Costa Rica - Part 2
Costa Rica has not disappointed. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The hospitality is great, the country is clean. They care about the planet which is a breath of fresh air, literally! The country only got prettier as we have made our way down the coast. The rain became more frequent, which gave the rainforest and mountains a mysterious allure. The clouds often hang down into the trees. It is so lush and vibrant!
We have eliminated our overnight voyages as we can get to most places now within a day. It takes careful planning as there aren't always safe places to anchor and marinas can be very far apart. We are thankful for putting nighttime voyages behind us as they can be quite exhausting and visibility is obviously a bit more challenging as well.
We made it to a marina in Quepos, Costa Rica on April 19th. We spent five days in this fantastic marina. It caters to sports fishing, a sport I was unaware existed until last year. It is serious business! Most of the boats in the marina are sport fishing boats, which are much different than the typical power boats, catamarans or sail boats. They have high fly bridges for spotting fish. They have very fast and powerful engines. Many marinas host fishing tournaments throughout the season. There was one going on while we were at this marina. The marina was one of the nicest we've experienced, with an array of shops and four restaurants.
Marina Pez Vella in Quepos, Costa Rica
Not far from the marina was Manuel Antonio National Park. A 10-15 minute taxi ride and we were at the park, walking through the lush jungle. We saw a sloth with its baby, and tons of Howler monkeys. They aren't afraid of humans that is for sure! Food is banned from the park because the monkeys would steal food from backpacks and bags at the beach. The beaches in this park were the prettiest we have ever seen. The water a beautiful blue, crashing into the shore just the right amount to enjoy, and large rock formations and of course the jungle. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the park and the beaches. Once we exited the park we rewarded our walk through the jungle with coconut juice straight from the coconut (something I have really wanted to do!).
Beautiful beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park
100% pure coconut juice! Yum!
Drake Bay was the next stop, an anchorage in a very jungly and lush bay. It has a small town and a few hostels. It is the kind of place I pictured when I thought about Costa Rica prior to our arrival. Much different than the experience we just left at the last marina. We arrived in the afternoon of the 26th and decided to paddle board onto the shore with Murf. She does great on the paddle board, she just jumps right off the boat onto the board and then once we are close to shore she springs off it like a pro. I on the other hand fell off the board on my landing, due to the waves coming in, and the board hit me in the head! How is it that my dog is more skilled than me with beach landings? :) The sand here was dark brown, but the beach stretched along the entire bay. We walked the beach, played fetch with Murf, and stopped at a local bar/restaurant for a beer and a bite to eat. It seemed that there were a lot of European younger people hanging out. Makes sense since there were hostels nearby. The next morning we paddled in again, this time successfully, and went for a very long walk through the town. We walked past lush jungle, a few parrots, small grocery stores, a few restaurants and hostels. We got stuck in a downpour, thank goodness its so warm to make it bearable! We saw mangos on the ground, they just fall off the trees here as they are so plentiful. We stopped for a nice lunch and kept walking. Have I mentioned how good their local beer is? (Imperial) We found a path into the jungle on the other side of town and found a few hidden bars/restaurants, a eco lodge and a small bay with some pangas. It was charming! We stopped for a fruity drink and chatted with some locals who worked at the bar. They had a big brown lab that was sweet as can be, and we played with the dogs. They were so nice, as most Ticas are!
Where's Waldo (Curandera) in Drake Bay?
Drake Bay - next nine pictures because it is so beautiful!
Look at this bamboo!!
The beautiful flowers of Costa Rica!
I want this piece of wood for my next house! Too bad it's too big to take home!
Two parrots in the wild!
The next day we took off for Golfito in Golfo Dulce. We left early in the morning and arrived 3:30 pm. What a beautiful bay! Lush jungle covering the mountains with clouds penetrating the tops of the trees. Again the marina was beyond expectations (Bahia Golfito Marina). It was beautifully done and so clean. A smaller marina with a nice restaurant, a beach bar/restaurant, beach volleyball, and nice paved paths. We were only here two nights but we really enjoyed our time here. We explored the town on our bikes. This area used to be a banana processing and fishing port years ago. Falling banana prices took their toll on the banana company and they closed up in 1985. There are remnants of that time in the way of housing and an old rail line. The area is now depending on tourism for its survival.We left at 4:30 am the next morning, the 30th, for Panama! We absolutely loved our time in Costa Rica! A pleasant place with great people and beautiful mountains and jungle. Great food (plantains, rice, beans) and great beverages (known for rum, Imperial beer, and fruity drinks). Pride is taken for cleanliness and conservation (recycling is very important). We saw lots of wildlife including Howler monkeys, sloths, parrots, tarantulas, frogs, and spiders. The foliage was amazing, with flowering trees, bamboo, hibiscus, and an array of other beautiful plants that I can not identify. We feel so blessed to have experienced this country along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. It is definitely peaceful paradise!
Marina Bahia Golfito