13
May

Travel Guide to Puerto Viejo and the Southern Caribbean Coast – Costa Rica

Posted on May 13th, 2013 :: Posted in Beach, Boutique Hotel, Central America, Costa Rica, sloth

If you ask us, the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica has the Pacific coast beat when it comes to the most beautiful beaches, most authentic beach town (Puerto Viejo) and greatest number of hotels and restaurants offering value for money on any travel budget. So why do so few visitors travel to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast? Beats us. Don’t get us wrong. We really enjoyed Pacific coast locations like Santa Elena, Tamarindo, Uvita, Ojochal, the Nicoya Peninsula, etc. But we left our hearts on the Caribbean side. Now you can too with our handy travel guide to the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, an 11 mile (17 kilometer) stretch of heaven.

Puerto Viejo is the only real town on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and it’s a charmer with a mix of surfers, international travelers in the know and local families on holiday.

Beach towns of Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast

It’s a lovely, sometimes-coastal drive from Puerto Limon (see our Travel Tip about this dodgy port town below), past Cahuita (which we’ll tell you all about in our next travel blog post) and into the beach town of Puerto Viejo del Talamanca and Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast.

Most people simply call it Puerto Viejo. It’s got an infectiously slow pace, a festive but not fraternity party vibe and a surprising selection of services (from bakeries to chic boutiques) yet it won’t trip your tourist trap radar. There’s also a lovely barrel called Salsa Brava which breaks a few hundred yards from Puerto Viejo’s shoreline, keeping surfers (and surfer watchers) satisfied.

Yes, there are tourists in Puerto Viejo but the place never felt touristy.

Costa Rica surfing Manzanillo Beach, Puerto Viejo

Surfers provide hours of entertainment on the long, uncrowded beaches of Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast.

Beaches of Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast

There are three main beaches stretched out south from Puerto Viejo. All of them are beautiful with wide, walkable swaths of sand, lovely blue Caribbean water and mostly-swimmable surf. Yet each also manages to have its own personality.

The nearest beach to Puerto Viejo is Playa Cocles, a nearly salmon-colored stretch of sand backed by pure jungle that runs for 2.5 miles (four kilometers) until it reaches a rocky outcrop called Punta Cocles. Best for: beach walking.

On the other side of Punta Cocles, still traveling south, lies Playa Chiquita which runs for another 2.5 miles (four kilometers) until it hits another rocky outcrop, this one is called Punta Uva. Best for: tide pooling and swimming since there are a number of very protected natural “pools” along Playa Chiquita.

Furthest away from Puerto Viejo is Playa Manzanillo and the tiny town of Manzanillo where you can get a cheap meal, a scoop of ice cream, a camping spot and cold beer but not much more. But what else do you really need with the chillest stretch of beach we’ve seen in Central America in front of you? Best for: chilling with a cold beer.

Costa Rica Beach Manzanillo Puerto Viejo Costa Rica

Manzanillo beach along Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast.

Warning: you will be tempted to fling your towel out in the shade of one of the many almond trees on these beaches. Don’t do it. A red caterpillar lives in the almond trees around here and if you touch it (or vice versa) it inflicts an extremely painful wound. There’s a sign posted in Puerto Veijo that advises in the case of an encounter with these “red worms” you can either spend $20 and go to the doctor, though there is no treatment, or spend $20 on rum and deal with the pain that way. Or, just don’t sit under the almond trees…

Hotels of Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean Coast

In addition to the usual suspects (rowdy hostels, mediocre mid-priced hotels and vacation homes for rent) there are some real lodging finds with unexpected character along the southern Caribbean coast. Just don’t expect a view of the ocean. Most accommodations are close to but not right on the beach to keep development at bay and nature at the forefront.

For the stylish and spendy: Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel, near Playa Cocles, is a full-service, starkly white and starkly hip hotel. If there wasn’t sand between your toes you’d think you were in a chic, urban hotel.

Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel - Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast brings urban chic to the beach.

For families and anyone looking for a real Caribbean vibe: There’s no shortage of lodging options here that offer Caribbean colors and decor but there’s something different about Aguas Claras bungalows. Maybe it’s the ornate wood work and circular architecture on stilts. Maybe it’s the neighborhood feeling with five bungalows (each in a different festive color combo sleeping two to four guests) nestled in the lushly-landscaped grounds. Maybe it’s the full kitchens and inviting porches from which to watch howler monkeys and impossibly-colored birds travel through.

All we know is we didn’t want to leave our bungalow even though awesome Playa Cocles was only a few steps away.

Aguas Claras bungalows Puerto Viejo Costa Rica

The Caribbean style bungalows at Aguas Claras on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast are simply charming and comfortable.

For nature (and nurture) lovers: The French owners, who opened Shawandha Lodge 15 years ago, call the 14 thatch roof bungalows “neo-primitive.” Each has a large porch, good screens, comfortable beds and artistically tiled bathrooms. Though Playa Chiquita is just a short stroll away you may do your cooling off in the Shawandha pool which is kept clean with a salt water process that skips the chemicals. You will certainly do some wildlife watching on the lodge’s five acres (two hectares). We routinely saw toucans and sloths. And don’t miss their 200 foot (60 meter) tall ceiba tree.

Shawandha Lodge - Playa Chiquita, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

A playfully-tiled bathroom at Shawandha Lodge on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast.

Keel billed Toucan Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

One of many keel-billed toucans we saw on the grounds of Shawandha Lodge on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

A sloth with her baby on the grounds of Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

Woodbecker banana flower Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

A woodpecker snacks on a banana flower on the grounds of Shawandha Lodge on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

A cheap eat on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast

Puerto Viejo has more than its share of mid-to-upper-range eateries. A harder find was somewhere to get reliably good food at a decent price. The cheapest, tastiest option we found was Mare Nuestro where you can get a big grilled fish with sides for around US$6 (2,900 colones).

Use what you didn’t spend on food to treat yourself to a gorgeous beach cover up, bit of jewelry, new beach bag, sun dress or cool hat at the splurge-worthy Luna May store on the main drag in Puerto Viejo.

Animal attractions on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast

If anything is going to tear you away from the beaches and your new commitment to doing nothing its poisonous frogs and rescued baby sloths. Thankfully, there are places to see both (and more).

Finca La Isla Botanical Garden is one of the best places to get an eyeful of various species of zanily patterned, brightly colored, totally gorgeous poison dart frogs (US$5 per person, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10-4, wear walking shoes and bug spray). The tiny frogs love the plant nursery and grounds here and a bit of patience and persistence paid off for us with sightings of red-eyed tree frogs, green and black frogs and strawberry frogs though the snazzy-sounding transparent glass frogs on the property eluded us.

Poison Dart Frogs Finca La Isla Botanical Garden -Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

From top left to right: Red-eyed tree frog, a pair of strawberry frogs, a black and green poison dart frog and a lone strawberry frog all spotted at Finca La Isla Botanical Garden on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

During a stroll through the Finca La Isla permaculture farm we also saw a baby boa coiled up inside a a huge bromeliad and our self-guided tour was capped off with a tasting of some of the fruits grown on the property and a sampling of the chocolate they make from cacao seeds grown there.

The Jaguar Rescue Center (US$15 per person, guided tours only, closed Sunday, reservations highly recommended) near Playa Chiquita is a haven for far more than just jaguars. During the course of a two hour tour we saw a bad-tempered margay named Diablito (little devil in Spanish), lots of pretty but poisonous eyelash vipers, a boa with a mouse lunch in its cage, colorful jungle birds, imposing birds of prey and many more rescued wild animals which are being rehabilitated and prepared for their return to the wild.

A yellow eyelash viper, a venemous pit viper named for the specialized scales above its eyes.

We also got into an enclosure with howler monkeys which clamored all over us like we were mobile trees. As part of their rehab the howlers are taken into the jungle by volunteers so they can interact with wild monkeys for four hours every day. The monkeys return to the enclosure by choice, most eventually remaining in the jungle when they feel they’re ready.

Howler Monkey Jaguar Rescue Center Puerto Viejo Costa Rica

Karen channeling her inner Jane Goodall in the howler monkey enclosure at the Jaguar Rescue Center on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

A two-toed sloth that was deemed ready for release was still hanging around the center, spending half its time in the wild and half back at “home.” It’s a process.

Speaking of sloths, a highlight of the Jaguar Rescue Center is its sloth nursery which was full of baby sloths which had been orphaned when their mothers were killed by predators or, increasingly, by electrical wires. Some had been abandoned after falling out of a tree. There really is very little in this world that’s cuter than a baby sloth.

Travel Tip

You’ll have to pass through Puerto Limon on your way to the Caribbean coast. For God’s sake don’t spend a night there. Like so many port towns, Puerto Limon is a hole. However, there is one fascinating historical fact you should know: Puerto Limon was the location of the headquarters of Marcus Garvey‘s ill-fated Black Star Line.

Garvey, a Jamaican, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association of African Communities League and spearheaded a movement to repatriate African Americans back to Africa where, he believed, they would bring about an economic renaissance on the continent. His Black Star Line shipping company, started in 1919, was formed to transport African Americans back to Africa but corruption, poor management and FBI infiltration forced the company out of business in 1922. The brightly painted, two-story wooden building that was the Black Star headquarters still stands in downtown Puerto Limon and is the oldest building in town.

Black Star Line building Puerto Limon Costa Rica

This building in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica was once the headquarters for Marcus Garvey’s controversial Black Star Line. Swing by to see it, then get out of this dumpy port town.

Wet and Wild on the Caribbean Coast – Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Posted on May 6th, 2013 :: Posted in bird watching, Central America, Costa Rica, Guided Tours, Jungle, National Park, snakes

Unless you have the travel budget for a flight, traveling to Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica isn’t easy. It involves hours of driving, sometimes through massive banana plantations, followed by a 1.5 hour boat ride into the heart of this wet and wild park on the Caribbean Coast. It’s not a romantic journey, just plain long and apparently everybody is in a rush to get there. We were disturbed when our boat driver didn’t slow down at all as we sped past a sign that read “Manatee habitat. Slow down”.

Despite its remote location, Tortuguero is one of the most-visited national parks in Costa Rica. When you finally reach the park itself you will probably be amazed at just how little dry land there is. We were.

Tortuguero is made up of flooded grasslands now crisscrossed by a network of man-made canals put in before the area was protected. The rainforest here is also very humid and the area gets around 250 inches (6,400 millimeters) of rain every year. No wonder the park is almost entirely underwater and most of our explorations involved getting in a boat and cruising the canals and shoreline in search of wildlife.

Caiman Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

A tender Caiman family moment in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.

Park exploration by boat

In Tortuguero “trails” have been replaced by “canals” which are explored in small, comfortable, open boats with four stroke engines and a mandatory guide. Even the ranger station, where the standard Costa Rican national park entrance fee of US$10 per person must be paid, is reachable by boat.

Mantled Howler Monkey Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

A mantled howler monkey easing down a tree to check us out in a boat below during a tour of the canals in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.

Capuchin Monkey Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

A capuchin monkey putting on his best “thinker” face in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.

Spider Monkeys Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

These spider monkeys were the third monkey species we spotted in Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park.

Morning, evening and night excursions on those canals got us close to capuchin monkeys (some of which peed on us), howler monkeys, aracaris, iguanas, toucans, spectacled caimans, all manner of egret and heron, fresh water turtles, and more. Sadly, the park’s boas and green macaws eluded us.

Boat billed Heron Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

A boat-billed heron in Tortuguero National Park. Check out those chest feathers.

Collared Aracari Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

A pair of collared aracaris in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.

Tiger Heron Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

A tiger heron hunting along the shoreline in Tortuguero National Park.

Egret Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

An egret taking a break in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.

Basilisk Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Baselisk lizards are also called Jesus Christ lizards because they have huge back feet which allow them to run short distances over water.

Mangroves Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Mangroves and root buttresses along canal shorelines in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.

Iguana Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

The older they get the more colorful iguanas become as this bad boy demonstrates in Tortuguero National Park.

Osprey Eagle Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

An osprey eagle drying its wings on a branch above the canals that wind through Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.

Rubber boots required (but not for the mud)

There are a couple of trails in Tortuguero National Park but you need rubber boots to hike them, even in the dry season. That’s because the boots are meant to protect you from snakes, not mud.

Gorgeous eyelash vipers thrive here and we headed out in search of them after renting rubber boots for US$1 per pair from an enterprising family near the ranger station which has been cleverly fashioned out of a beached patrol boat.

Eyelash vipers really do have what look like eyelashes (they’re really modified scales), which gives them a bit of pinup girl glamor. The relatively small snakes, members of the pit viper family, also come in a rainbow of colors including bright yellow, red and green plus plain old brown. We were told that the same female eyelash viper can give birth to baby eyelash vipers in all of the different colors within the same group of hatchlings. Neat trick.

Eyelash Viper Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

The eyelash viper has specialized scales that look like lashes above each eye. It also comes in a rainbow of different colors, all of which can present within the same group of newborns.

As we entered the 1.2 mile (2 kilometer) Jaguar Trail a ranger assured/warned us that eyelash vipers were “everywhere” and we started walking slowly with high hopes of spotting eyelash vipers in the full array of colors. Despite our best efforts we only saw one brown viper coiled up in the crook of a fallen log.

Don’t let their good looks and fascinating habits fool you. Eyelash vipers are venomous and they are ambush hunters. Luckily, they’re also nocturnal and pretty docile and shy. Eric spent at least 30 minutes with his camera shoved to within six inches of the eyelash viper we spotted to get these shots for you and it never even batted an eye. Couldn’t resist.

Tortuguero town

Recycling Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

A clever glass recycling bin in the tiny town of Tortuguero.

The small, colorfully-painted, Caribbean style town of Tortuguero had more shops, eateries, dudes selling coconuts, guides and boats for hire and small hotels than we’d expected. Though the most common way to visit Tortuguero is as part of a group, if you want to avoid the chain-smoking Germans and the loud-talking Estonian couples dressed in Baltic high fashion then rest assured that this town has all you need to find food, lodging (Casa Marbella looked sweet) and guides on your own.

There’s even an ambitious and inventive restaurant called Wild Ginger. Owners (and chef and waiter) Jennifer and Jorge opened the place in Tortuguero town in 2012 and they’ve created a stylish place to get quality food (burgers, Asian chicken salad, hummus, etc) that shouldn’t be missed for a meal or for happy hour (4-6 pm).

We stayed about a 10 minute walk outside Tortuguero town at Mawamba Lodge which features accommodations in wooden buildings with more than the basic comforts including good beds and hot water showers. Some rooms even have ocean or canal views. There’s also a refreshing pool, a large butterfly enclosure and a frog enclosure where we saw red-eyed tree frogs in all stages of development from tadpole to adult.

Mawamba also had a weird cruise ship/package tour feel and it, honestly, wasn’t really our style. However, it’s a good option if you don’t want to have to fend for yourself and don’t mind being on the same feeding and sight-seeing schedule as everybody else in your group.

Turtle Beach Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

A beach in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica where turtles come to nest between March and October every year.

Trail at Mawamba Lodge Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Karen exploring a small boardwalk trail on part of the property owned by Mawamba Lodge in Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.

TRAVEL TIP

Turtles, the namesake of Tortuguero National Park (tortuga means turtle in Spanish), nest here between March and October. Plan your visit then if you want to see female green turtles, leatherback turtles, hawksbill turtles and even some loggerhead turtles coming ashore to dig pits in the sand and lay their eggs. We were told by locals that September is a great month to visit since the turtles are out in force, the weather is great and the tourists haven’t peaked yet.

Turtle protection Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

Good advice for anyone interested in seeing the turtle nesting in Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park.

A Much Cooler Cloud Forest – San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica

Posted on April 29th, 2013 :: Posted in Animals, bird watching, birds, Boutique Hotel, Central America, Costa Rica, Mountains

You may have never heard of San Gerardo de Dota but if you’re traveling to Costa Rica and you have your heart set on exploring some of the country’s famous cloud forests this is a place you need to know about. You will be tempted to head to Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve which covers 26,000 acres (10,500 hectares) and attracts nearly 100,000 visitors a year. When we visited Monteverde we were inspired to call it Disneyland, Only Damper, so take our advice and head to San Gerardo de Dota for a much cooler cloud forest fix without the crowds.

Forget Monteverde

The town of San Gerardo de Dota, about 50 curvy, mountainous miles (80 kilometers) from San Jose, clings to the steep hillsides of the Talamanca Mountains. The Savegre River slices through the valley and in 2005 a 12,000 acre (5,000 hectare) hunk of cloud forest near San Gerardo de Dota was set aside as Los Quetzales National Park.

Valley at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica

Cloud forest as far as the eye can see and not a tour bus in sight near San Gerardo de Dota in Costa Rica.

There are many different types of forests and ecosystems at various elevations in the region and that hosts incredible biodiversity–we’re talking hundreds of thousands of different species. Most of them are insects, but some of them aren’t, including the resplendent quetzal–a bird you most definitely want to see and namesake of the area’s national park.

Resplendent Quetzal cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota Costa Rica

This is a resplendent quetzal, just one of the thousands of species that need cloud forest environments to survive.

Quetezal watching from a cloud forest ecolodge

By six am we’d finished breakfast and were piling into the extremely cool restored 1973 Land Cruiser owned and operated by Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge. Our guide, Carlos, navigated the steep dirt road down into the valley and about 10 minutes later we were parked near a trail head and off in search of quetzals.

Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica Land Cruiser

Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge operates this restored 1973 Land Cruiser in San Gerardo de Dota and it’s way cooler than any tour bus ever could be.

After walking about a hundred yards we reached a dead tree trunk. Carlos knew that a hole in the trunk had become home to a quetzal family so we staked it out the nest with tripods, cameras and spotting scopes. Then we waited. And waited.

An hour later the female quetzal appeared. Female quetzals are certainly colorful with their yellow beaks and green, red and blue plumage. However, they don’t hold a candle to the male of the species which sports a pair of three-foot-long iridescent tail feathers during the breeding and nesting season (April to June).

Resplendent Quetzal Costa Rica bird watching

The resplendent quetzal has feathers that change color in changing light, giving the bird a blue appearance like this or a vibrant green appearance like the bird in the picture near the top of this post.

Daddy’s home

Finally, the male quetzal turned up and the pair took turns darting into and out of the tiny hole in the tree trunk bearing agaucatillo fruits in their beaks. These mini avacados are one of the few things quetzals eat and the young are reared on it. Daddy’s tail feathers were way too long to fit inside the small nest hole and stuck out comically as he came and went.

Resplendent Quetzal bringing an aguacatillo to nest Costa Rica

A male resplendent quetzal squeezes into its nest with an aguacatillo fruit in its tiny yellow beak delivering room service for his chicks.

Male Quetzal bird nest in Costa Rica Cloud Forest

A male quetzal prepares to leave its nest after bringing a snack to its chicks.

Male Quetzal tail feathers in cloud forest

The tail feathers of a male quetzal are too long to fit inside its small nest hole and often stick out comically.

Greedy for more, we hiked/ran through the forest in hot pursuit of the male when it lit out from the nest. Our efforts were rewarded with some wonderful glimpses of the bird perched in the sun. This was the fourth time we’ve seen quetzals in the wild and we can assure you that it’s a thrill every time. There really is no other bird like it.

Resplendent-Quetzal-San-Gerardo-de-Dota-Costa-Rica

We bush-wacked through the cloud forest to follow this male quetzal and were rewarded with this perfect perch.

Resplendent Quetzal in flight Costa Rica

A male resplendent quetzal in flight, tail feathers streaming behind it.

Tapirs too?

After our successful morning with Mr. and Mrs. Quetzal we returned to Dantica to explore the three miles of steep trails on the lodge’s 50 acres (20 hectares) of protected land. The reserve and lodge were created by Joost Wilms, a biologist from Holland, and his wife Maria Luisa Castro Fernández, a textile designer from Colombia.

Joost spent years working in the Amazon studying tapirs which are called dantas in Spanish. Joost’s nickname in the Amazon was Dantica or “the little tapir” hence the name of the lodge.

Room at Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge Costa Rica

Massive windows in every room at Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge help bring nature in.

Sadly, our time in San Gerardo de Dota was tapir-free so our quest to see these bizarre and shy creatures in the wild continues. Still, we happily settled for the comforts of their namesake ecolodge which includes 10 stand-alone bungalows with floor to ceiling windows overlooking private and protected cloud forest, ethynol-fueled heaters (though it still gets cold in the rooms since Dantica is located at 8,000 feet or 2,500 meters) and jetted tubs plus a fantastic restaurant. For more, read our full review of Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge & Gallery for iTraveliShop.com.

Costa Rica’s cloud forests are home to more than just resplendent quetzals, including acorn woodpeckers.

Flame Colored Tanager San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica

Flame colored tanagers also thrive in the cloud forest around San Gerardo de Dota in Costa Rica.

Budget travel tip

If Dantica is too spendy for your travel budget we can highly recommend the nearby, basic wood cabins offered by Miriam who also runs the best economical restaurant in San Gerardo de Dota. Rates are US$30 for double occupancy in one of a handful of different cabins with views, private bathrooms, electricity and porches. Even better? Guests get US$1 per person off the deliciously home made and reasonably priced meals Miriam serves at her small eatery up the main road toward the highway. Check in there regarding the cabins as well.