Dawn breaks in Caño Negro, north of Costa Rica, the third most important wetland in the world, the mist at the level of the water turns orange, it is the best time to spot animals. Rosi is one of the guides of the family business Tropical Paradise, his teacher Ernesto drives the boat through the channels of the Frío River area, both know every corner and every inhabitant of the almost 10,000 hectares that make up this Costa Rican natural space. With her binoculars, Rosi observes and points here and there, naming each animal that comes along, nothing escapes her. Before each tour she asks the visitors what they would like to see, the jaguar is one of the most difficult, quite a challenge; Rosi sniffs and goes to the smell, a female with her young has left her tracks in the wet mud before going into the thicket. At the top of a tree, a sloth, bats, a basilisk running over the waters, alligators napping and birds, thousands of birds.
You can climb the observation tower of more than 20 meters to get an idea of the extension of the park, facing one of the 14 lagoons in the southern area. Depending on the time of year, the landscape of the wetland changes radically, in the rainy season the lagoons become navigable, in the dry season we can always walk through canals and rivers. A curiosity of these rivers is the Gaspar fish, a living fossil that has practically not changed in 150 million years.
Heading west, you can make a short stop before reaching the next park, the blue valley estatewhere Maleku It has the organic plantation of cocoa trees for the production of its chocolates. Walking around the farm you learn the differences between the varieties of cocoa, their properties, their biology, you can taste the sweet pulp that surrounds the cocoa seed and see how it dries in the sun before being crushed and converted into its product. final.
Two more hours of road are needed to reach the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, this is a very active area at the volcanic level and the opening of the different trails depend on it. Las Pailas is the easiest path and to access it you have to cross the Hacienda Guachipelin. Before strolling through the smokers, bubbling mud and seeing the immense strangling ficus, it is worth stopping and enjoying the activities offered by the farm: mountain biking through the dense forests, volcanic mud with a thermal bath, yoga class with views of the gentle cone of the volcano, horseback riding through the waterfalls or the star activity: the canopywhere flying on the zip lines you cross the Blanco River canyon over the tops of the trees.
The main route of the Tenorio Volcano National Park is about six kilometers deep into the forest, the most impressive is the river of color and name Celeste that culminates in its imposing waterfall. From this moment on, the river forms part of the path and its contrast with the green that surrounds it highlights its blue even more. Bathing is not allowed inside the park, but leaving it and following the course of the river there are many places where you can taste these curious waters.
A forest in the clouds
the entrance to Tenorio Houses, a few kilometers from Bijagua, is the entrance to a primary cloud forest. Pipa and Donald have been in this project for more than 10 years, building the six houses for guests, reforesting the forest and taking care of the farm where the traveler is invited to participate in the daily tasks. Everything on this farm is done in harmony with nature and with the community in which both are so involved. Here the alarm clock can be the howler monkeys or the orioles with their curious song, inviting you to leave the cabin and go in search of the other inhabitants of this forest, the two and three-toed sloths. From the houses, volunteer programs are organized for travelers who want to get more involved in the area or simply bring supplies for the local school or clinic in their suitcase. If what moves us is knowing the “Tico” lifestyle, you can go to Doña Vicky’s house and receive a tamale preparation class while knowing first-hand the history of Bijagua when no one visited it, just 30 years ago. .
the valley of the tapirs
Adjacent to the Tenorio Volcano National Park is Tapir Valley, which is part of the Tenorio-Miravalles biological corridor. It is a wonderful example of community involvement in protecting the area’s natural resources. The property was acquired by its new owners 17 years ago and went from being a cattle farm to a nature reserve, creating wildlife passages and protecting these highly vulnerable areas. On the tourist side, one of the strong points of the Tapir Valley is the birds, in just half an hour at any observation point, you can see more than 40 species, including several types of hummingbirds.
Night walk
Today is night excursion. The instructions are simple, be careful where you step, for this, each participant has to wear a headlamp. The night transforms the place, darker and more full of sounds than at any time of day. Slowly through the forest the first to appear is the red-eyed frog, a stick bug, the morpho butterfly and more tree frogs that stop to pose when illuminated. The rain arrives and with it the Tapir in search of food, but there is still one more surprise, the velvet one that, curled up on the edge of the road, watches indifferently. With this one can go more than happy to bed, there is plenty of material to dream.
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