Archive for the ‘Costa Rica Adventures’ Category

Horseback riding in the northern-highland area near Arenal - Costa Rica

Posted on Dec 04, 2008

Near the area of Arenal in Costa Rica the horseback riding tours are really interesting, due the natural beauty of the area and the imposing presence of the Arenal volcano, one of the main attractions of the country. For this reason there are several types of tours that you can take and in most cases are a good combination of hiking and horseback riding with a beautiful landscape. The horses are trained and they will take you to the entrance of the waterfall through grass areas, forests and high hills. The views of the San Carlos Valley of Costa Rica and the tropical forest that surround it are spectacular. At the end of the road, you will stop and descend from the horses to walk along a nature trail to the base of the waterfall.

This fantastic area in Costa Rica is very quiet and a special place to relax and swim for a while. Generally the tours leave La Fortuna in the early morning until the Arenal dam. After that you will take a motorboat for 20 minutes that will take you to El Castillo on the other side of Lake Arenal, the horses in this town will be ready for you. Then you will ride for three and a half hours to cross rivers, meadows and forests and climb to about 3300 feet from the rain forest to reach the cloud forest. Probably this is the most spectacular trip you will find in Costa Rica, traveling on horseback by the old route that the villagers used for decades to trade. One of the tours leaves La Fortuna at 7:00 a.m. and travel to La Tigra where we changed the transportation to 4×4 car to climb 10 kilometers until The Biological Station in Pocosol which is a city in Costa Rica. In this place you will receive a little chat about location and information on the research work being carried out in the place.

Later we started a walk on the trail of Catarata Velo de Novia of about two hours to come into contact with the dense forest. When you return to the station you will eat a lunch to get energy. In the afternoon you will travel on a horse the path of Zamia, for two and a half hours, where you can contemplate the secondary volcanic activity. After going out of the path you will take a swim in the natural lake of volcanic origin. The dinner will be at 6:00 pm. At 7:30 pm you will hike at night to identify amphibians, reptiles and insects. The lodge is located inside the installations of the Biological Station.

Another interesting horseback riding tour in Costa Rica in this specific area is near Rio Celeste, located near the Tenorio Volcano National Park. In this place you will begin a tour on horseback of 7 km (4 hours) across the rainforest. You will arrive at Lake River Celeste, in this place there are two nascent crystal clear water of light blue color a really beautiful spectacle. When the tour is returning it travel along a trail where is possible to find “Pots”, these are like smoke-filled mud, produced by the volcanic activity. This place has a unique beauty which you can appreciate and care at the same time. During the journey you can see the high temperature gases and also you will find a beautiful waterfall with its crystal clear. The tour ends with a delicious lunch.

In another horseback riding tour in Costa Rica is Monteverde, where you will travel by horse to travel on muddy and rocky roads, through a lot of beautiful natural surruondings. In addition, you have the chance to see some of the wonderful scenery in the world when you arrive close to the “Forest of Eternal Child”, the Monteverde reserve and through the reservation of Santa Elena. This is an adventure that you will enjoy to the maximum.

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Diving in the South Pacific of Costa Rica

Posted on Nov 28, 2008

Less than 10 years, Costa Rica was a little-known as a specialized diving destination. Suddenly has been applauded for its great variety of marine life and has become famous around the world.Along the coast of the South Pacific you will find first-class vessels dive, dive shops and well equipped. In addition, the lovers of this sport will have the opportunity to be immersed in the wilderness waters that were perhaps never before explored.

The tours depart early in the morning from cities such as Dominical in comfortable buses heading south along the Pacific coast along the Costanera Sur. After 90 minutes of journey, the bus will arrive to Sierpe where shortly you can make a strategic pause for breakfast

After eating the breakfast, you will undertake a boat trip through the magnificent Terraba mangroves of the Sierpe River, one of the largest in Central America. These mangroves are inhabited by abundant bird species, especially aquatic practices, as well as reptiles, within which are the American crocodile (Crocodiles acutus), four species of monkeys including the very rare Mono Titi and snakes, among which highlights the Green Arborous Boa.

After leaving the mouth of the Rio Sierpe, in the path, we can admire one of the most beautiful scenery in the country, Violines Island, Drake Bay and the coast of the Osa Peninsula. One of the most popular destinations in the South Pacific is the Caño Island, one of the best dive sites in Costa Rica that is famous for its crystalline waters and high visibility in addition to an abundance of marine life. Perhaps the most important species that you can find there are the devil rays, turtles and schools of sharks white fin of reef which are visible through all the day. The visibility can be up to 90 feet on a good day and may be you can be lucky to be able to see a whale shark.

The diving instructors and guides will lead you to several sites on the island. After concluding the first session of diving, it is necessary to return to the island where you can replenish with energy thanks a lunch at the rangers station. After a brief rest, you can start the second session of diving, hoping to be even better than first. After concluding this, generally the tours returned to the shore and then back along the coast to the hotel.
Usually there are also good surface dive on the edge and near the points and islands between Dominical and the Whale National Marine Park. Another point where you can find great places to practice diving is Drake Bay that will provide you the opportunity to enjoy one of the terrestrial and marine environments most exuberant of Costa Rica.

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