Day 82: Tortuguero – Cahuita – Puerto Viejo: Wildlife in its pure form

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THIS HAS BEEN 

OUR ROUTE SO FAR

On January 3rd, we went to the “Tortugero” National Park, the second biggest National Park in Costa Rica. Tortuguero is famous because it’s the most important nesting site for turtles in the Western Hemishpere. Once a year, thousands of turtles lay their eggs on the beaches of Tortuguero.

To reach the remote village of Tortuguero, we had to catch a miniboat (lancha) through the rainforest. The 1h30min boat ride was fascinating. For the first time we were completely disconnected from the real world, surrounded by the rainforest. As we went deeper and deeper into the jungle everything changed: the weather, the air, humidity, and of course wildlife. We knew we were getting into something completely different from what we had seen so far.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t turtle nesting season so we couldn’t actually see any turtles, but the national park abounds with wildlife, so there's a lot to see.

So we went on an early morning canoe tour and saw some amazing stuff, like a Basiliscus, also called Jesus Christ lizard because of its ability to walk on water, alligators, capuchin monkeys, and a VERY scary and extremely venomous eyelash viper. 

Being at 6AM in a canoe in silence, in the middle of the rainforest, surrounded by all those creatures, was so overwhelming that it is probably the first time we really felt the superiority of nature in Central America.

Basiliscus, Eyelash Viper and Croc. They're there, watching you...

After Tortuguero we headed to Cahuita, a cozy beach town that hosts a small National Park. We ended up there because some backpackers we met in Tortuguero recommended it. And they were right, Cahuita was without any doubt our favourite destination in Costa Rica. 

Cahuita national park

 The village itself didn't have much to offer besides some bars and restaurants. However, the National Park was amazing. There was no entrance fee (just a small donation) and the Park was perfectly maintained.

A sloth (perezoso!)

There was a “hiking” path through the jungle right next to the beach, so we could go for a swim whenever we wanted to. 

The beaches were beautiful and during the week there were only a few visitors. We really enjoyed our picnics at those secluded beaches.

But the most exciting thing about Cahuita was the wildlife. It was really easy to spot sloths, capuchin monkeys and raccoons. The monkeys and raccoons came so close that you could almost touch them. They were obviously only looking for food, but still, it was pretty exciting. Definitely a place we recommend. We spent about 5 days in Cahuita before we got to one of the most famous surf and backpacker spots in Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo.

The beach town is only about 30min away from Cahuita and about an hour far from the Panamá border. We ended up staying more days in Puerto Viejo than expected, mainly because the hostel in which we were stayed was incredibly comfortable. It was called Pagalú Hostel and seemed much more like a small hotel than a hostel. 

To be honest, we didn´t do anything special in Puerto Viejo. We swam and surfed in many beaches and one day we rented bikes to visit some remote beaches. We went surfing because it is one of the best places to do it in Costa Rica. But we soon realised that the conditions weren´t the same as in Nicaragua. The currents were tough, the break was violent, and even the advanced surfers had a hard time. Some guy we met broke at three surf boards in one day. Crazy... Carlos was the only one who had the courage to surf, but obviously got his ass kicked reeeaally bad. He surrendered after an hour of getting beaten by the waves.

We left Costa Rica with mixed feelings. It is undoubtedly a beautiful country, with beautiful wildlife and beaches. But it looks like the marketing has done a lot for the country... perhaps too much. Because one can find similar landscapes in any of its neighbouring countries, and sadly it is not as safe as it was. Besides, everything is overpriced. But the most frustrating thing about Costa Rica is their lack of historic and cultural attractions. It seems they have totally surrendered to the gringo, and it is impossible to find anything remotely related to their past. A shame, considering its potential. Still, it is a good place to spend a summer holiday.

Next post, Panama!

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