Costa_Rica_2020_The

On March 2, I was picked up in San Jose (A) for transit to the first lodge in Tortuguero on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Here I stayed at the Mawamba Lodge (B) for two nights. To get there, we had to drive for 5 hours from San Jose, and then take a two-hour boat trip to reach the lodge situated at a canal just outside the Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero National Park, the third-most visited park in Costa Rica, is situated in the Limón Province in the northeastern part of the country. It was very hot and humid there, as the place receives 6400 mm of rain a year. After returning with boat (Tortuguero can only be reached by boat, there are no roads going there), the next destination was the Tirimbina Lodge (C) in Puerto Viejo De Sarapiqui. This eco-tourism lodge is situated in the rainforest near the Tirimbina Nature Reserve. A suspension walking bridge brings you into the reserve.

The third destination was the Maquenque Eco Lodge (D) in Boca Tapada near the Nicaraguan border. Located inside a mixed National Wildlife Refuge and bordered by wetlands and the majestic San Carlos River, this lodge was a highlight of the trip. Here I lived in a treehouse 10-15 meters above the ground in the rainforest. An amazing experience! Moving on from Boca Tapada, the next two nights I spent at Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge (E) in La Fortuna near the Arenal volcano. On the second day here, I went on a boat tour in Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge on the Rio Frio River close to the Nicaraguan border. Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is the largest wetland in the country (100 km²). From La Fortuna it took about 2 hours' drive to get there, but this boat tour was the best out of my five boat tours in Costa Rica in terms of wildlife photography.

After a bus-boat-bus travel, I reached the fifth destination, the Hotel Cipreses (F) in Monteverde. The aim with this destination was to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest. In a private guided bird tour, I got to see one of the famous residents in the cloud forest, the Resplendent Quetzal. The last destination was Hotel Cerro Lodge (G) in the Central Pacific area close to the Carara National Park and Tarcoles River. As on the Caribbean coast, here it was very sunny and hot. The western side of the mountains in Costa Rica is much drier and sunnier than the eastern side. All in all, it was a great trip, and I got to see a substantial number of birds and animals and experienced the different regions of the country. Costa Rican people were nice, and I think this country is an excellent destination for tourists interested in nature and wildlife photography.

2020 Costa Rica trip - A photo travelogue
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On March 2, I was picked up in San Jose (A) for transit to the first lodge in Tortuguero on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Here I stayed at the Mawamba Lodge (B) for two nights. To get there, we had to drive for 5 hours from San Jose, and then take a two-hour boat trip to reach the lodge situated at a canal just outside the Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero National Park, the third-most visited park in Costa Rica, is situated in the Limón Province in the northeastern part of the country. It was very hot and humid there, as the place receives 6400 mm of rain a year. After returning with boat (Tortuguero can only be reached by boat, there are no roads going there), the next destination was the Tirimbina Lodge (C) in Puerto Viejo De Sarapiqui. This eco-tourism lodge is situated in the rainforest near the Tirimbina Nature Reserve. A suspension walking bridge brings you into the reserve. The third destination was the Maquenque Eco Lodge (D) in Boca Tapada near the Nicaraguan border. Located inside a mixed National Wildlife Refuge and bordered by wetlands and the majestic San Carlos River, this lodge was a highlight of the trip. Here I lived in a treehouse 10-15 meters above the ground in the rainforest. An amazing experience! Moving on from Boca Tapada, the next two nights I spent at Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge (E) in La Fortuna near the Arenal volcano. On the second day here, I went on a boat tour in Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge on the Rio Frio River close to the Nicaraguan border. Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge is the largest wetland in the country (100 km²). From La Fortuna it took about 2 hours' drive to get there, but this boat tour was the best out of my five boat tours in Costa Rica in terms of wildlife photography. After a bus-boat-bus travel, I reached the fifth destination, the Hotel Cipreses (F) in Monteverde. The aim with this destination was to visit the Monteverde Cloud Forest. In a private guided bird tour, I got to see one of the famous residents in the cloud forest, the Resplendent Quetzal. The last destination was Hotel Cerro Lodge (G) in the Central Pacific area close to the Carara National Park and Tarcoles River. As on the Caribbean coast, here it was very sunny and hot. The western side of the mountains in Costa Rica is much drier and sunnier than the eastern side. All in all, it was a great trip, and I got to see a substantial number of birds and animals and experienced the different regions of the country. Costa Rican people were nice, and I think this country is an excellent destination for tourists interested in nature and wildlife photography.		A Green Honeycreeper* having its banana lunch in the rain, Maquenque Ecolodge. The screws are there to prevent species such as Chachalacas to mess up the feeding area*
Destinations in Costa Rica, 2020		Spectacled Caiman, one of the "target" species in Costa Rican eco-tours
Hotel Bougainvillea garden, San Jose		San Jose street
View from Hotel Parque del Lago, San Jose		San Jose street (with McDonalds ..)
Landscape seen from the bus from San Jose to Tortuguero		Roadside garage
Local village in the Caribbean lowland		Airport used for spraying pesticides on the banana crop
Mawamba Lodge boat used for the 2-hour transport from Cano Blanca to Tortuguero		Caribbean Ocean, From the outlet of Rio Parismina* on the boat trip from Cano Blanco to Tortuguero*
Boat trip from Cano Blanco to Tortuguero		Early morning boat tour in Tortuguero National Park. Lot's of boats with tourist, something not shown in the commercials :)
Nice, warm and humid rainforest		All were forced to carry uncomfortable life jackets. And, not much "eco" here, this is mass tourism ..
An old Howler monkey? Thin legs, fat belly and double chin... Tortuguero		Tree-climbing Green Iguana, Tortuguero
View from Mawamba Lodge, Tortuguero
No cars here. Tortuguero town		A guide demonstrating the Cashew fruit at Mawamba Lodge
Caribbean Ocean		Boat trip from Tortuguero to Cano Blanco
Roadside cafe		Local police
Tirimbina Lodge reception		Tirimbina Lodge restaurant
A small creek in Tirimbina Nature Reserve		Unpenetrable jungle. Tirimbina Nature Reserve
Suspension bridge across the Sarapiqui River, Tirimbina Nature Reserve		View from the suspension bridge across the Sarapiqui River, Tirimbina Nature Reserve
Termite mound attached to a tree, Tirimbina Nature Reserve		Sloths covered in green algae and moths, from a night walk at Tirimbina Nature Reserve
Sarapiqui River		Sarapiqui River
Banana ripening bag. These bags are also used to protect the banana from insects, and remains are found littering the countryside, here along the Sarapiqui River. Luckily, today* they are mainly using degradable material and not traditional non-degradable plastics*		Sarapiqui River boat tour. The guide to the left, and the boat driver to the right
A Spectacled Caiman in Sarapiqui River		Riverside Plumed Basilisk, Sarapiqui River
Locals in Boca Tapada		Countryside living in Costa Rica
Arriving at Maquenque Ecolodge in Boca Tapada		No raod to Maquenque Ecolodge, so boat transport across the San Carlos River is required
Treehouse up in the sky. 52 steep steps and 12-15 meters high up in the rainforest canopy, Maquenque Ecolodge		Maquenque Ecolodge treehouse
Treehouse, Maquenque Ecolodge		Maquenque Ecolodge
Maquenque Ecolodge main building. This was my favorite lodge		Maquenque Ecolodge restaurant
The nest of the Montezuma Oropendola, Maquenque Ecolodge		Bare-throated Tiger-heron at Maquenque Ecolodge
A Chestnut-mandibled Toucan in the treetop at dusk, seen from the tree-house at Maquenque Ecolodge		Spectacled Caiman after dark, at Maquenque Ecolodge
View from the King Vulture hide in Boca Tapada		In the King Vulture photography hide, Boca Tapada
San Carlos River in Boca Tapada		House in Boca Tapada
Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge reception, La Fortuna		Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge restaurant
Gray-headed Chachalaca with chick at the feeder at Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge		Rufous-tailed Hummingbird at Arenal Oasis Eco Lodge
Arenal Volcano near La Fortuna		La Fortuna
Coffee plantation?		Factory toward Caño Negro
On the way toward the Caño Negro* region north of La Fortuna*		Farmed land north of La Fortuna
Countryside landscape		Farmed land
In the countryside, many people use mopeds or motorcycles for transport		This guy brought his whole family!
Countryside trucks, the same type of pullers as used in the US		Countryside Costa Rica
Frio River in Caño Negro		Frio River in Caño Negro
From the boat tour on Frio River in Caño Negro		Frio River in Caño Negro
Boat-billed Heron at Ecocentro Danaus, La Fortuna		Spectacled Caiman at Ecocentro Danaus
According to the guide, this orange-colored Golden-mantled Howler Monkey was unique, Caño Negro		Long-nosed Proboscis Bat lining up for rest, Caño Negro
To go from La Fortuna to Monteverde required transport* by bus-boat-minibus*		Lake Arenal is the largest lake in Costa Rica
Lake Arenal		On the way toward Monteverde. Arenal Volcano in the background
Monteverde		Monteverde
Lunch in Monteverde		Visited Selvatura Park Hummingbird Garden in Monteverde for hummingbird photography. Here a Green-crowned Brilliant
Monteverde Cloud Forest		Monteverde Cloud Forest
Monteverde Cloud Forest		Monteverde Cloud Forest
My guide in Monteverde Cloud Forest during the morning walk		On a guided walk in Monteverde Cloud Forest
Western hills, view toward the Pacific Ocean on the way from Monteverde to Tarcoles		Pacific side hills
Restaurant at Cerro Lodge		Evening view from Cerro Lodge
Pacific sunset near Cerro Lodge		Rufous-naped Wren checking out the kitchenware at the Cerro Lodge restaurant
Looking for birds on the Cerro Lodge Entrance Road		Cerro Lodge Entrance Road, view toward Tarcoles River. Carara National Park in the background
Tarcoles floodplains seen from Cerro Lodge. The Pacific Ocean in the background		Cerro Lodge is one of the best places in Costa Rica to see the Scarlet Macaw
Tarcoles River bridge		People admiring the crocs beneath the bridge across Tarcoles River
American Crocodile beneath Tarcoles River bridge		Boat tour on Tarcoles River
Boat tour on Tarcoles River		Boat tour on Tarcoles River
La Paz Hummingbird Garden. Most people tried to take pictures of the hummers with their mobile phones. I felt like a geek with my monster lens :)		Countryside farm north of San Jose
Countryside junkfood		Stopped for a strawberry snack on the way home from La Paz
The Central valley toward San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica		View from the Holiday Inn Hotel in San Jose
Downtown San Jose		Downtown San Jose
Downtown San Jose		Downtown San Jose
Toward the end on the trip, the coronavirus scare caught up. Here a warning on the minibus trip from Monteverde to Tarcoles		On March 15th 2020, on my way back to coronavirus-land. From the airport in San Jose