Costa Rica attractions, naturally! Part I

I am starting my trip to Costa Rica in mid-November. I’ve planned to see paradise beaches, tropical rainforests, huge waterfalls, volcanoes and countless tropical animals and birds such as: sloths, monkeys, toucans and parrots. It sounds so exciting…

Meanwhile, crossing the border with Panama in Paso Canoas, I’m thinking if it’s the right place. There is no one on the street and the wall of rain literally makes me invisible as well as everything around me. Of course, while organising this travel I took into account the possibility of heavy rainfall because of the end of the rainy season. However, I was full of hope  because according to many sources last few years haven’t been so rainy. However, I didn’t take into account a some kind of regularity – if it is supposed to rain somewhere, it will be exactly where I am. My belief was confirmed by the locals, who unanimously claimed that they had not seen such a heavy rainy season in Costa Rica for 30 years!

It’s raining cats and dogs and  I’m trying to find my way to the border crossing, but it’s not that easy, after a while it turns out that I’ve passed it completely without noticing it! In fact, no one from Panama’s border control even took notice of me! The Costa Rica border control pavilion is about 200 meters away, so I’m wading in water almost up to my knees to get another damn stamp in my passport. All this is pointless, because as it turns out later, my accommodation is in Costa Rica, but I have to go back to the Panamanian border crossing because my hotel is right next to it. I’m so soaked and tired that I don’t have the strength to analyze this twisted logic.

The next day welcomed me with perfect weather , I went to pick up the car and start my adventure! As it turned out later, I unnecessarily listened to the opinions on the Interner that in Costa Rica it is necessary to rent an SUV, preferably 4WD . I may not be a master of driving, but having driven almost ¾ of this country, I haven’t encountered conditions under which an ordinary car would refuse to cooperate.

The first point of my itinerary is a phenomenal beach in the national park – Marino Ballena, established to protect the population of migrating whales (Ballena in Spanish means whale).

Although I didn’t see any whales because the migration lasts from December to April, the beach and its surroundings made an amazing impression on me. The deserted park made me feel as if I were somewhere on a remote island at the end of the world.

An interesting place, although little known, is El Miro – a Costa Rican urbex, an unfinished building (probably a hotel), located on the top of a mountain. This place makes an amazing impression. Stylish winding stairs, columns and balustrades are decorated with interesting murals.

The observation deck offers a spectacular view of the beach – Playa Hermosa. The path is not demanding. Return trip is only 2.5 km long. After walking 500 m you can see the first viewpoint.

The path is opposite the Delta petrol station on road 34 towards Playa Hermosa, there’s also a car park.

After visiting El Miro I was so excited to see the next point – Parque Nacional Carara, which is said to be inhabited by macaw parrots. I couldn’t wait to see them in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any, and I guess that is the main reason why this attraction is not at the top of my list.

I continued my journey towards Monteverde. On the way, there I had another attraction – so-called Crocodile Bridge, from which you can admire these reptiles at a safe distance.

I remember the road to Monteverde to this day, it was a winding, sometimes narrow route, perfect for driving. The view of the sunset was otherworldly.

The next day, at dawn, I set out to conquer the misty forest. It is true that the main tourist attraction in the area is the Monteverde Misty Forest Reserve ($25 in 2022), but the price and the large number of tourists made me choose the more intimate Santa Elena Reserve ($16 in 2022).

Cloud forest is a type of tropical forest, found in mountainous areas. These forests are charaterised by a lot of mist due to  high air humidity. On the way to the place I was wondering how misty forest is misty … it turned out that yes, it’s really misty! Moreover, the mist does here a really  job, giving the place a mysterious look and creating perfect conditions for photos. I felt here as if I was discovering a kind of secret garden.

The reserve also has a viewpoint a tower from which on a clear day you can see the Arenal and Miravalles volcanoes. Of course, it couldn’t be any different that time either! It’s easy to guess that I didn’t see that view ?

This is only a part of the amazing places I visited in Costa Rica. Watch out for the next post soon! 🙂