While the Pacific coast with its upscale resorts remains the preferred tourist destination, a trip to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica will spice up your itinerary, introducing a very different aspect of the country.
True, the beaches are equally gorgeous from one ocean to another, but on the east coast you’ll encounter Afro-Caribbean and indigenous Indian populations mixed with traditional Tico culture, and enjoy the wonders of two national parks and nature reserves. As to turtle thrills, of the four species of marine turtles that nest in Costa Rica, all but one of them choose the Caribbean shore to deposit their eggs. At this time, both the laying and hatching of eggs of the enormous Leatherback sea creatures is underway affording you experiences that you will covet forever.
HUMID, CASUAL AND ETHNIC
The rain refuses to be confined to a season here. Even the dry and sunny days feel steamy, yet in the villages, it´s only a few steps from Main Street to the breezes and soothing waves of the Caribbean Sea. Life moves like a sloth on Prozac along the coastal settlements, inducing you to kick back and savor the Creole tang in both conversation and cooking, as you´re lulled by reggae rhythms. Don´t expect a precise replica of Jamaica, though — there´s been a cultural meltdown since the area was colonized in the 1800s, blending Jamaican and Latino ways to some extent.
Indian culture is best explored through organized tours, as the indigenous people inhabit private reserves where outsiders may visit as “guests.” If one goes inland to the town of Bribri, there´s almost nothing of interest for the tourist to behold on the single street, but a guide will take you on horseback to the thatched houses perched on stilts within the reserve, to experience Bri Bri communal life and their hospitality. The Cabécar people thrive in this area as well, and you´ll find information on the tour companies to contact.
MY WAY, THE HIGHWAY
Highly recommended is a drive from San José on the Braulio Carrillo highway to the port city of Limón, which is also the provincial capital. This takes about three hours or more. From there, follow the coastal road south to Cahuita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Punta Uva, Manzanillo. Proceed another 34 km. (about 20 miles) and you´ll arrive in Sixaola, which is the last outpost before Panamá.
Enroute to Limón, you´ll experience dips and dives through mountains wild with vegetation in the Braulio Carrillo National Park portion. Your car tunnels through the base of a mountain, then rises like the cloud-forest mists to heights of 975 meters (nearly 3,200 feet). Romantic though this route may be, motorists are advised to check before departure on weather and highway conditions. Heavy rainfall sometimes brings mud and rockslides down the mountain slopes with possibly perilous results. In such a case, the road may be closed for several days for clearing, and an alternate route advised. One boulder we passed at the side of the road looked the size of a large van.
TWO PUERTO VIEJOS?
Yes, there´s a turnoff to Santa Clara that leads to another town with the same name. About 50 km (30 miles) along the highway, a turnoff leads north to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, which is NOT our destination on this particular trip. Instead, we take the right turn to roll along to Limón, then southward down the coastal road to the other Puerto Viejo — which is known as Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.
THE LIMÓN DEBATE
Some people say that Limón should be passed through quickly on the way to somewhere else. Others insist that it´s a good place to linger awhile and take in the sights. I side with the latter opinion, finding enough points of interest there, but remember that this is both a port and a city, meaning that you want to be somewhat watchful, just as you would be in downtown San José.
Not everybody who approaches you is a potential soul mate. They just might be more interested in your wallet and camera than in your friendship. Street stands that sell knives and brass knuckles testify to the seamier side of Limón life. There´s no cause to be paranoid or impolite if anyone speaks to you, but do keep your wits about you, and again as in San José, don´t leave any possessions in your parked car.
SIGHTSEEING AND MORE
With caution in place, you can spend an interesting day taking in the following: The Central Market, teeming with the predominately black population and Tico residents, where you find food stalls, clothing and an array of goods. Stroll up and down the pedestrian boulevard, then along the waterfront; visit the museum with exhibits of the history of the area including the building of the railway from San José to the coast. Enjoy a nature walk through Parque Vargus among the tall palms and riotous flowers, colorful birds and sloths.
COLUMBUS LIKED IT
If time is not a factor, there´s always a boat tour to Isla Uvita just offshore, where Christopher Columbus dropped anchor on his fourth trans-Atlantic voyage. From the port of Moín a few miles away, boats take you northward through a system of canals into Tortuguero National Park, where four types of turtles come to nest. On this particular trek, we headed in the opposite direction to follow the coastline southward, leaving the canals and park for another date.
Oct. 12 marks Columbus Day or “Dia de la Raza” (ethnic day) in Limón, galvanizing the city and environs into several days of festive, frenzied activity. Don´t even think about coming then unless you love costume parades, music and dancing, feasting and drinking! This is their “Carnaval” time, as opposed to the pre-Lent dates set aside in other parts of Latin America for carnival merrymaking. Anyone intending to visit Limón or the rest of the Caribbean on that occasion, or during Easter and Christmas, should make their reservations months in advance.
BACK ON THE ROAD
Heading toward the lowlands, we see a mirage of palm-lined sands and endless stretches of banana plantations. Cahuita National Park contains beaches of black volcanic and white sand, along with jungle trails for monkey sighting. A coral reef makes for splendid snorkeling. Cahuita Tours, (755-0232) in operation for 14 years, will lead you through the park, take you river rafting, or set up an extended tour to an Indian reservation or through the canals. Other companies to contact are Turistica Cahuita, 755-0071, dltacb@racsa.co.cr, and Terra Aventuras at 750-0426.
DON´T LOOK FOR THE RITZ
Low-end accommodations are standard around here, but more elaborate quarters are also available in the medium price range. Cabinas Sunshine and Cabinas Safari both have kitchenettes. People that I met recommended The Magellan Inn where they were staying (755-0035, magellan@racsa.co.cr) while other travelers were very pleased with their El Encanto B&B (755-0113, encanto@racsa.co.cr), where they said they could even do Yoga and get a massage. In Cahuita, you can sample spicy cooking at El Palenque and at Edith’s, among others. For disco and reggae, there´s Sarafina´s and Coco´s, and for live music on weekends, look for Soda Bumbata & Reggae Bar on the beach.
PUERTO VIEJO
The waves run big and bold around here during certain months of the year, to the delight of surfers. In and around town cheap accommodations flourish for the wave runners, and restaurants range from rice-and-beans hangouts to more sophisticated ethnic eateries. Amimodo is a pleasant, open-sided structure that serves good Italian food. The family establishment includes Lucia and Livio Illusing from Italy, son Jacobo as cook, and daughter Michela as waitress. Michela accepted our invitation to sit down at the table and chat. As she was explaining the menu, a large land crab scuttled by on the floor. Glancing at it, Michela said with a dead-pan expression: “And there you have tonight´s specialty!”
Oro Marisqueria has grilled lobster and shrimp; The Sunset Reggae Bar serves music and dancing with its pizza; Caribe fare is offered by The Garden, Tamara, Ms. Sam´s, Lidia´s Place, and Parquecito. For burgers, smoothies, videos and billiards, the place to stop is El Dorado. Adding to the variety of choice is a new Sushi restaurant in town. Local artists using all natural products exhibit at the Casa Sistaz Gallery.
LODGING OF NOTE
You can pay as little as $22 for a cabin at Casa Verde in the heart of town, with little extras to enjoy such as a ceiling fan, balcony and refrigerator. Contact (506) 750-0015, or log onto www.cabinascasaverde.com.
Right along the black beach in a jungle setting is a 25-facility wooden lodge consisting of rooms and apartments. Rates begin at $50 for two at La Perla Negra Hotel in the current low season, while a spacious, equipped apartment sleeping four runs to $840 a week, with a discount by the month. This blissful nature retreat owned by U.S. architect Julian Grae and his wife Marlena (750-0111, hotel@perlanegra-beachresort.com) features an outdoor but sheltered gas barbeque for the guests´ use, free tennis and volleyball, a swimming pool and sea kayak rentals. A plus is the hotel´s close proximity to a protected area for turtles, just up the beach.
THE TURTLES´ TALE
At both Playa Negra and Gandoca to the south of Puerto Viejo, two ongoing projects protect the future of the massive sea turtle known as the Leatherback. While the Hawksbill and Green turtles also come here in fewer numbers, it is the Leatherback that commands most of the attention around here. The Olive Ridley variety shuns these shores altogether, preferring Ostinional Beach on the Nicoya Penninsula for its port of call.
ON PLAYA NEGRA
Run by ANAI, a Costa Rican non-profit agency, in cooperation with the U.S.-based EcoTeach, the Playa Negra/Gandoca Leatherback project recruits the services of young people from around the world, and is one of many conservation initiatives by these organizations. Students on EcoTeach expeditions to Costa Rica may also become involved in reforestation, macaw protection, and cooperative programs with native Indians.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Biologists such as Sarah Jeffery from Britain, and Aaron Dunlap and Joshua Alpert from the U.S. join forces with volunteers from Colombia, Australia and Japan to patrol the beaches all night guarding against poachers, tend the hatcheries and carry out research. You can learn more by logging on to the website www.ecoteach.com, or even volunteer online by contacting Brad Nahill at turtlevols@hotmail.com.
Ralph Carlson at info@ecoteach.com is another contact, who can advise how you might pitch in in late June and early July at the nesting site. If you happen to be in the Puerto Viejo vicinity, call 750-0563 for a visit, but remember that the crews are up all night, so confine your calls to the afternoon. The website also provides information of how you can “adopt” a turtle.
THE EGG MYTH
According to Ms. Jeffery, in the southern Caribbean, poachers present a serious threat to the Leatherbacks, raiding the beach at night for eggs to sell to the local bars. The myth persists, she says, that these eggs have aphrodisiac properties, thus their popularity among certain cultures.
Project workers set up night shifts to keep the poachers away, but the activity is more like a serious game of hide & seek, with no aggressive behavior on either side. The idea is to peacefully dissuade the poachers, and educate them to the shame of elimininating this massive species of turtle from our planet. Of course, egg theft is only one of the dangers to the species, with fishing nets offshore presenting another.
WARDING OFF DOOM
The leatherback, one of seven marine varieties in the world, averages 5-7 ft. in length and reaches 1,000 lbs. in weight. Over the past 15 years, reports Sarah Jeffery, this species has declined by 75 percent, and without help will not last until the end of this century.
In the southern Caribbean in the year 2000, nearly 300 nests were made by the turtles coming ashore, with approximately 100 eggs laid in each nest. Every single one of them was stolen or destroyed. Happily, much progress has been made since then by ANAI in collaboration with Eco Teach, by another 1.5 km. (9 miles) of egg protection on the beach, thanks to night patrols and hatchery care. Now, you´ll be able to witness the hatchlings scrambling toward the sea in the evening, and feel a surge of hope for their continuance.
Incidentally, if you happen to be present for the laying of eggs at Playa Negra or Gandoca, do not attempt to use camera flashes or even regular flashlights. The light can drive the creatures back to the sea, perhaps never to return. Special red flashlights are used by the patrols to illuminate the spectacle.
GANDOCA-MANZANILLO REFUGE
The Gandoca nesting sands come under this land and sea refuge spreading all the way to the Panamá border. A coral reef attracts dedicated snorkelers, and Aquamor Dive School (Padi certified) provides excursions for dolphin sighting and kayaking as well as snorkeling. Call 391-3417. Birding and hikes along the Punto Mono trail give you an eyeful of nature, and here you´ll find a swamp of red mangroves.
TOURS GALORE
Throughout the lowlands, tour companies flourish like wildflowers, so take your pick: Quad Aventours (750-0126, quadaventours@yahoo.com) takes you off on quadracycles to Indian Reserves, Monkey Point and the Waterfalls. Willie´s Tours (750-0449) introduces you to indigenous life on the reserves, both KéKoldi and Bri Bri.
NAME YOUR PLEASURE
On your own you can explore the beaches.The ones around Punta Uva are particularly beautiful and isolated, but do inquire on which are the safest for swimming. Also enjoy the Botanical Gardens at Puerto Viejo, with 60 kinds of fruit trees, flowering and medicinal plants, complete with poison dart frogs in a rainforest setting.
The Butterfly Gardens covering four hectares with 70 types of winged beauty in Punta Uva should definitely be on the agenda. For trips on the Estrella River delta to sight otters, sloths, monkeys and caymen, get in touch with Aviarios del Caribe, 382-1335, aviarios@costarica.net.
MAHO AT SHAWANDHA
We thought the catchy title would get your attention, but no it isn´t the name of a romance novel set in the South Pacific. Maho happens to be a gracious lady from Thailand who owns a fabulous lodge named Shawandha, featuring tasteful cottages by the sea. Drop into the rancho restaurant, enjoy the French cuisine, and take a look at the cottages with their king size beds and artistic tile designs in the bathroom.
Then wander the white sand beach protected by a coral reef. You´ll surely agree that this is one of the most attractive facilities in the area. It´s location is at Playa Chiquita, just before Punta Uva. Ask Maho about her low-season rates at 750-0018, shawandha@racsa.co.cr.
END OF THE ROAD
After Punta Uva, the pavement turns to dirt road for the remaining few miles to Manzanillo. Local buses run right down to the border town of Sixaola, though, so you can keep going to the very end of Costa Rica. If you wish to bus it all the way from San José to Limon and along the east coast, go to the terminal at Calle Central, Avenidas 9-11. Most visitors say that one trip simply isn´t enough — a taste of the Caribbean with its unique blend of flavors can become very addictive.