Experience More

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Isla Tortuga

2 miles (3 km) SE of Curú g From Puntarenas

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t Arriving at Isla Tortuga, an almost picture-perfect island paradise

This sun-bleached island – actually twin islets, Isla Tolinga and unoccupied Isla Alcatraz – offshore from Curú is run as a privately owned nature reserve of just over 1 sq mile (3 sq km). Isla Tolinga, which has no overnight accommodation, is very popular for day visits.

Isla Tortuga is rimmed by sugar-white sands lapped by startlingly blue waters and fringed by coconut palms that lend their shade over the beach. The hilly interior is covered by deciduous forest, accessed by a short, steep trail leading to the highest point of the island (570 ft/175 m). Signs point out rare hardwoods, such as cholo pelao trees.

The preferred activity here is to laze in a hammock while sipping the island cocktail, coco loco, a heady mix of rum, coconut milk, and coconut liqueur, served in a hand-cut coconut shell. The warm waters are great for snorkeling. There are no jet skis to break the blissful silence, but visitors can choose from an array of other water sports.

Trips out to the island were pioneered in 1975 by Calypso Cruises, which now operates a 70-ft (21-m) motorized, high-speed catamaran that departs from Puntarenas. A number of other companies offer similar excursions, and typically also provide hotel transfers, round-trip transportation, and a tasty buffet lunch. The 90-minute journey is its own reward – dolphins and whales can be frequently spotted. Try to visit midweek, as weekends can get crowded.

3

Puntarenas

75 miles (120 km) W of San José @

Often seen as a provincial backwater, the sleepy city of Puntarenas (Sandy Point) was once an important port. First settled in 1522 by the Spanish, Puntarenas later became the main shipping point for coffee beans, brought from the highlands in carretas (oxcarts). City fortunes waned in 1890, once the Atlantic Railroad was built, and many of its wooden structures are now dilapidated. Today this slightly down-at-heel town exists on fishing, as attested to by rows of well-worn fishing boats moored at the wharves. It remains the main gateway for excursions to Isla Tortuga, as well as for ferries to Paquera and Naranjo, on the Peninsula de Nicoya.

The town occupies a 3-mile- (5-km-) long, thin peninsula fringed on the south by a beach. A broad estuary runs along the north shore, where extensive mangrove forests are home to waterfowl, such as roseate spoonbills, storks, pelicans, and frigate birds. Puntarenas is favored as a balneario (bathing resort) by Josefinos who flock to the seafront boulevard, Paseo de los Turistas. The main draw in town is the Museo Histórico Marino, situated in the former 19th-century city jail. The museum has displays on indigenous cultures, maritime history, and the coffee era.

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t Pelicans against the setting sun in Puntarenas harbour

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Museo Histórico Marino

Paseo de los Turistas # 9am–4:30pm Tue–Sun parquemarino.org

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Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Curú

2 miles (3 km) S of Paquera @ Paquera–Cobano # 7am–4pm daily, by appt only curu.org

Part of a much larger privately owned hacienda, the seldom-visited Curú National Wildlife Refuge has been set up to protect five distinct habitats that extend inland from Golfo Curú.

The majority of the hilly reserve is tropical deciduous and semi-deciduous forest populated by capuchin and howler monkeys, anteaters, agoutis, and sloths, as well as several species of wild cats and more than 220 species of birds. Endangered spider monkeys have also been successfully reintroduced. Since the number of visitors is low, it is possible to spot animals more easily than at many other refuges. Marked trails provide access.

Three beautiful beaches – Playa Colorada, Playa Curú, and Playa Quesera – are tucked inside the fold of green headlands and extend along 3 miles (5 km) of coastline. Hawksbill and olive ridley turtles crawl ashore at night to nest in the sand. Whales and dolphins can sometimes be seen swimming in the warm offshore waters, while the mangrove swamps and lagoons along the Río Curú are good for spotting caimans.

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Hidden Gem

Isla San Lucas

From afar, this idyllic palm-shaded isle belies a grim history as a penal colony. Hop on a boat from Puntarenas (www.bayislandcruises.com) and spend a day pondering carefully preserved prison-era graffiti as well as spotting wildlife.

Experience Central Pacific and Southern Nicoya

shop

Dantica Gallery

Remarkable jewelry, hammocks, and crafts made by indigenous peoples from across the Americas, including Boruca masks and Wounaan baskets.

Plaza Jacó Walk, Jacó danticagallery.com


The Cigar Shoppe

Locally grown Costa Rican tobacco and a Cuban-born torcedora’s skill combine to produce fine hand-rolled cigars. As well as the cigars made on site, you can find Cuban cigars here.

Quepos § 2777-2208


Regáleme

This gallery at Hotel Sí Como No offers a fine selection of quality art, crafts, and tchotchkes, including gorgeous hardwood bowls, naïve art, and gold jewelry.

Manuel Antonio § 2777-7707

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Malpaís

6 miles (10 km) NW of Montezuma @ From Cóbano malpais.net

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t Sunset at Playa Santa Teresa, Malpaís

Its name may mean “bad land,” but the Malpaís area’s Pacific shoreline is unsurpassed for its rugged beauty. Two decades ago, the region was unknown, but today it has become a famed surfers’ paradise.

Named for their respective beaches, three contiguous communities are strung along the dirt road that fringes the shore. Relaxed to a fault, they are characterized by colorful hotels, restaurants, and bars. The main hamlet is Carmen, from where the road runs 2 miles (3 km) south to the fishing hamlet of Malpaís itself. Beyond Malpaís, where vultures perch on fishing boats, the beach ends amid tidepools and fantastically sculpted rocks near the entrance to Cabo Blanco. A 4WD is required.

The best surf beach is Playa Santa Teresa, north of Carmen and merging with playas that are virtually uninhabited: Los Suecos, Hermosa, and Manzanillo.

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t A popular destination for surfers

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Tambor

11 miles (18 km) SW of Paquera @

A small, laid-back fishing village with a wide silver-gray beach, Tambor lines the aptly named Bahía Ballena (Whale Bay), where whales gather in mid-winter. Palm-fringed sands extend from the bay north to mangrove swamps. The village itself can be sleepy, but two upscale resorts just outside town attract a large number of foreign beachgoers and Josefinos, most of whom fly in to the local airstrip. Visitors can play golf or tennis for a fee at the Tango Mar Resort, which has a 9-hole golf course, or at the Los Delfines Golf and Country Club, which has an 18-hole course. Seascape Kayak Tours offers guided sea kayaking trips of the bay and coastal mangroves from October to May.

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Tango Mar Resort

Quizales Beach, Tambor tangomar.com

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Los Delfines Golf and Country Club

1 mile (1.6 km) E of Tambor delfines.com

Seascape Kayak Tours

seascapekayaktours.com

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Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco

6 miles (10 km) W of Montezuma § 2642-0093 @ Montezuma–Cabuya # 8am–4pm Wed–Sun and public hols

Established in 1963 as the nation’s first protected area, the 4-sq-mile (10-sq-km) Cabo Blanco reserve owes its genesis to the tireless work of the late Olof Wessberg and his wife, Karen Morgenson; they also helped set up the Costa Rican National Park Service. Cabo Blanco was initially an “absolute” reserve, off-limits to all visitors, but today there is access to the eastern part of the tropical forests that cover the hilly tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. About 85 percent of the reserve is covered by rejuvenated secondary forest and pockets of lowland tropical forest. Here, there are many monkeys, as well as anteaters, coatis, and deer. The 3-mile- (5-km-) long Sendero Sueco trail leads to beautiful Playa Cabo Blanco and other beaches along the shore. Cabo Blanco is accessed from the community of Cabuya, a mile (1.6 km) along a rough road. It can also be entered at Malpaís. Tour operators nationwide offer excursions to the reserve.

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Montezuma

20 miles (32 km) W of Paquera @ From Paquera

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t Cooling off in one of the waterfall basins at Montezuma

A favorite with budget travelers, this offbeat beach community has a laidback lifestyle, ocean vistas and beaches, and hip yet unpretentious bars. The compact village is tucked beneath precipitous hills and opens onto a rocky cove. Two superb beaches – Playa Montezuma and Playa Grande – can be found to the east, shaded by tall palms and backed by thickly forested mountains. Swimmers should be aware that there are dangerous riptides. Sliding between treetops on the Sun Trail Tour is a safe, fun, and adrenaline-boosting activity. Sun Trails, who run the tour, also offer activities such as fishing, ATV riding, hikes, and scooter racing. Clambering up the waterfalls to the west of the village is unsafe; instead, cool off in the pools at the base of them. Rainsong Wildlife Rescue Center rehabilitates confiscated illegal pets and injured animals, and reintroduces endangered species to the wild. Volunteers are welcome.

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Sun Trail Tour

1 mile (1.6 km) W of Montezuma # Entry by tour only: 9am, 1pm, & 3pm daily suntrails.com

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Rainsong Wildlife Rescue Center

5 miles (8 km) W of Montezuma rainsongsanctuary.com

Experience Central Pacific and Southern Nicoya

Eat

Néctar

Gourmet Asian-Pacific-inspired dishes.

Santa Teresa florblanca.com/nectar

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Taco Bar

Tacos and more, plus super lemonades.

Jacó § 2203-6989

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El Gran Escape

Popular with locals for its fresh-caught seafood and live music.

Quepos elgranescapequepos.com

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Arbol

Divine fusion dishes in a romantic setting.

Manuel Antonio arbolrestaurant.com

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Experience Central Pacific and Southern Nicoya

stay

Villa Caletas

Deluxe boutique stays in a sublime mountaintop setting with sea views.

Playa Herradura hotelvillacaletas.com

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Ylang Ylang Resort

Beachfront romance with a pool and a fabulous restaurant.

Montezuma ylangylangbeachresort.com

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El Mono Azul

Popular budget hotel in a great ridgetop location.

Manuel Antonio hotelmonoazul.com

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Hotel Sí Como No

Whimsical hilltop hotel with a pool and movie theater.

Manuel Antonio sicomono.com

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9

Jacó

40 miles (65 km) S of Puntarenas ~ @

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t Sportfishing boats moored at the Playa Herredura, marina north of Jacó

Thriving on the surfer trade and flocks of Canadian “snowbirds” that descend each winter, Jacó has evolved as the nation’s largest and most party-oriented beach resort – even though its gray sands are rather unremarkable, the sea is usually a murky brown from silt washed down by rivers, and riptides make swimming unsafe. There’s no shortage of things to do, however – from crocodile safaris to horseback rides – and the nightlife is lively. Many of the nation’s top surfers live here, although as a surf center, Jacó is best for beginners. Many surf shops supply rent out boards and the Jacó Surf School offers one-off lessons, surf camps, and packages.

Outside town, the Pacific Rainforest Aerial Tram takes you on a 90-minute guided ride through the treetops on silent open-air gondolas. The modified ski lifts skim the forest floor, soar above giant trees, pass waterfalls, and give fabulous views along the Pacific coast. There are four departures daily, and booking ahead is advisable. Guided nature walks such as the Poison-Dart Frog Trail, are also offered.

There’s safe swimming, plus snorkeling, scuba diving, and sportfishing at quieter Playa Herradura, a broad bay north of Jacó. South of Jacó, Playa Hermosa is served by dedicated surf hostels. Sand bars provide consistently good breaks swelling in from deep waters offshore.

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Pacific Rainforest Aerial Tram

2 miles (3 km) E of Jacó # 7:30am–4pm daily rainforestadventure.com

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Parque Nacional Carara

31 miles (50 km) SE of Puntarenas @ From San José and Jacó # May–Nov: 8am–4pm daily; Dec–Apr: 7am–4pm daily sinac.go.cr

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t A canopy bridge in the Carara national park

Despite its relatively small size – 20 sq miles (52 sq km) – Carara National Park offers some of the most diverse wildlife viewing in Costa Rica. Species from as far afield as the Amazon are abundant, including the endangered spider monkey and the poison-dart frog. The birding here is spectacular, and the near-ubiquitous scarlet macaw is a major draw. They can be seen on their twice-daily migration between the forest and nearby coastal mangroves. Carara’s lower elevation forests have easy-to-walk trails that begin at the roadside visitor center; the longest is 5 miles (8 km). Guides can be hired to access more remote pre-Columbian sites and several tour operators in San José arrange day visits.

Carara is a Huetar word for crocodile, and these reptiles are easily seen from the highway as they bask on the banks of the Río Tárcoles. A number of local tour operators offer crocodile safaris by boat from Tárcoles, 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Carara.

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t Macaws at the Carara national park

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Insider Tip

Croc Your World

Avoid crocodile safaris that lure the crocodiles with chicken; this disrupts the animals’ behavior. Eco-Jungle Cruises (www.ecojunglecruises.com) respect the animal’s natural ways.

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Boca Damas

43 miles (70 km) SE of Jacó @

Crisscrossed by countless sloughs and channels, this vast manglare (mangrove) complex extends along the shoreline between the towns of Parrita and Quepos, at the estuary of Río Damas. Coatis, pumas, white-faced monkeys, and several species of snakes inhabit the dense forests. Crocodiles and caimans lurk in the tannin-stained waters. Stilt-legged shorebirds and boat-billed herons, with their curious keel-shaped beaks, pick among the mudflats in search of molluscs.

Tour operators in Quepos offer kayaking excursions. Guides offer boat trips from the small dock at Damas.

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Santa Juana Mountain Tour

8 miles (11 km) SE of Hwy 34, 32 miles (50 km) S of Jacó @ Organized transfers sicomono.com/toursantajuana

This educational tour travels deep into the Fila Chonta Mountains inland of Quepos. It departs early in the morning from the Sí Como No wildlife resort in Manuel Antonio National Park, although pickups can be arranged from other hotels. The tour centers on a remote rural community at the heart of an ecological project to engage local families in ecotourism while preserving rural customs.

There are hiking trails and a river walk, with waterfalls and pools for bathing and cooling off. Participants visit animal-husbandry, butterfly-breeding, and reforestation projects; learn about snakes at a serpentarium; and visit an authentic sugar mill powered by oxen. You can even help pick coffee and citrus, or fish for tilapia. A guided horseback ride is another option. A campesino (farmer) lunch is served at a restaurant offering sensational views.

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Valle del Río Savegre

41 miles (66 km) E of Quepos @ From Quepos

Cutting inland into the Fila San Bosco Mountains, the Río Savegre Valley is covered by plantations of African oil palms at its lower levels. Farther up the valley lies the rural community of El Silencio, where the local farmers’ cooperative operates the El Silencio Rural Tourism Lodge. It offers cabin-style accommodation, plus horses for rides down rustic trails, and has a wildlife rescue center with macaws, deer, and monkeys.

Farther along the same road, up a rugged track where a 4WD is needed, Rafiki Safari Lodge, set atop a ridge overlooking the Savegre, makes a great base for hiking, birding, horseback riding, and exhilarating white-water rafting and kayaking trips on stretches of the Río Savegre.

El Silencio Rural Tourism Lodge

25 miles (40 km) SE of Quepos turismoruralcr.com/el-silencio/

Rafiki Safari Lodge

34 miles (55 km) E of Quepos rafikisafari.com

14

Quepos

34 miles (55 km) SE of Jacó ~ @ quepolandia.com

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t A laid-back day on palm-shaded Playa Espadilla

Traditionally a game fishing base and center for the production of African palm oil, Quepos has blossomed as a tourist center and a gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park. The town buzzes both by day and at night, when its numerous bars and restaurants come alive.

South of Quepos, a road winds over headlands to the hamlet of Manuel Antonio, fronted by Playa Espadilla, a wide scimitar of gray sand. Restaurants and hotels line the route, including El Avión, a lively bar set inside and under the wings of a Fairchild C-123 transport plane. Nearby, Greentique Wildlife Refuge, run by the Sí Como No hotel opposite, offers easy walks and is teeming with different animals and phenomenal birdlife.

The Río Naranjo Valley runs east of Quepos into the Fila Nara Mountains. The ruins of a Spanish mission stand by the roadside. White-water rafting trips are a popular excursion from Quepos. Tucanes Tours offer a range of adventure programs including rafting, kayaking, horseriding, whale-watching, and snorkeling.

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Greentique Wildlife Refuge

1 mile (1.6 km) S of Quepos # 8am–4pm daily (night tour at 5:20pm) www.greentiquehotels.com/nature-reserves

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Tucanes Tours

Marina Pez Vela, Quepos tucanestours.com

Experience Central Pacific and Southern Nicoya

DRINK

Discobar La Lora Amarilla

An institution, this disco-dive bar packs ’em in for Thursday reggae.

Playa Santa Teresa § 2640-0132


Cuban Republik Disco Lounge

Cocktails galore, plus DJ anthems after 11pm.

Quepos § 2777-7438


Monkey Bar

This high-energy bar is late-night central in party-crazy Jacó.

Jacó § 2777-3378

Experience Central Pacific and Southern Nicoya

Sportfishing on the Pacific Coast

The ultimate draw for the game-fishing enthusiast, Costa Rica’s Pacific waters witness new International Game Fish Association records every year.

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t Settling in for the day on a small sportfishing boat in the turquoise-colored seas

A wide variety of game fish await the keen angler on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast year-round. In the wet season (May–November), fishing is best off Northern Nicoya. In the dry season (December–April), head farther toward the south to the sholes of Southern Nicoya and around Quepos. Apart from hiring out boats, charter shops and fishing lodges can also arrange fishing licenses for visiting anglers. Sportfishing vessels often travel 20 miles (32 km) or more from shore to find game fish, and a strict catch-and-release policy is usually followed by operators in Costa Rica.

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t An angler holstered to the boat catching a big one

Experience Central Pacific and Southern Nicoya

Deep Sea Fish

Yellowfin Tuna

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These extremely powerful, warm-water fish weigh in at up to 350 lb (160 kg).

Wahoo

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Long, sleek, and explosively fast fish found in northern waters.

Dorado

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Also called dolphinfish or mahimahi, their scales flash in a spectrum of colors.

Sailfish

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These hard-fighting giants leap spectacularly when hooked.

Blue Marlins

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The “Bull of the Ocean”: females can weigh up to 1,000 lb (455 kg).

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