Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Today marked the second day in the large Costa Rican region of Guanacaste, one of two provinces that make up the northwest of the country, and a region renowned for it’s beautiful beaches, semi-deciduous forests and all-round great natural beauty. After about five hours of navigation during the night, we reached the small fishing community of Cuajiniquil, where we boarded our Zodiacs to shore after breakfast. A couple of coasters took us through beautiful countryside to a privately owned ranch called “Los Inocentes”, after a long line of owners named Inocente. The spectacular setting of this farm proved to be fantastic for wildlife sightings, as even around the house we could spot large congregations of beautiful birds around the feeders: both green and red macaws, a collared aracari, blue-gray tanagers, magpie jays and Montezuma oropendulas.
After a quick refreshment, we had a couple of options as to how we wished to explore the plains and forests surrounding the ranch. Some of us opted to take a ride on a cart pulled by a quaint tractor, our naturalists pointing out things of interest all around. The second option was to take one of the ranch’s many horses, and ride for a couple of hours through spectacular scenery. Both outings were highly successful, and we enjoyed sightings as diverse as monkeys (three of Costa Rica’s four species!), sloths, a caiman and many more birds amongst the fascinating vegetation. All of this was done with the beautiful extinct Orosi volcano looming in the background, weather conditions perfect for admiring its splendor.
Once back on board, we sailed to the calm Bay of Santa Elena, where the mangrove-lined shores were perfect for some kayaking, and the rich waters great for snorkeling. We went in from Zodiacs, and had amazing underwater sightings, with spotted eagle rays, an array of tropical fishes such as angelfish, pufferfish, jeweled moray eels and many more.
Today marked the second day in the large Costa Rican region of Guanacaste, one of two provinces that make up the northwest of the country, and a region renowned for it’s beautiful beaches, semi-deciduous forests and all-round great natural beauty. After about five hours of navigation during the night, we reached the small fishing community of Cuajiniquil, where we boarded our Zodiacs to shore after breakfast. A couple of coasters took us through beautiful countryside to a privately owned ranch called “Los Inocentes”, after a long line of owners named Inocente. The spectacular setting of this farm proved to be fantastic for wildlife sightings, as even around the house we could spot large congregations of beautiful birds around the feeders: both green and red macaws, a collared aracari, blue-gray tanagers, magpie jays and Montezuma oropendulas.
After a quick refreshment, we had a couple of options as to how we wished to explore the plains and forests surrounding the ranch. Some of us opted to take a ride on a cart pulled by a quaint tractor, our naturalists pointing out things of interest all around. The second option was to take one of the ranch’s many horses, and ride for a couple of hours through spectacular scenery. Both outings were highly successful, and we enjoyed sightings as diverse as monkeys (three of Costa Rica’s four species!), sloths, a caiman and many more birds amongst the fascinating vegetation. All of this was done with the beautiful extinct Orosi volcano looming in the background, weather conditions perfect for admiring its splendor.
Once back on board, we sailed to the calm Bay of Santa Elena, where the mangrove-lined shores were perfect for some kayaking, and the rich waters great for snorkeling. We went in from Zodiacs, and had amazing underwater sightings, with spotted eagle rays, an array of tropical fishes such as angelfish, pufferfish, jeweled moray eels and many more.
