Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
Golfo Dulce is one of the most pristine areas of Costa Rica. Sheltered from the Pacific Ocean by the Osa Peninsula and with a maximum depth of over 700 feet, the calm and dark waters of this unique “tropical fjord” are framed by exuberant rainforests and impressive mangroves. The beauty and lushness of this place is partly due to its isolation from large population centers, as well as to the warm tropical sun and abundant rains. However, walking in this little piece of heaven can be quite an ordeal as the sun starts to rise in the late morning and early afternoon. It is for this reason that on this day we had an early snack and touched the shore with the first rays of the morning’s light. The pebbles on the beach and the mild water of the waves were as soothing as the beautiful garden of Casa Orquideas, a work of love of an American couple that came to Costa Rica some thirty years ago, made it their home and dedicated their lives to planting an extraordinary tropical garden of ornamental, edible and medicinal plants. Aside from seeing thousands of plants we were startled by the beauty of scarlet macaws, chestnut-mandibled toucans, white hawks, and the majestic king vulture.
After a late breakfast we went kayaking by Rio Esquinas and then got on the Zodiacs for a trip in the mangroves. White ibises, snowy egrets, kingfishers, orange-chinned parakeets, little blue herons flew above our heads reflecting their beauty over the water mirror on which we glided. A Jesus Christ lizard shattered the calm of the mangrove as it walked over the water proving to us that miracles are not rare in the rainforest. We came back onboard for a late lunch followed by a snorkeling briefing, a lecture by Fico and a sweet recap on chocolate by Julio. The end of the day marked the end of our visit to Costa Rica as we sailed under the moon to Coiba Island in the Republic of Panama.
Golfo Dulce is one of the most pristine areas of Costa Rica. Sheltered from the Pacific Ocean by the Osa Peninsula and with a maximum depth of over 700 feet, the calm and dark waters of this unique “tropical fjord” are framed by exuberant rainforests and impressive mangroves. The beauty and lushness of this place is partly due to its isolation from large population centers, as well as to the warm tropical sun and abundant rains. However, walking in this little piece of heaven can be quite an ordeal as the sun starts to rise in the late morning and early afternoon. It is for this reason that on this day we had an early snack and touched the shore with the first rays of the morning’s light. The pebbles on the beach and the mild water of the waves were as soothing as the beautiful garden of Casa Orquideas, a work of love of an American couple that came to Costa Rica some thirty years ago, made it their home and dedicated their lives to planting an extraordinary tropical garden of ornamental, edible and medicinal plants. Aside from seeing thousands of plants we were startled by the beauty of scarlet macaws, chestnut-mandibled toucans, white hawks, and the majestic king vulture.
After a late breakfast we went kayaking by Rio Esquinas and then got on the Zodiacs for a trip in the mangroves. White ibises, snowy egrets, kingfishers, orange-chinned parakeets, little blue herons flew above our heads reflecting their beauty over the water mirror on which we glided. A Jesus Christ lizard shattered the calm of the mangrove as it walked over the water proving to us that miracles are not rare in the rainforest. We came back onboard for a late lunch followed by a snorkeling briefing, a lecture by Fico and a sweet recap on chocolate by Julio. The end of the day marked the end of our visit to Costa Rica as we sailed under the moon to Coiba Island in the Republic of Panama.
