, but there was no problem. We were right at the gate of the Cahuita National Park, so the next day we didn't have to get up too early.
We looked for a place to have dinner. The temperature was perfect and the Caribbean atmosphere was already noticeable, more festive and relaxed. The Covid did not seem to have reached the area, nobody wore a mask and everyone was standing and socializing on the street.
We woke up with the loud howlers. Also the whiteface capuchins, which passed over our roof. Stepping out onto the porch of the bungalow, thousands of crabs immediately hid in their holes. It didn't look like it, but the ground was littered with their lairs. A mangrove black hawk prowled attentively to get its food.
We contacted a guide. Since we were spending less than we thought, we thought it was a good investment to spend a little more and have a person who knows the place with us and thus increase the chances of spotting fauna. We agreed on a price to hike through the National Park and do some snorkeling, but the sea was rough and we canceled the second part.
At 8 am we were already at the door of the NP waiting for Manuel.
We entered the NP through the entrance of Playa Blanca, right on one side of the town of Cahuita. Here you pay the will. The Punta Cahuita trail borders the coast, so the landscape in these 7 km of walk is paradisiacal beaches on one side and jungle on the other. The NP is small, but it also extends into the marine area, where coral reefs become a great refuge for marine species. Unfortunately, we were only able to enjoy the land part and swim on its beaches, but without being able to access the coral reefs due to the rough seas. Just past the entrance and the lavatories, a stream runs to the sea. Some green basilisks were there, sunbathing. They camouflaged perfectly. We stayed in the place for a while and began to detect more animals that we would not have seen if we passed by quicker: iguanas on top of the trees, insects, and a couple of boatbills nested next to the creek.
We followed the coast and up in the trees we found a two-toed sloth. It was completely drenched by the rain from the night before. Its fur was completely tangled. Very close to this one, we had another that came down the tree. A brown basilisk was in the plants along the trail too.
The trails in this place are totally green, you can't stop seeing monkeys everywhere. In this area howlers and white-faced monkeys are very common. Also spider monkeys, but they are more difficult to see. We passed by one of the rivers that cross the trail. On those days it did not carry much water, leaving a mangrove swamp in its place. While we were watching some birds in the area, a raccoon approached us from behind, following the pathway. At first we thought it was following us for food, but it wasn't. The raccoon just passed by and went on its way. It totally ignored us, passing by as if we weren't there. Later, the same thing happened to us with a second raccoon. They caught up with us on the road, overtook us and got lost within the vegetation.
In Punta Cahuita, there are some picnic tables. A white-face was searching the sand for food, and it was not frightened by our presence. The beach in this place is no longer sand, but fossilized corals. This area of the NP, at the point that protrudes into the sea, is where the reef area is located, where we would have submerged if the conditions had been good. A few meters further on, a woman told us that a sea turtle was on the shore. Once we got there, we couldn't see more than its head peeking out from the waves to breathe. A coati digging through the leaves enlivened our waiting between dives and dives of the turtle.
As Andrej explained to us in La Selva, we were looking for tent-shaped palm leaves and looking inside. We found some abandoned nests, where we saw their traces in the form of holes where they hung and, at last, in one of these leaf tents, we found one of them. Staying consistent sometimes pays off.
Continuing a little further, just at the end of the coast that belongs to the NP, in Puerto Vargas, we continue along the second path, Los Cativos, which heads towards the second entrance of the NP (Sector Puerto Vargas).
This trail leaves the coast and enters the tropical forest. Here you stopped noticing so much animal activity. Not because there were fewer, but because there was not so much open space where they could be easily distinguished. On this trail we found two snakes: a pink hognose pitviper and, as in La Selva, a yellow eyelash pitviper.
In the afternoon we went back inside the NP to spend some time on the beach. Returning to the accommodation, we found an alligator almost at the door, in one of the pipes from the street that goes to the sewer. It was a tiny individual, but equally amazing. It was quietly submerged and motionless, only sticking its head out to breathe.
The next morning we visited Jaguar Rescue Center. We highly value their contribution to the care and recovery of species but we left with a bittersweet taste. Animals that are going to be recovered and released into the wild are isolated, keeping them apart from tourists. Spider monkeys, for example, are taken almost everyday to private areas of the forest to get used to the wild and establish links with other monkey families in the area where they are going to be released. But those animals that will never be able to survive by themselves in freedom, are used as an attraction for tourism. I can understand that much money is needed to be able to do all that work, but some enclosures seemed too small to me. Some parrots and toucans were totally free, due to their special conditions or behavior. But others, for example, had practically no space in their enclosure due to the large number of them together. I am sure that their work is beneficial and ethical, but the conditions did not fully convince me. I hope that later on, they can afford to expand their space and continue to contribute to saving injured animals, rescuing those illegally in captivity and releasing as many of them as possible.
Just after the visit to the rescue center, we had to perform the PCR for the return to Spain. We had a reservation so it was quick. And finally now we could already be “without worries” at bars. The die was cast. We relaxed at a beach side restaurant and after a few beers, we decided to spend the afternoon visiting the ARA Project. This project tries to reintroduce the green macaw that once was endemic in the region. Unfortunately they disappeared from the Costa Rican South Caribbean. Now they are successfully releasing these fabulous birds into the wild tropical forest in Manzanillo.
Just at the door, the green macaw screams were heard quite loud and they were flying overhead to the forest surrounding. The guard let us in without a reservation. The visit started with some explanations of the evolution of the project, the macaws’ behavior, habitat, etc. and, later we had free time in a viewpoint where these birds could be perfectly observed. They had some feeders with food at the top of some trees -far away from the viewpoint-, but the macaws were already completely free. It is just one more support in their feeding to ensure that they survive. Of course, I will not delude myself into thinking it is just the only reason. The feeders maintain the macaws roaming the area attracting people who love these birds. That helps finance the project and that is essential. The feeling was quite good. They did not attract the macaws close to people or attempt any type of interaction with them, which I found very positive. Without noticing, we spent an hour there, watching them. These birds are a spectacle of color. I recommend the place.
After that, we went to the beach of Playa Chiquita, one of the best in the place, according to what people say. There is a lot of plain sand and transparent and shallow waters. It is really nice but swimming in those waters is not that easy, at least you go far deep. We soaked our feet and hardly the rest of the body and enjoyed the landscape and relaxed in the sand.
The last two days we stayed closer to the Manzanillo-Gandoca National Park, in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Although it is not further than half an hour from Cahuita. The accommodation was from Airbnb. To access, there was a steep slope that made us suffer every time we had to get out of there. Since there was not much space to accelerate from below and the slope was hard and long for the car, we feared that the car would stop and fall down a ravine. The father of our guest told us a couple of tips and, in the end, it did not go so badly. The little house was next to the owners', in the middle of the jungle. We were able to see spider monkeys swinging from tree to tree, even if they are really elusive and not so easy to see out of Corcovado. But they were there, passing through every morning over our heads. We spotted some white-faced monkeys too and other animals hanging around. It was a really nice place and really nice people.
We had on our porch the spectacular golden silk orb weaver eating a big grasshopper. This spider is so spectacular-looking. It is so common in Costa Rica, but you'd rather not approach it too much, because this beautiful spider has a neurotoxin venom and, even if it isn’t dangerous for humans, it can bite really painfully.
One of the days we went kayaking in the Gandoca lagoon, in the wetlands area. Those mangroves are the most extensive of the entire Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. From there, we could see caimans swimming next to us. Some sloth and lots of birds. The idea was to finish the trip in a different way to what we had done before, but without neglecting the observation of fauna.
The route passed through the Lagoon to some beautiful mangroves whose roots fell into the water, creating unique scenery. These roots help immobilize excess sediment, thus protecting reefs and marine fauna. From there we reached the junction of the lagoon with the beach, where we left the kayak for a while and watched the local waterfowl. Upon returning, we continued enjoying the kayak ride and the scenic atmosphere.
Before leaving the Southern Caribbean to go back to San José, we wanted to access the Manzanillo National Park, but there was a tremendous queue at the gate. It was Sunday and it seemed that all the Ticos from the city were doing holidays there. Many of them went with their lunches, their umbrellas, music and everything they needed to spend a day with all the comforts. I supposed they would stretch out on the beaches of the NP, or on those at the entrance as soon as they had just taken a short walk in the NP. We did not like the atmosphere and we were also worried about the road to San José, which could be endless. So it stayed in an attempt to go inside and we marched to the capital city to catch our flight home.
Wildlife we spotted:
Birds:
Altamira oriole (Icterus gularis),
American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus),
American white ibis (Eudocimus albus),
American white ibis (Eudocimus albus),
Baird's trogon (Trogon bairdii),
Bare-throated tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum),
Black vulture (Coragyps atratus),
Black-banded woodcreeper (Dendrocolaptes picumnus),
Black-cheeked woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani),
Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus),
Boat-billed heron (Cochlearius cochlearius),
Broad-billed motmot (Electron platyrhynchum),
Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis),
Charming hummingbird (Polyerata decora),
Chestnut-backed antbird (Poliocrania exsul),
Chocó trogon (Trogon comptus),
Cinnamon hummingbird (Amazilia rutila),
Clay-colored thrush (Turdus grayi) ,
Common potoo or poor-me-ones (Nyctibius griseus),
Crested guan (Penelope purpurascens),
Fiery-throated hummingbird (Panterpe insignis),
Flame-colored tanager (Piranga bidentata),
Glow-throated hummingbird (Selasphorus ardens),
Great curassow (Crax rubra),
Great egret (Ardea alba),
Great green macaw (Ara ambiguus),
Great kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus),
Green heron (Butorides virescens),
Great tinamou (Tinamus major),
Keel-billed toucan or rainbow-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus),
Lesser violetear (Colibri cyanotus),
Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes),
Lesson's motmot or the blue-diademed motmot (Momotus lessonii),
Little blue heron (Egretta caerulea),
Magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens),
Mangrove black hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus subtilis),
Mountain thrush (Turdus plebejus),
Neotropic cormorant or olivaceous cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum),
Pale-billed woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis),
Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima),
Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis),
Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja),
Scarlet macaw (Ara macao),
Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus),
Slaty-tailed trogon (Trogon massena),
Snowy egret (Egretta thula),
Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
Spotted wood quail (Odontophorus guttatus),
Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura),
Violet sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus),
White-throated magpie-jay (Calocitta formosa),
White-throated mountaingem or white-throated mountain-gem (Lampornis castaneoventris),
Yellow-bellied tyrannulet (Ornithion semiflavum),
Yellow-thighed brushfinch (Atlapetes tibialis),
Yellow-throated toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus),
Mammals:
Baird's tapir or Central American Tapir (Tapirus bairdii),
Bangs's mountain squirrel (Syntheosciurus brochus),
Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus),
Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata),
Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii),
Collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu),
Geoffroy's spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi),
Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni),
Mantled howler (Alouatta palliata),
Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus),
Northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana),
Pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus),
Panamanian white-faced capuchin (Cebus imitator),
Proboscis bat (Rhynchonycteris naso),
Tent-making bat (Uroderma bilobatum),
Variegated squirrel (Sciurus variegatoides)
White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari),
White-nosed coati (Nasua narica),
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus),
Fishes and others:
Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)
Beaubrummel (S tegastes flavilatus)
Blue-and-gold snapper (Lutjanus viridis)
Bluespotted cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii)
Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
Coral hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus)
Cortez rainbow wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum)
Eagle Rays (Aetomylaeus)
Ember parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus)
Guineafowl puffer or golden puffer (Arothron meleagris)
Grunts (Haemulidae)
Haemulon maculicauda
King angelfish (Holacanthus passer)
Mexican hogfish (Bodianus diplotaenia)
Orangeside triggerfish (Sufflamen verres)
Pacific creolefish (Paranthias colonus)
Pacific seahorse or giant seahorse, (Hippocampus ingens)
Pacific sergeant major (Abudefduf troschelii)
Royal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus)
Sabertooth blenny (Plagiotremus azaleas)
Scissortail damselfish (Chromis atrilobata)
Spotted sharpnose puffer (Canthigaster punctatissima)
Starry grouper (Epinephelus labriformis)
Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus)
Reptiles:
American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus),
Black spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura similis),
Brown basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus),
Central American whiptail (Holcosus festivus)
Emerald swift or green spiny lizard (Sceloporus malachiticus),
Eyelash palm pitviper (Bothriechis schlegelii),
Four-lined Ameiva (Ameiva quadrilineata),
Green iguana (Iguana iguana),
Hognose pitviper (Porthidium nasutum),
Many-scaled anole (Anolis polylepis),
Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea),
Plumed basilisk or Jesus Christ lizard (Basiliscus plumifrons),
Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus),
Terciopelo (Bothrops asper).
Tiger rat snake (Spilotes pullatus),
Amphibious:
American Cinchona Plantation treefrog (Isthmohyla rivularis)
Cane toad or giant toad (Rhinella marina),
Fleischmann's robber frog (Craugastor fleischmanni ),
Green-and-black poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus),
Masked tree frog (Smilisca phaeota),
Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas),
Strawberry poison-dart frog or blue jeans poison frog (Oophaga pumilio),
Insects, arachnids and others:
Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula (Aphonopelma seemanni),
Ghost crabs (ocypodidae),
Giant polydesmids (platyrhacidae),
Golden silk orb weaver (Nephila clavipes),
Hermit crabs (coenobitidae),
Marsch crabs (grapsidae),
Neotropical freshwater crabs (pseudothelphusidae),
Patent-leather beetle or horned passalus (Odontotaenius disjunctus),
Peleides blue morpho or the emperor (Morpho peleides),
Tree-climbing crabs (sesarmidae),
Whip spiders (Amblypygi),
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