The Rainforest Aerial Tram is on 475-hectares (1,200-acres) of land and is a
private reserve that shares its northeastern boundary with
Braulio Carrillo National Park.
This tram was constructed by Dr. Donald Perry who was the author of Life
Above the Jungle Floor. The tram takes visitors on a 90-minute guided tour
of the canopy and, then, 2.6-km (1.6 mi) of cable car giving visitors a
spectacular view of the hanging gardens at the level of the canopy.
A zip line with six platforms offers the adventurous an adrenaline rush,
while naturalists can find a serpentarium, butterfly and frog garden.
The tram is located on Highway 32 at 4-km (2.5 mi) past the Braulio Carrillo
ranger station.
Puerto Limon
Costa Rica's Caribbean coast is removed from San Jose, especially from its
sphere of influence and this is the great city of the region. This is a
hard-working port city and is not particularly targeted at tourists. The streets
are lined with run-down buildings and there are numerous over grown parks.
Shoppers and street vendors crowd the sidewalks.
The Atlantic coast of Costa Rica was left unexplored by Spanish settlers
until the 19th century. The railroad began construction in 1987 and brought in
freed Jamaican slaves for cheap labor.
At the same time, the United Fruit Company began growing and exporting
bananas making it a booming business. In 1913, the banana industry moved to the
Pacific coast but the workers were restricted by visa regulations from following
the employment opportunities. Without employment, locals turned to subsistence
farming, fishing and working on cocoa plantations.
An uprising in 1948 lead to a 40-day civil war and in 1949, a new president
gave blacks the right to work and travel freely throughout Costa Rica.
Travel sights & activities in Puerto Limon
- Walking on the bench-lined sidewalks on the waterfront in Parque Vargas is
the city's main attraction.
- Shopping on the pedestrian mall and mercado central where local Latin-reggae
fusion and hip-hop music can be purchased.
- Visiting Museo Etnohisortico de Limon has exhibits of Afro-Caribbean
artifacts.
- Boating out to Isla Uvita to catch the country's most powerful lefts is also
an option.
A friendly village located at the southern end of
Tortuguero National Park and at the mouth of Rio Parismina, this village
attracts turtle and tarpon lovers. Accessible by boat only, Parismina has a
remote a island atmosphere.
The beach is the breeding ground of hundreds of
leatherback, green and hawksbills turtles. They come to nest from late
February to early October with the peak season in April and May.
The waters are also filled with record-breaking Atlantic tarpon. It is
popular with anglers, as the tarpon season is from January to mid-May and snook
can be caught from September to November in the Rio Parismina.
Travel sights & activities in Prismina
- Volunteering with the local turtle hatchery allows tourists the opportunity
to learn about turtles and to get involved with the community.
- Swimming at the nearby lagoon known as Barrita is a chance to cool down, as
the beaches are rough.
- Visiting the Jardin Tropical, a heliconia farm, is a traditional Tico farm
where one can ride horses.
- Fishing outfitters operate out of Parismina. There are a number of luxury
lodges who cater to every need. Rio Parismina Lodge
caters to top-end toursits with all-inclusive vacations.
Accessible only by air or water, this beautiful place is known for the hordes
of hatchling turtles found in the sands. Tortuguero means turtle place
and turtles come to lay eggs from late July through August.
This is one of the rainiest regions in Costa Rica. Tortuguero is a quieter
destination than others on the Caribbean. The amount of water and rain makes it
difficult to see the difference between land and sea. Because it is so wet, it
is possible that this is the reason that turtles come to lay their eggs here.
The amount of water makes this travel destination fabulous for fishing. Fishermen
originally settled this area because of the amount of fish in the waters.
Travel sights & activities in Tortuguero Village
- Visiting the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, a research station, which
has a small visitor center and museum exhibits turtle-related things.
- Touring the Canada Organization for Tropical Education Rainforest
Conservation, 7-km (4 mi) north of Tortuguero Village, is a chance to see the
collection of biological specimens from the area, including a collection of
skulls, insects, seeds and fruits.
- Boating through the national park,
either via one's own power or hire a motorized boat. This is a fabulous way to
see the surrounding ecology and scenery.
- Hiking in the park to the pinnacle of Cerro Torguguero, an extinct volcano
about 6-km north of the village. Visitors will need to hire a boat to get tot
his spot.
- Touring the canals with a guide to look for turtles.
Tortuguero is accessible by boat from Caribari or Moin. If you are traveling
to Parismina, you should be able to get one of the boats in Moin to drop you on
the way. You can get to Cariari by bus from San Jose or Puerto Limon.
Tortuguero National Park is located on the Caribbean coast in a remote
31,187-hectare (77,000-acre) national park. This park is largely made up of a
coastal rainforest which has what seems to be an infinite maze of canals. These
canals are an engineering marvel. A trip on the canals of Tortuguero has been
likened to a dreamy lazy float on the Amazon. It is a lyrical trip where
visitors are rewarded with glimpses of sloths, iguanas, crocodiles, numerous
species of birds and freshwater turtles. This park contains 11 ecological
habitats and an abundance of wildlife. Read more about
Tortuguero National Park.
The National Refuge of Vida Silvestre Barra del Colorado is the biggest
national wildlife refuge in Costa Rica and includes 90,400-hectares
(223,000-acres). It forms a conservation unit with the adjacent Tortuguero
National Park.
This refuge has a similar landscape to the neighboring national park and has
kilometers of canals, lagoons, rivers and marshes. The only way to get around is
by boat.
Barra is much more remote, more expensive and more difficult to visit that
Tortuguero but it is adventurous and rewarding.
In Barra, the there an incredible list of wild and marine life and some of
them are as follows:
Travel activities in Barra del Colorado
- Fishing offshore for tarpon from January
to June and year-round for barracuda, mackerel, and jack crevalle.
- Fishing inshore for bluegill, rainbow bass and machaca.
- Fishing deep sea for marlin, sailfish and tuna.
- Canoeing and kayaking the waterways to explore the backwater canals and
lagoons.
Hitoy-Cerere Biological Reserve
A 9,950-hectare (25,000-acre) reserve located in the southern Caribbean, this
is one of the most rugged and least visited reserves in Costa Rica.
This reserve is named for two rivers. The hitoy which means woolly
and refers to its moss-covered rocks and the Cerere which means clear
waters. These rivers receive an incredible amount of rain each year
(between 4-6m/10-15 ft) and rush down the side of the mountains making the
rainforest moist, humid and picturesque.
Wildlife sightings have included the woolly and grey four-eyed opossum,
tayra, howler and white-faced monkeys. The keel-billed
toucan, spectacled own and green kingfisher are birding highlights.
The biological reserve is surrounded by remote indigenous reserves which can
be visited with a local guide.
There are no facilities and few trails in this reserve except a ranger
station at the entrance.
This is a laid-back spot on the Costa Rica's Caribbean. Travelers can find
perfect beaches with trails through protected jungles. Cahuita is in the middle
of a beach to the north of town and a national park to its south nestling it
into a small point that sticks out into the Caribbean Sea.
There are only two gravel roads leading through town and, as a result,
Cahuita sees little traffic.
Travel activities in Cahuita
- Swimming in Playa Negra, a long black-sand beach, is a top swimming spot/
beach in the area.
- Surfing at Playa Negra where there
is an excellent beach break and few surfers to compete with.
- Snorkeling on one's own or with a tour outfitter at a local reef.
- Sport fishing is available with local
outfitters.
- Touring with a local tour company to Hitoy-Cerere Reserve or Bribri
indigenous Reserve.
- Horseback riding tours along the beach or to jungle waterfalls are
available.
- Biking with a rental to nearby natural attractions.
Cahuita National Park
Famous for its fine sandy beach and coral reef, this national park is located
on the Caribbean coast. It is 1,067-hectares (2,600-acres) in size and is one of
the smallest parks in Costa Rica. It is also one of the most visited parks in
Costa Rica. The park has a lovely rainforest that reaches the beach and from the
beach, the reef extends 500m (1,500 ft) out to sea.
Teeming with wildlife, the forest and waters are full of viewing
opportunities. There are tropical fish,
crabs, lobsters, sponges, sea fans, marine creatures, anemones, seaweed and much
more. Mammals include monkeys (white-faced and
howlers), raccoons, coatis and
sloths.
Hiking in Cahuita National Park
A 7-km coastal trail is easily navigable and leads through the jungle from
Kelly Creek to Puerto Vargas. Parks of the trail follows the beach while other
parts are in the forest. There is a river crossing on this trail. The trail
meets with a road that leads to the Puerto Vargas ranger station. From the
ranger station, it is 2-km (1.25 mi) to the park entrance where it's possible to
hitch a ride to town.
Weather on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast
Hot, humid and rainy. The dry season is from mid-February through April and
can be drier in September and October. The best time to travel to the Caribbean coast
is during dry season.
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a Caribbean dream travel destination of perfect
beaches, fabulous surfing and a
laid-back attitude. There is a good nightlife and restaurant scene in Puerto
Viejo and a significant number of expats are moving here.
The Afro-Caribbean presence is strong here and the smells of coconut and
sounds of reggae is part of the charm in Puerto Viejo.
This is a small town with one long paved road that follows the coastline. It
is crowded with surf shops, open-air bars and ice-cream parlors. There are many
kilometers of beach stretching in both directions from town.
Travel services in Puerto Viejo
- Internet access is available at several locations in town.
- Money can be accessed at the ATM or exchanged at a couple of private
businesses.
Travel sights & activities in Puerto Viejo
- Visiting the tropical work farm of Finca la Isla Botanical is an opportunity
to see tropical fruit and ornamental plants where birds and wildlife hangout.
- Touring the small tropical nursery called Jungles of Talamanca offers a
chance to try delicious chocolate or rich cocoa butter
- Surfing one of the local beaches
including the famed Salsa Brava or
impressive Playa Cocles.
- Swimming the entire southern Caribbean coast where there are picture-perfect
beaches such as Playa Negra, Cocles, Chiquita, Punta Uva and Manzanillo.
- Snorkeling at Punta Uva or Manzanillo when conditions are calm.
- Diving at the coral gardens where hundreds of species of fish including
angelfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, sharks and jack and snapper can be seen.
- Hiking is best at nearby
Cahuita National Park and the National Refuge of Vida Silvestre
Punta Uva is known for having the most swimmable beaches in the area. The
beaches along this stretch are lovely and located about 7-km (4 mi) east of
Puerto Viejo.
Some describe this stretch as heavenly because the waters are crystal clear
and the beaches are lined with palm trees. Water temperatures are better than
bath water at 27°C (80°F).
It's possible to rent a bike in Puerto Viejo and ride to Punta Uva.
There are a number of good quality and affordable accommodation options on
the road to Punta Uva.
Manzanillo
This region of the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica remains one of the most
pristine. The little village is idyllic and is off-the-beaten-track with few
visitors. The beaches are postcard perfect.
Wildlife, not nightlife, is the main attraction as the locals established the
National Refuge of Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo. Along with wildlife
viewing the activities include sunning, snorkeling and surfing.
National Refuge of Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo protects nearly 70% of
the southern Caribbean coast and encompasses 5,013-hectares (12,400-acres) of
land plus 4,436-hectares (11,000-acres) of sea.
One of the main attractions is the long stretch of beach with coral reef
where one can find lobster, sea fans and long-spined urchins. The endangered
manatee is also found in this reserve.
Mostly a rainforest, this refuge is filled with a variety of trees and
vegetation. Many tropical birds are
attracted to this reserve and the area is known for the raptor migration where
millions of birds fly overhead in the fall.
This corner of Costa Rica is considered on of the most scenic spots in the
country. There is no administration of the reserve at this time, which means
little signage, no official park entrance and no entrance fee.
Travel activities in Manzanillo
- Snorkeling in the living coral reefs where there are five different types of
coral and 400 species of fish and crustaceans. Try Punta Mona or Manzanillo for
snorkeling right near shore. Snorkel rental is available.
- Diving in the same area is also available with Aquamore Talamanca
Adventures.
- Kayaking the wildlife refuge or padding on the reef with a local outfitter
is possible.
- Sport fishing is offered by several
outfitters and charters in town.
- Observing dolphins with a local guide
where there are three species and one that was recently discovered in Costa
Rica.
- Watching turtles, especially leather backs,
green hawksbill and loggerheads which nest on the beach. From March to July, the
leatherbacks nest. April and May is the peak season.
- Volunteering to collect nesting eggs is also possible through the Asociacion
Nacional de Asuntos Indigenas.
- Touring the local reserve with a guide offers the opportunity to identify
medicinal plants, exotic birds and animals. Treks last from four to five hours.
