Santa Elena Cloud Forest, Monteverde, Costa Rica

EFebruary 2011

Santa Elena Cloud Forest situated at an elevation of 1500 m or 5000 feet is located in the Monteverde Region of Costa Rica. The reserve opened in 1992 and comprises an area of 765 acres. The reserve is rich in vegetation and fauna due to the high amount of precipitation it receives, the cloud forest gets close to 12 feet of rain every year! Here you’ll find insects, reptiles, mammals and birds and there are many opportunities to spot quetzals, toucans, white-faced and howler monkeys, sloths and if you’re really lucky maybe even a jaguar.

Walking through the cloud forest was one of my favourite hikes on my trip to Costa Rica. There are 12 kms of trails that meander through the reserve. Guided hikes provide a first-hand view and excellent opportunity to learn about the cloud forest and the various plants and species that comprise it. When you walk the trails you’ll notice that the forest is full of mosses, ferns, lichens, flowers and epithytes. Dangling roots and vines sweep across the trails and you’ll hear different sounds emanating from the forest.

There is an entrance fee and together with donations, guided tours and the help of volunteers the reserve is able to exist and thus protect one of the most perfect cloudforests. For around $20 per day, you can volunteer at the reserve and can help out with such tasks like trail maintenance, teaching English and with various conservation projects. For more info visit reservasantaelena.org.

Santa Elena Cloud Forest was just one of the places I visited on my tour of Costa Rica.

Read my full 16 day Costa Rica Trip Report.

 

  


For more information visit the following related links.
Reserva Santa Elena
Monteverve Info: Santa Elena

Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

February 2011

Manuel Antonio National Park is one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful national parks. The park which is the country’s smallest is made up of rainforest and stunning beaches. It is home to a wide variety of wildlife such as sloths, iguanas and especially white faced and squirrel monkeys. You’ll see a lot of them here as the monkeys make their way to the beaches looking for food from the tourists.

The park is very easy to reach as regular bus service from Quepos is provided. Be sure to get there early in the morning (8ish) as they only let in 500-600 per day. When I was there, they closed the gate at 9:30AM. What is great about this is that the beaches are not overcrowded allowing for a more pleasant beach experience. There is an entrance fee to get in around $10 if I remember correctly. The park has several beaches the two most popular being Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio which I find is the most picturesque in the park. Playa Manuel Antonio is roughly half a mile long and is made up of white sand and the most beautiful blue waters.

There is a short trail that winds its way around Punta Catedral (100m) which affords some nice views of the Pacific Ocean. The hike takes around 1 hour to complete from Playa Espadilla Sur.

Manuel Antonio National Park was just one of the places I visited on my tour of Costa Rica.

Read my full 16 day Costa Rica Trip Report.

White faced monkeys can be seen all around the park...they come out to the beach so watch your food and bags

Playa Manuel Antonio

Playa Manuel Antonio

View of Playa Manuel Antonio from hiking trail that winds it's way around Punta Catedral

View of Punta Catedral from the hiking trail

Playa Espadilla Sur

Catamaran cruising around Manual Antonio park

For more information visit the following related links.
Manuel Antonio Park

Rara Avis Rainforest Lodge and Reserve, Costa Rica

February 2011

If you really want to escape the tourist crowd and live the ultimate experience then spending a few days at Rara Avis rainforest reserve is a must. Just getting to the eco reserve is an adventure in itself. You first must take a long and bumpy tractor ride on a dirt road to get there. It takes 3 -4 hours from the main office in Las Horquetas to the Ecolodge.

Rara Avis is a true remote jungle lodge where you get to experience true wilderness. It borders Braulio Carillo National Park and is situated at 700 meters(2300 feet) above sea level. The climate is moderate ranging from 18 Celcius to 32C. The reserve which covers an area of 1000 square kilometers of forest is home to over 367 species of birds and also includes jaguars, ocelets, tapirs, snakes, monkeys, coatimundis and many more.

Guided hikes occur every day. There is even an opportunity to go in night hikes to spot nocturnal animals. Right on the property is a magnificent double waterfall with large crystalline pools at the base, just perfect for that dip on those humid hot days. There is no electricity only a generator that runs from 6 to 10 pm. Then then lights go off. This is when you really get to experience the eco reserve as you fall asleep and awaken to the sounds of the jungle. The only way to get around is by flashlight or lantern and you must where rubber boots(they provide them) as the trails are very wet and muddy. The sleeping arrangements are quite unique, basic cabins with bunk beds that have nets to keep creepy crawly things out, a bathroom with shower, and an oil lantern for lighting. Rara Avis is a pristine wilderness which provides visitors with the opportunity to experience a true Costa Rican rain forest.

Rara Avis was just one of the places I visited on my tour of Costa Rica.

Read my full 16 day Costa Rica Trip Report.

The main lodge at Rara Avis

The eating area where we were served 3 Costa Rican dishes per day

Trekking through the jungle

Butterfly enclosure on the property

Butterfly markings looks like a snake head

 

Rara Avis double waterfall is the perfect place to go for a swim

 

The tractor/trailer that goes to Rara Avis. The road is often very bumpy and muddy.

Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica

February 2010

Tortuguero National Park is the 3rd most visited national Park in Costa Rica. It is located on the Atlantic coast of the country and is most often reached by river boat. The park is located in a tropical climate and receives up to 250 inches of rain per year. The park is very rich in bio diversity and consists of several different habitats including swamps, beaches, rainforest and lagoons. The beaches that lie within Tortuguero are key nesting grounds for green and leather back turtles. The rivers are home to caymans and crocodiles. The forests are home to jaguars, sloths and monkeys to name only a few. The best way to see the park is by boat. Very often while travelling the canals, sightings of wildlife are quite frequent. On my trip through the canals I saw howler, spider, capuchin monkeys, sloths, lizards, iguanas, caymans and crocodiles and many exotic bird species.

Tortuguero National Park was just one of the places I visited on my tour of Costa Rica.

Read my full Costa Rica Trip Report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costa Rica Canyoneering Adventure

February 2011

When I visited Costa Rica and found out about the possibility of going on a canyoneering adventure where I would rappel down a 200 foot waterfall … well I just had to try it…and what a thrill it was.

For around $90 Desafio offered a guided trip with instruction that took us you to a rugged mountainous terrain near Arenal Volcano where we spent a good part of the day rappelling, river tracing and descending huge waterfalls in a beautiful canyon environment found deep in the rainforest.

After gearing up and a safety talk on important rappelling and down-climbing techniques, we set off to tackle our first waterfall, the descent down a small 10 ft waterfall. They start you off on a small waterfall so you get the hang of it and keep building you up to the biggest of them all - the rappel down a 200 foot waterfall. The first waterfall was fun and provided a good practice for bigger things to come. We waded through the water following the river until we reached a platform where the real action was to begin- the rappel down the second waterfall- a massive 150 ft tropical waterfall.

The biggest and most exciting waterfall was our last descent- the 200 ft-guided rappel. You start off the rappel and half way down, once you clear the waterfall, let go and zip all the way down to the ground enjoying the magnificent views.

The hike back took us around 10 minutes and a nice lunch which was provided was waiting for us upon our return. After experiencing this, I am eager to explore and some other canyoneering in other areas in Costa Rica and the world. I am totally hooked on this adventure sport which keeps gaining in popularity.

Canyoneering in La Fortuna was just one of the many adventures on my tour of Costa Rica.

Read my full 16 day Costa Rica Trip Report.

Here are some pictures from this incredible experience.

 

 

La Fortuna Waterfall, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

February 2011

If ever you wanted to visit one of the most beautiful tropical waterfalls, then La Fortuna Waterfall is a must see while in the area of La Fortuna and Arenal . The waterfall which is located at the base of the dormant Chato Volcano plunges some 200 feet (65m) from a narrow aperture into an emerald pool below. To get to the base of the waterfall, one must first travel down a series of steep steps. From the ticket booth(there is an entrance fee) a path leads to the base of the falls. It takes around 15 minutes one way, the return being more strenuous and a little bit longer. The effort is well worth it as the view from the base of the waterfall is simply magnificent. There are a series of pools which are a great spot for a swim as they are quite deep in certain areas.

Other things and places of interest include Arenal Volcano, Canyoneering Adventure, Baldi Spa and Hot Springs, Proyecto Asis Wildlife Rescue Centre

Read my full 16 day Costa Rica Trip Report.

It was a hot day when I visited the waterfall, I decided to walk to them from the town of La Fortuna which took me over an hour to do. It is situated around 6kms from town. A taxi ride one way will cost about $7 for those who prefer not to walk.

 

La Fortuna Waterfall Gift shop at entrance to the reserve



La Fortuna Waterfall from upper viewing deck

 

The stairs leading to the base of the falls can be quite steep in certain sections

A covered bridge on the way to the falls



A short distance downstream from the falls is a quiet pool area where one can take a refreshing plunge

 

 

 

 

Costa Rica 15 Day Adventure

February 2011

In February 2011 I set out to explore Costa Rica with (Gap) G Adventures. The tour that I took was the 16 day Costa Rica Adventure out of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. What I liked about the tour firstly it is a small group of people from around the world, secondly, the tour visited the Caribbean Coast, Pacific Coast and the Central Mountainous region of the country hitting upon all of the main attractions that I wanted to visit.

The trip began in San Jose where in the evening we met the other tour members and our guide who explained to us the logistics and what to expect from the trip. The next day we set off to the Caribbean village of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Before arriving there, we first stopped en route for one of the highlights of the trip, a Rafting Trip down the Pacuare River which is rated as one of the top ten whitewater rafting trips in the world, not so much because of the technical difficulty(we rafted Class III and IV rapids) but because of the incredible scenery and locale. After our exciting half day white water adventure,we arrived in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca where we would spend the next 2 nights. The village has a very different feel to it relative to other Costa Rican places. It is a centre of vibrant Afro-Caribbean culture which is very popular with surfers. It has nice beaches and great restaurants where you can sample the catch of the day.

After relaxing in Puerto Viejo then it was off to our next destination,Tortuguero National Park. Our journey started on a short bus ride to the port city of Puerto Limon. Once at Puerto Limon we took a 3-4 hr river boat ride along the canals which would take us to our river lodge in Tortuguero. Along the way we spotted spectacular wildlife like sloths, howler monkeys, caymans, crocodiles and all sort of exotic birds. Tortuguero National Park is a seasonal nesting ground for green and leatherback turtles. We spent the next day exploring the park and went on a hike to the highest point in the park which offered beautiful views of the canals and Atlantic Ocean.



River boat cruising the canals of Tortuguero National Park

Then it was off for a completely out of this world experience, 2 nights stay at Rara Avis where getting there is an adventure in itself. We boarded a tractor for a long and bumpy muddy ride that took 4 hours to reach our remote jungle destination. Rara Avis is located just outside of Braulio Carillo National Park where at 700m (2000 feet) above sea level the climate is generally moderate year round. Here we explored the jungle with a naturalist guide, visited a butterfly enclosure, went for a dip at the base of a beautiful tropical waterfall and even had an impromptu soccer match in the mud.



Rara Avis

Our next stop was La Fortuna where I went on a Canyoneering Adventure, soaked in the hot springs at Baldi Spa, visited a wildlife rehabilitation centre, and went for a swim at La Fortuna Waterfall.

 

 

After La Fortuna our next destination was Monteverde. To get there we took a boat across Lake Arenal which offered great views of Arenal Volcano. After a 2-3 hours bus ride we arrived in the mountainous region of Monteverde. We went zip-lining where we swung like Tarzan and flew like Superman , visited a coffee plantation, visited Santa Elena Cloud Forest, visited a butterfly centre, and had dinner in a tree house restaurant.

Santa Elena Cloud Foest in Monteverde

Santa Elena Cloud ForesOur final destination was Quepos and Manual Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. We arrived late in the afternoon checked into our hotel then went on a sunset catamaran cruise. The following day I spent at Manuel Antonio Park soaking up the sunshine and relaxing on the beach. Then it was back to San Jose where in the evening we had our farewell dinner. The next day we all went our separate ways. My amazing Costa Rica vacation was over. What an amazing trip!

Catamaran cruise around Manuel Antonio National Park and Quepos