Why visit Costa Rica? For me, it goes back to a well-thumbed copy of The Old Patagonian Express. These days, everyone I know has either been to Costa Rica or is considering it. Countless friends said it was their favourite country, great for wildlife, so laid-back, a happy countryโฆ stunning sunsets and endless beaches. I finally got to Costa Rica in December Here are a few takeaways from my recent experience in the land of pura vida.
Planning my own trips around Europe is usually a dream. Feeling somewhat un-intrepid, I booked a tour with Intrepid Travel that packed Costa Rica highlights into two weeks: guided hikes in five national parks, plus a homestay and a visit to the indigenous Maleku. Intrepid aim to keep things at a local level. But two weeks felt too short to visit Costa Rica. At the end of the tour, we made our way down the Pacific coast to hang out in Uvita and Dominical.
Public transport can be challenging. Always double check with a tourist office if you can. There are also private shuttle firms where you book online and get door-to-door service in a minibus. The usual advice is to book a guide in one of the national parks, and the expertise is invaluable.
And before long we could spot and name the white-headed capuchin, howler, spider, and squirrel monkeys. Hummingbirds are also a mesmerising sight where people have set up feeders. But what you spot is also down to luck. Yet a few days later, walking to the waterfall above Uvita, we happened upon a far better view of a Three-Toed Sloth โ munching right above our heads.
In Monteverde, our guide illuminated a boa constrictor, tarantulas, scorpions and a coiled green viper. Our daytime walks never quite felt the same after that. Are crocodiles a danger in Costa Rica? Up to a point. There are a few attacks on humans each year. At last a calm bay for swimming, and no one else in the water! I should have asked myself why. As park rangers discussed whether the long shape in the sea was a log or something more ominous, a zoom lens settled the discussion bottom left image.
