Concerns: Rain (I know it was the rainy season but I never expected to have rain everyday!); Beaches (good for surfing but not for the fans of the white sand beaches), Roads (some of them still unpaved) and trucks on the road (therefore sometimes it was really a nightmare just to drive 10km!)
Places visited (& days): 22 days from 13 September till Oct - 5 Oct; San Jose and the valley (7); La Fortuna & Volcano Arenal (2); Monteverde (1); Tamarindo (1); Samara (1); Montezuma (2); Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio (2); Uvita (1); Bahia Drake & Parque Nacional Corcovado (2); Cahuita (2); Parque Nacional Tortuguero (1)
Transport (time or distances): Flight from Miami to San Jose (2h30min); Bus from San Jose to La Fortuna (3h - 150km); Jeep-boat-jeep from La Fortuna to Monteverde crossing the Lake Arenal (3h - 100km); Bus from Monteverde to Tamarindo (5h - 175km); Tamarindo do Samara by car (2h15 - 109km); Samara to Montezuma by car (4h but it took much more due to some problems with my car - 160km); Montezuma to Manuel Antonio by car and by boat (5h - 200km); Manuel Antonio to Uvita by car (2h30 - 70km); Uvita to Sierpe by car (1h - 50km); Sierpe to Drake Bahia & Concorcovado by boat (1h30 - 30km); Sierpe to Cahuita by car (8h - 450km); Cahuita to Tortuguero by car and by boat (3h - 200km); Tortuguero to San Jose by car (2h - 100km)
Currency: 1 Euro = 730 CRC (Costa Rica Colones)
Funny Experiences:
First days with my rented car – On the first one I had a flat tyre and no jack to change the wheel, fortunately some Ticos decided to help me then. On the second one, ran out of battery and therefore the car had to be replaced.
Sleeping in a rain forest with heavy rain storms
Costa Rica is getting well known as a tourist destination - Therefore it was easy to meet and make a lot of new friends
San Jose - always raining
San Jose is not a beautiful city but at least it has some very nice neighbourhood, the Bairro Amon with some nice hotels (Hotel Britannia and Hotel Dunn In) and restaurants (El Oasis, Cafe Moro and Cafetal de la Luz). It is also a good place to stay to visit some of the volcanos nearby as the Poas and the Irazu (even though the distances are quite short it takes always a lot of time).
Teatro Nacional - San Jose
My first stop was at La Fortuna to see the Arenal Volcano. I decided to skip the village and sleep just next to the Volcano at a very nice lodge with huge cabañas (Lomas del Volcano). During the day it was perfect to enjoy the great views from the volcano but on a night tour I couldn’t see the sight of the volcano’s lava since it was raining a lot.
Volcano Arenal
Then I went to Monteverde which is a cloud forest (by definition a cloud forest is where a dry and a rain forest meet each other). To come here, I took the jeep-boat-jeep tour whose the main attraction is crossing the lake Arenal. Indeed, the site is beautiful and the views with the volcano behind are great. On my way I met Bruno (the first Portuguese I met on my round the world trip!!!)
Bruno & Pedro (the 2 Tugas)
I stayed just one day in Monteverde for trekking on the hanging bridges settled around the village.
Monteverde - Cloudy forest
To go to the Pacific Coast, I took another bus (Intercity - which is a small van). On my way, I met a Spanish couple (Jose from Valencia). It was funny since he was working for Bancaja, for whom I managed a consulting project 2 years ago. He was sharing his feelings with me regarding the organization of the America’s cup in Valencia since he was in charge of managing all the accounts of the staff.
The first stop on the Pacific Coast was OK but I expected more. It was still raining a lot and on a beach site it is always very disappointing. Although I had great dinners (the best one, at Pachanga very well served by the Chef Shlomy from Israel). The best spot in town was the new lounge run by Svetliana and Fabrice. I met some interesting people (Natal from Italy and a cute Tica – Mileny).
Tamarindo - Still raining a lot
Still looking for some good spot to lay back on the beach I stopped at Samara. In fact it is a nice place but few km to the south, the beach is much nicer at Carillo.
Samara Beach
Anyway, for me the right spot of the Pacific Coast was Montezuma. To drive here was a challenge since part of the road was really on bad condition and also because I had some problems with the rented car (flat tyre one day, and a battery problem on another one). Anyway, Ticos are such good people that they are always ready to help you.
Flat tyre - Carillo Beach
Sunset at Carillo Beach
Volcano Arenal
Bruno & Pedro (the 2 Tugas)
I stayed just one day in Monteverde for trekking on the hanging bridges settled around the village.
Monteverde - Cloudy forest
To go to the Pacific Coast, I took another bus (Intercity - which is a small van). On my way, I met a Spanish couple (Jose from Valencia). It was funny since he was working for Bancaja, for whom I managed a consulting project 2 years ago. He was sharing his feelings with me regarding the organization of the America’s cup in Valencia since he was in charge of managing all the accounts of the staff.
The first stop on the Pacific Coast was OK but I expected more. It was still raining a lot and on a beach site it is always very disappointing. Although I had great dinners (the best one, at Pachanga very well served by the Chef Shlomy from Israel). The best spot in town was the new lounge run by Svetliana and Fabrice. I met some interesting people (Natal from Italy and a cute Tica – Mileny).
Tamarindo - Still raining a lot
Still looking for some good spot to lay back on the beach I stopped at Samara. In fact it is a nice place but few km to the south, the beach is much nicer at Carillo.
Samara Beach
Anyway, for me the right spot of the Pacific Coast was Montezuma. To drive here was a challenge since part of the road was really on bad condition and also because I had some problems with the rented car (flat tyre one day, and a battery problem on another one). Anyway, Ticos are such good people that they are always ready to help you.
Flat tyre - Carillo Beach
Sunset at Carillo Beach
Montezuma is really small and probably this was the reason I liked it so much. Therefore after 5 minutes in town, you know everyone!
Montezuma
The main attraction was the waterfall! Trekking here is nice but not so easy as I thought. The night before I met two nice girls (Kirsty from Scotland and Izzy from UK) and we agreed to visit the waterfall together. After 30 minutes, we were struggling since it was not very clear how to proceed. Glad that we met Carlos, a local guy, who joined us and acted us a tour guide. We had such a good time that we decided to spend the rest of the day and night together, visiting the Mal Pais beach and having dinner back in Montezuma.
Izzy, Pedro & Kirsty - Montezuma
At the waterfall
Mal Pais Beach
The next day I gave Kirsty and Izzy a ride since they were travelling on the same direction, at least till Puntarenas. From here I was going to Jaco and to Manuel Antonio, while they were going to Volcano Arenal.
When I arrived at Jaco, I immediately decided not to stay there since it was the opposite of what I was looking for. This town was already very developed with some huge buildings. Therefore, I kept driving till Quepos and stayed nearby to visit Manuel Antonio National Park.
Scenery from Quepos to Manuel Antonio
Iguana - Manuel Antonio National Park
I loved this Park. It is not a very big Park, but it has some easy treks, nice beaches (finally some with white sand) and good wildlife (my favourite the monkeys and the iguanas).
I had dinner in Quepos and went to party with some friends - Anouk (a nice Dutch girl), Julian and Brent (both from US).
Pedro, Julian, Anouk & Brent
Uvita, my next stop is not so far but the road from Quepos to Dominical (20 km north of Uvita) is really bad. Therefore I decided to stay for the night before going to Corcovado. It was a good idea. The landscape is awesome and it is supposed to be a good area to spot whales!
Going to Corcovado is an adventure, specially if you decide to take the boat from Sierpe. It was a tough decision but fortunately I decided to drop the car in Sierpe because during the 2 days that I had been there, it rained so much that it was too risky to drive.
I was not scared with the storm but it is somehow very interesting to hear a storm all night long when you are sleeping in a cabana in the middle of the forest! I will never forget the lightening! To visit the Corcovado I decide to trek alone (which probably was not the best idea since you never know what can happen). I got lost 3 times (not really lost but I had to come back and find my trail again going to Corcovado). Therefore when I reach the park entrance I had already walked for more than 3 hours and so could not afford to visit the park with enough time. I then decided then, just to visit a waterfall near San Pedrillo.
Were I overnight before Corcovado National Park
To leave this area (south Costa Rica but still on the Pacific coast) and drive to the Caribbean coast I had all kinds of suggestions. Some of them told me that the only way was to drive back to Cartago or San Jose and then to Puerto Limon. Others told me that I could cross the mountains and drive easily through Buenos Aires. Others told me to go to Canoas (next to Panama) and drive along the border. Finally, and without knowing who to believe and what to do, I decided to check it with the police. They confirmed that the only way was to drive through Cartago (which by the way was the longest one). The trip took me more then 8 hours since I had to travel through the Mountains (Chiripo - around 3200 m)
In Cahuita the weather was much better, even though very humid. On this coast it is really a different vibe and people. The beach is very good specially inside the Cahuita National Park.
Cahuita National Park
Tortuguero National Park
Maths class at Tortuguero Village
Darel, the owner, organized a tour to spot a lot of animals (mainly birds). But the best attraction was the night tour to see the turtles. Unfortunately we cannot take photos but I was impressed seeing a turtle nesting and going back to the sea. It was a quick stay (just one night) but really worth it.
Pedro & Caroline
The last volcano to visit was the Poas. I made an effort to wake up very early, to reach the Volcano as soon as they open the park (at 8.00). But, in San Jose the traffic is also a chaos and the directions not very clear so I reached the Volcano just at around 10.00. On that day, it was very cloudy and could not see the volcano at all. I was frustrated, but a guide told me to relax and stay a little bit longer because the weather changes very quickly and therefore there was still a possibility to see it. Indeed, 30 min later, suddenly I had the chance to see the volcano for a while.
Volcano Poas
Montezuma
The main attraction was the waterfall! Trekking here is nice but not so easy as I thought. The night before I met two nice girls (Kirsty from Scotland and Izzy from UK) and we agreed to visit the waterfall together. After 30 minutes, we were struggling since it was not very clear how to proceed. Glad that we met Carlos, a local guy, who joined us and acted us a tour guide. We had such a good time that we decided to spend the rest of the day and night together, visiting the Mal Pais beach and having dinner back in Montezuma.
Izzy, Pedro & Kirsty - Montezuma
At the waterfall
Mal Pais Beach
The next day I gave Kirsty and Izzy a ride since they were travelling on the same direction, at least till Puntarenas. From here I was going to Jaco and to Manuel Antonio, while they were going to Volcano Arenal.
When I arrived at Jaco, I immediately decided not to stay there since it was the opposite of what I was looking for. This town was already very developed with some huge buildings. Therefore, I kept driving till Quepos and stayed nearby to visit Manuel Antonio National Park.
Scenery from Quepos to Manuel Antonio
Iguana - Manuel Antonio National Park
I loved this Park. It is not a very big Park, but it has some easy treks, nice beaches (finally some with white sand) and good wildlife (my favourite the monkeys and the iguanas).
I had dinner in Quepos and went to party with some friends - Anouk (a nice Dutch girl), Julian and Brent (both from US).
Pedro, Julian, Anouk & Brent
Uvita, my next stop is not so far but the road from Quepos to Dominical (20 km north of Uvita) is really bad. Therefore I decided to stay for the night before going to Corcovado. It was a good idea. The landscape is awesome and it is supposed to be a good area to spot whales!
Going to Corcovado is an adventure, specially if you decide to take the boat from Sierpe. It was a tough decision but fortunately I decided to drop the car in Sierpe because during the 2 days that I had been there, it rained so much that it was too risky to drive.
I was not scared with the storm but it is somehow very interesting to hear a storm all night long when you are sleeping in a cabana in the middle of the forest! I will never forget the lightening! To visit the Corcovado I decide to trek alone (which probably was not the best idea since you never know what can happen). I got lost 3 times (not really lost but I had to come back and find my trail again going to Corcovado). Therefore when I reach the park entrance I had already walked for more than 3 hours and so could not afford to visit the park with enough time. I then decided then, just to visit a waterfall near San Pedrillo.
Were I overnight before Corcovado National Park
To leave this area (south Costa Rica but still on the Pacific coast) and drive to the Caribbean coast I had all kinds of suggestions. Some of them told me that the only way was to drive back to Cartago or San Jose and then to Puerto Limon. Others told me that I could cross the mountains and drive easily through Buenos Aires. Others told me to go to Canoas (next to Panama) and drive along the border. Finally, and without knowing who to believe and what to do, I decided to check it with the police. They confirmed that the only way was to drive through Cartago (which by the way was the longest one). The trip took me more then 8 hours since I had to travel through the Mountains (Chiripo - around 3200 m)
Once more, I was caught by the police!
In Cahuita the weather was much better, even though very humid. On this coast it is really a different vibe and people. The beach is very good specially inside the Cahuita National Park.
Cahuita National Park
Football players after retire hang their boots as a funny Costa Rica Ritual
Last stop before coming back to San Jose was Tortuguero. This is paradise! I loved the village and to reach it you can just do it by boat. I stayed at Casa Marbella which is run by a Canadian and Tica couple. Here I met a lot of nice people, Pilar and Maria Jesus (from Spain), Karin and Frank (from Holland) and a lovely American family.
Last stop before coming back to San Jose was Tortuguero. This is paradise! I loved the village and to reach it you can just do it by boat. I stayed at Casa Marbella which is run by a Canadian and Tica couple. Here I met a lot of nice people, Pilar and Maria Jesus (from Spain), Karin and Frank (from Holland) and a lovely American family.
.
Tortuguero National Park
Maths class at Tortuguero Village
Darel, the owner, organized a tour to spot a lot of animals (mainly birds). But the best attraction was the night tour to see the turtles. Unfortunately we cannot take photos but I was impressed seeing a turtle nesting and going back to the sea. It was a quick stay (just one night) but really worth it.
.
Tortuguero's birds
Before leaving to Colombia I decided to spend some more days in San Jose to visit other neighbourhoods, as Escazu, where I met Caroline. Although from Germany she had already a Tica way of life, probably because she had been living there already for some years. 
Tortuguero's birds
Pedro & Caroline
The last volcano to visit was the Poas. I made an effort to wake up very early, to reach the Volcano as soon as they open the park (at 8.00). But, in San Jose the traffic is also a chaos and the directions not very clear so I reached the Volcano just at around 10.00. On that day, it was very cloudy and could not see the volcano at all. I was frustrated, but a guide told me to relax and stay a little bit longer because the weather changes very quickly and therefore there was still a possibility to see it. Indeed, 30 min later, suddenly I had the chance to see the volcano for a while.
Volcano Poas
5 comments:
Your volcanoes, Iguanas and bird pictures are just great!!! Keep 'em coming!!!
Cheers,
Aadil.
ola querido primo..ainda não tinha comentado..vc ta a fazer a viagem q eu quero fazer..dpois quero todos os pormenores das historias que não chegam aqui ao blog :P, é bom ver que passado quase um ano continua com ar saudável..!!Já estou em erasmus há 2meses..estou em Roma..isto é lindo.. estou a adorar e a cultivar uma vontade já antiga de viajar sem parar..é um vicio..! enfim.. quero acima de tudo dar os parabens pelo magnifico blog e a partilha com todos nos que não o podemos acompanhar em pessoa mas que tanto gostariamos!
um grd bjinho
Inês prima
ps: n deixe o Luis Lorena comentar mais o seu blog, erros como o "fico agora HÁ espera" mandam o reputação um bocadinho a baixo..alguém que explique a esse senhor que à espera n precisa de H!!! :p
BESOS
Olá!!!
Grandes Aventuras com o carro!
Costa Rica é mais atractiva vista através de ti.
Grandes emoções!
Acho o máximo o Pássaro.
Um grande beijinho
Continuo a viajar contigo!(private)
Obrigado por mais uma descrição de um país desconhecido.
Para quem não faz surf vale a pena a visita às regiões costeiras? Exceptuando as que têm, para além da areia, os parques nacionais.
O projecto de alugares um carro deu-te possibilidade de teres maior disponibilidade temporal. Mas não terá reduzido o contacto com pessoas e originado problemas desnecessários?
Estas são algumas das questões com que fiquei após ler o relato, não podendo alongar-me mais, pois a menina Inês está constantemente "À" espera de um percalço meu.
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