THE COSTARICAN CARIBBEAN COAST

LOCATION:

Costa Rica's Atlantic zone, filled with pristine untouched nature, is home to several of the countries most notable national parks, including Braulio Carrillo, Cahuita, Chirripó, and Tortuguero. In addition, several biological reserves also share this fertile coastal habitat; Hitoy-Cerere, which is located at the head of the Valle de la Estrella and the Gandoca Manzanillo Reserve, which extends south to the Panamanian boarder. Home to more than 500 birds species, representing more than 58 distinct families, this particular area is comprised of virgin natural habitat, guarantying a healthy bird population. While walking through certain portions of this region, the bird enthusiast is often treated to birds representing an entire range of niches and habitats.

This is a coast where the ever green mountains of the deep forest line the long stretches of quiet, pristine sandy beaches. Year round, these long stretches of white or black sand beaches are ideal for leisure activities, such as horse back ridding, sun bathing, hiking, or snorkeling among the colorful corral reefs. Home to an infinite variety of under water sea life, Tucuxi dolphins have been swimming along these shores for as long as locals can remember. While there where no records of this specie in this area, it has just recently been acknowledge to have immigrated from South America. Furthermore, four species of sea turtles are yearly visitors to the Gandoca Manzanillo refuge, nesting between the months of March and July on the Gandoca beach within its reserve.

Among the best beaches for snorkeling is Playa Chiquita, located just three miles south of Puerto Viejo, which has a small reef on its north side. With a larger reef and longer beach, Punta Uva is a pleasant alternative also providing terrific swimming possibilities. Manzanillo, the last town south of Puerto Viejo, has the biggest reef and is also better equipped for those interested in snorkeling. From this area, you can rent professional equipment and venture on your own, or you can find a personal guide to bring you to specific locations; or perhaps, take part in the special "Dolphins Watch Tour" which is a real treat!!! Hiking to Monkey Point is a another attraction, where you will find another good spot for snorkeling.

Salsa Brava and Punta Cocles beaches are the main attraction for international surfers, more often between the months of September and December, and then again during the months of April, June and July. Salsa Brava swell is world famous for its reefy, side shore power wave preferred only by the high core professional surfers. There are other beaches that are ideal for surfing, like Cahuita's Black Beach, in addition to several points along the 10 kilometer coastline which stretches south of the sleepy town of Manzanillo. Punta Uva and Playa Chiquita have ridable but dangerous reef breaks, although at times some of this waves are ideal for beginners. Several of these beaches host numerous International surf competitions held throughout the year.

The Indian reserve in Bribri or the Kekoldi Indian Reservation are the home of highly organized indigenous groups like the Bribri, Kekoldi and the Cabecar Indians. As you visit places like the Parque de la Amistad in Alta Talamanca you will encounter a hidden ancient world of strong spirits that fight hard to hold on to traditions and costumes practiced by their ancestors over 1000 years ago. Many generations were able to survive in the deep, dense Caribbean jungle, several tribes possessing countless medicinal secrets; their bush doctors, or Shamans as they are called, are highly sought after internationally for their successful cure of cancer.

The South Caribbean Coast is located in the Limón province, just 90 miles east of Costa Rica's capital of San José. Reachable by the Braulio Carrillo highway, the local temperature is a stable 28º C. year around, with a very low ocean tide of approximately 25 cm (one foot). The climate has been often called a " micro-climate", implying that the variable factors affecting this region are independent to the rest of the neighboring areas. This region shares very little in common to the rest of the country's weather cycles and prognostication, as the rainy season is often blessed with several weeks of dry, hot sunny days while weeks of unstoppable tropical rains can be experienced during the summer season.

The beat of the Afro-Caribbean drums to the rhythms of reggae and Calypso, forcing heads and hips to motion from side to side - the flavors of spicy dishes seasoned with the distinct aroma of coconut milk, the product from the swaying palms lining the long white sand beaches of the Caribbean Coast. These distinctive and colorful characters are trademarks of the predominant culture of this region and is what most obviously sets it apart, and too creates the charming, laid-back feeling to the east coast of Costa Rica.

My favorite areas:

A glimpse of the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge

Size:  92,000 hectares Distance from San José: 99 kilometers via airplane. Trails: Limited Dry Season: February,  March, and April.

The small village of Tortuguero (translated as "Region of Turtles") lies on the northeastern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, approximately 50 miles north of the principal Port of Limon. the village is comprised of a variety of cultures: Hispanic, Miskito Indian (Nicaragua), and Afro-Caribbean. Both Spanish and Creole English are spoken. The region surrounding Tortuguero is called the Tortuguero Plain, which is a vast low lying area of little topographic relief still covered by a large expanse of tropical rainforest.
 

Tortuguero beach is the most important nesting site of the endangered green turtle in the Western Hemishpere. Giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest here. The green turtle population is believed to have come perilously close to extinction in the 1960s when nearly every female turtle arriving to nest in Tortuguero was taken for the export market for turtle soup. 

With the park established, development along the coast would never stretch much beyond the existing village, and the presence of CCC researchers and park guards would discourage poaching. The park now includes over 19,000 hectares (46,900 acres) and protects 22 miles of nesting beach from the mouth of the Tortuguero River south to Parisimina. The park, and the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge to the north, comprise the largest remaining adjoining tract of lowland wet tropical forest on Costa Rica's Atlantic Coast.

How Important Is the National Park to Sea Turtles?

During the 2000 green turtle nesting season (July through October) over 2,600 green turtles were tagged by  researchers and participants, up from 1999 when only 2,002 greens were tagged. In addition, 12 hawksbills and one leatherback were also encountered. During the 2000 leatherback nesting season (March through May) over 58 leatherback sea turtles were tagged, down from 1999 when 100 leatherbacks were tagged. Six green turtles were also tagged during the 2000 leatherback season. As for other wildlife, the park provides important habitat for jaguars, tapirs, green macaws, three species of monkeys and numerous plant species

Tortuguero community has demonstrated that live sea turtles on the beach have greater value for the villagers than dead turtles in the stewpot. Tourists pay considerable fees to watch sea turtles nest on Tortuguero Beach. Some 50,000 tourists visit Tortuguero annually to see nesting turtles and visit the tropical rainforests of Tortuguero National Park.

Tortuguero's Environment

Climate: Tortuguero is warm and humid. Daily temperatures average 26 degrees C (79 F) and annual average rainfall is over 5,000 mm (200+ inches). Warm days are tempered by trade winds and cool nights.

Vegetation: Most of the park is low alluvial floodplain (sea level to 20m) which extends far inland, and is occasionally interrupted by isolated volcanic hills of 100-300 m. An intricate network of blackwater canals and creeks dissect palm swamps and mixed rainforest throughout the region. The natural vegetation of the area progresses from the poorly-drained swamp forests in the lowlands near the coast to tropical wet and pre-montane forests further inland at higher elevations. Forest species composition gradually shifts from coastal scrub to huge expanses of Raphia palm swamp and mixed species along waterway margins, to tall multi-layered evergreen forests. Canopy trees may exceed 60 m in height with girths of 1-2 m, some with massive buttressing. Species diversity of both plants and animals is very high here -- among the highest in Costa Rica.

Fauna: Abundant wildlife inhabits Tortuguero, including 57 species of amphibians, 111 species of reptiles, and 60 species of mammals. More than 300 species of birds live in Tortuguero for all or part of the year. Birdwatchers commonly see keel-billed toucans, slaty tailed trogons, Montezuma oropendulas and a variety of parrots. Birds common along the canals include green and great blue herons, egrets, belted kingfishers, anhingas, jacanas, sun grebes and several species of hawks and kites. Other animals commonly seen are fishing bats, three-toed sloths, iguanas, basilisk lizards, poison dart frogs, and howler, white-faced and spider monkeys. The tracks of river otters, collared peccaries, and Baird's tapirs are often seen on the banks of rivers and canals. Caiman are commonly observed in the waterways, which also are home to gar-fish, manatees, crocodiles, crustaceans, and an occasional bullshark. Jaguars, ocelots, and kinkajous inhabit the park, but are rarely seen.

WE GREW GOOD BANANAS AT THE CARIBBEAN BUT WE ARE NOT ANY MORE A BANANA REPUBLIC!

CAHUITA NATIONAL PARK

It is located in the province of Limón, in the Caribbean coast, 42 km south form Limón city. Executive Decree No. 1236-A, created the park on September 7, 1970, with the name of Cahuita National Monument. Has an area of 1.067 hectares in the land part and 22.400 hectares in the sea part. According to the classification of the life zones of Holdrige, the park is located inside life zone of the humid tropical forest. The park has several important habitats; the swamp forest, the mix forest, the mangle and the coast flora. Cahuita is located in the Tropical Basal Atlantic Region of Costa Rica and you can be sure that any other wild area of the country protects the resources of plants an animal present in this region as this. The park was created to protect the flora and wild life, the choral reef and several sea ecosystems. This is one of the areas with more beauty in the country because of it's white sand beaches, miles of coconuts, turquoise blue sea and choral reefs. The choral reef has an extension of 600 hectares and goes all the way to "Punta Cahuita", between "Perezoso" River and Puerto Vargas. Part of the choral platform is submerging up to 11 Mts. over sea level. Studies after the earthquake on April 22, 1991, the reef platform emerges approximately 1 Mt. It is the most develop reef in the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. You can find many species and sizes of color fishes, "erizos" and others. The angel queen fish is one of the most beautiful of the reef. There are also others species very attractive like the French angelfish, the "Isabelita" and the blue parrotfish. Other species living in this habitat are the barracuda fish, the "remora", the mantaray, 3 different kinds of sharks, "Morenas", sea cucumber, that measures up to 30 cm of length, the lobster, the sponge, the white shrimp, the green turtle and the Carey turtle. In the Cahuita reef, it has been identify 35 choral species, 140 mollusks, 44 crustacean, 128 algaes and 123 fishes. The sea resources protected here are in a damage procedure cause by the big amount of sediments and agrochemical contamination move by the sea running to the choral reef. Inside the wild life is very common to see the Congo monkeys, white face monkeys, the raccoons, the nutria and the "Pizote". Also several species of forest birds.

Puerto Viejo is a small to medium sized Caribbean village on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica, south of Puerto Limon. Famed for its relaxed atmosphere, beautiful beaches, and rich mix of latino, Afro-Caribbean, and Bribri indiginous culture, Puerto Viejo is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination.

The town of Puerto Viejo is rustic and charming. The only paved road is the main highway which runs along the coast from Limon to Manzanillo. The rest of the streets are dirt-paved, lined with hotels, restaurants, shops, and Caribbean style dwellings. The people of Puerto Viejo are open and friendly to tourists, and know how to show visitors a good time.

Puerto Viejo has an exciting night-life, with several discos, nightclubs, hotels, restaurants and bars which do a lively business. If you're looking for drinks and dancing, or just a place to relax and enjoy a good meal, Puerto Viejo is the place to go.

Puerto Viejo is renowned for its beautiful beaches. The famous Salsa Brava beach in Puerto Viejo is an excellent surfing spot (experts only!). The harbor after which Puerto Viejo is named is calm and peaceful, with beautiful still blue waters and inviting shores. The harbor usually has a few local fishing boats docked there, but is not used as a major marina. Several bars and discos are located right on the beach, making this a great spot to hang out at night.

Most of the people in Puerto Viejo speak at least some English, as well as spanish and often Patois (the local Caribbean dialect), so if you are an English-speaking tourist you should have an easy time communicating. Tourists come here from all over the world, and Puerto Viejo is a great place to meet international travelers from many exotic countries.

Dispite the recent rise in the tourist trade, Puerto Viejo has managed to maintain its small-town atmosphere and rustic local appeal. Most of the businesses in town are small and operated by the owners. In the streets, local artists and artisans sell their wares. The atmosphere is laid back and slow paced. Puerto Viejo is a great place to relax on the beautiful Caribbean shores of Costa Rica. Come and join us here in paradise! Pura Vida!

This is a good map but I just got a picture of it.  Promise that I will get a digital one!

About Playa Chiquita

About Punta Uva

Punta Uva (Grape Point) is internationally recognized as one of the world's most beautiful beaches by several leading publications including Outdoor magazine. It is very safe for swimming, as the point and the coral reefs protect the ocean waves from reaching the shore. Some of the best snorkeling in the country occurs just off the point.

Most of Punta Uva lies within the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, hence making it wonderful to live within and observe the wonderful nature.

Punta Uva is a small town between Playa Chiquita and Manzanillo. It has a couple of small hotels and restaurants, and a small residential area. Punta Uva is most known for its excellent beaches and the Punta Uva butterfly garden, which has an amazing variety of tropical butterflies.

The actual point of Punta Uva is a rocky promontory which extends out over the lovely Caribbean sea. The rock is covered with lush jungle, and there is a trail leading to a great lookout point at the top.

To the north-west of the point there is a sheltered cove with great swimming. One of the most popular beaches in the area, especially among the locals, this beach even offers kayak rental during the tourist season, and is a great spot for water sports and just lying around in the sun. A short access road leads down to this beach right across the main road from the Punta Uva grocery store, and there is parking right next to the beach.

To the south-east of the point, the town of Punta Uva comes right down to the beach, with several beach-front houses and a restaurant or two. This region also has excellent beaches, with white sands and no reef. During the tourist season, this whole stretch of beach is usually occupied by beachgoers, and is a popular spot for barbeques and picnics. There are several access roads along this stretch of beach where you can drive right down to the beach.

The Punta Uva butterfly garden is one of the premier attractions in the area, with an amazing variety of tropical butterfly species. Set back from the road on the opposite side from the beach along a dirt road that leads up into the hills, the butterfly garden is located in the midst of some of the nicest rainforest in the area. This is a great spot for nature hikes and seeing the local wildlife.

With some of the nicest beaches in the area and a relaxed small-town feel, Punta Uva is definitely worth a visit, and there is good reason why it is one of the favorite local hangouts, as well as being popular with visitors.

Ecology and the Environment in Talamanca   La Amistad/Talamanca Region The Yorkin River divides Costa Rica and Panama in the Amistad region. © Jeffrey Brown The Amistad/Talamanca region is a bi-national site which spans an enormous topographical range, from the top of 12,500 ft. peaks to the waves of the Caribbean.  The Nature Conservancy's work focuses on the mountainous, La Amistad Biosphere Reserve (shared between Costa Rica and Panama).  This area is also the most culturally and ethnically diverse region in Costa Rica. It is home to both a strong Afro-Caribbean culture as well as a majority of Costa Rica's indigenous population. Location The Amistad/Talamanca Region is located in south-central Costa Rica in the Talamanca Mountain Range and reaches to the southeastern Caribbean coast. This conservation area also extends into the La Amistad/Bocas del Toro region of neighboring Panamá. Animals A majority of Costa Rica's animal species are located in this region including: Ocelot; Black-handled spider monkey; Baird's tapir; Giant anteater White faced Capuchin Monkey © Nancy Sefton More than 350 species of birds such as the great green macaw, osprey, harpy eagle, and muscovy duck.  Several alititudinal migratory birds (birds which migrate between different altitudes on the same mountain) such as the resplendent quetzal and the umbrella bird were recently identified as important conservation targets. At least a third of the bird species are North American migrants such as the wood thrush, prothonotary warbler, and the Magnolia warbler.  The Talamanca Lowlands are also an important flyway for migrating raptors.   Plants The Talamanca mountain range contains the largest tracts of virgin rainforest in Costa Rica.  In addition, 90% of Costa Rica's known plant species are found in this region  - 30% of which are endemic to the area. The La Amistad/Talamanca Highlands supports a majority of Costa Rica's plant and animal species and, due to its remoteness and inaccessibility, remains one of the largest, least disturbed areas of tropical forest in Central America.

Recommended Reading: Costa Rica: The Forests of Eden In the Talamanca region of Limon province, Costa Rica, we face many environmental challenges. Last year a great victory was won for the cause of environmental protection in Talamanca when the government of Costa Rica decided to stop foreign oil expansion off the caribbean coastline. Local people had been lobbying for years with the slogan "no petrolera" to stop offshore oil drilling. People in the Talamanca region realize that it is important to preserve the clenliness of our beaches. Much of the local economy is supported by ecotourism, for one thing, and for another, the local people tend to be very environmentally conscious. A number of local organizations exist to promote rainforest conservation, including the Talamanca Initiative and ADELA. However, the rainforests of the Talamanca region are being destroyed and an alarming rate. Most logging these days is done by small time, illegal loggers, who are very difficult to stop. Most of this region is under legal protection, but there is simply not enough manpower to enforce the laws throughout the jungle. The Talamanca mountains are home to the Bribri tribe of indigenous people. They have a large reserve set aside for their use by the government, but it is constantly being encroached upon by squatters and poachers. The Bribri people need all the help they can get to protect what remains of their land. Please do what you can to support indiginous people and rainforest conservation, in the Talamanca region and in your part of the world.

About the Talamanca Open Photography Project (TOPP), free jungle pictures, rainforest pictures

buy bird posters from www.freejunglepictures.com

Cariblue Hotel has recently started a new project called Free Jungle Pictures, the Talamanca Open Photography Project. We believe in rainforest conservation through nature photography, and have started this project to help local nature photographers to sell their work online.

Our Vision: to see bands of drunken poachers tromping through the jungle at night with lots of high tech lighting equipment and digital cameras, instead of with dogs and guns the way they do now.

Maybe this won't be so easy. But what we can do is apply pressure to the local economy in the direction of wilderness conservation. Cariblue is already doing this through our commitment to ecotourism, and now we are using nature photography for this purpose as well.

Currently the project is in the early stages, but we already have some great pictures of local wildlife, including the famous poison dart frog. We are currently working with local nature photographers to build our database of jungle pictures. Soon we should have some really incredible professional poison dart frog pictures, as well as pictures of tropical flowers. There are also organizations in the region dedicated to butterflies and dolphins, from which we may be able to obtain some pictures.

Our business model is to give away free low and medium resolution jungle pictures, distributing them under a free licence which allows people to use them however they want. We also sell high resolution digital originals of the pictures, for professional graphic design and publishing purposes. We hope to become a great resource of information about local ecological issues as well.

The ecological situation in the Talamanca region of Costa Rica is very interesting. Much of the rainforest is protected by law, but it is still being destroyed by small time illegal poachers and loggers. There just isn't enough manpower to patrol the whole jungle. Therefore, we intend to demonstrate to the locat people that, by taking pictures of the jungle, you can make money off the rainforest without destroying it.

• jungle posters
• jungle graphics
• frog pictures
• insect pictures
• tree pictures
• plant and mushroom pictures
• beach pictures
   
• flower pictures
• lizard and snake pictures
• spider pictures
• butterfly pictures
• crab and lobster pictures
• sloth pictures

• New Pictures: the following categories have new pictures since April 1 2003: Flower Pictures, Spider Pictures, Crab Pictures, Plant and Mushroom Pictures, Lizard Pictures.

   

  Surfing at The Caribbean
  1 - Manzanillo A very fast beach break located 20 km from Puerto Viejo, Limon. Here you find rustic lodging and typical food. Located close to an unpaved road, and easy to get to
  2 - Puerto Viejo A very thick and voluminous wave that comes from deep water onto a shallow reef, also called "salsa", for its juice power. This place gets very big and tubular (legitimate big wave). Salsa is approximately a 3-1/2 hour drive from San Jose and there is a restaurant and accommodation close to the point.
  3 - Black Beach, Cahuita An excellent beach break, not well known and therefore not heavily visited. Nevertheless, there are waves all year round.
  4 - Westfalia A stretch of beach breaks extending south from limon to Cahuita, offering lefts and rights that tend to close out where the swell gets too big.
  5 - Playa Bonita A point/reef break known for its very thick, powerful and dangerous left. Located 5 km north of limon (downtown).
  6 - Portete A small bay located north of playa Bonita. With a right working off the southerly point. Since it is close to limon, you will find easy access.
  7 - Isla Uvita An island off the coast of Limon. Here you will find a good left. Isla Uvita is about a 20 minutes boat ride from Limon with passage available at certain times of the year.
  8 - The North Caribbean Coast Good beach break waves accessible via Tortuguero channels or by private plane. You can rent a boat to take you through the channels near Puerto Moin, 15 km north of playa Bonita

   

Relevant Limon links:

La Perla Negra Beach Resort

 

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