Playa Blanca, 1/17/2023, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia
National Geographic Quest visited Playa Blanca today. Our guests chose from different options and enjoyed a delightful day appreciating the culture in Costa Rica. As a special treat, a local dancing group performed for us during a picnic style lunch served on the beach.
And, of course, there were amazing natural sights to enjoy while learning from the naturalists and taking photographs.
Frank is a naturalist guide with a long career path involving his beloved Costa Rica. He grew up in Escazu, a small town surrounded by blue and green mountains in the Central Valley. His admiration for nature and wildlife turned him into an autodidac...
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Formerly a cattle ranch, the Sanguare Reservation now plays host to a myriad of bird species and a cornucopia of greenery. Restored to its original natural state by the owners who now run a small eco-resort on site, this piece of heaven on the Colombian Caribbean coast is an ideal stopover for birders and nature enthusiasts. An early start brought us to the dock at Sanguare and then on to walks of varying lengths for guests. We were refreshed with local juices such as corozo, guayaba agria, and lemonade; we also enjoyed some traditional sweets and cakes all freshly made at the resort. Our hardy travelers were introduced to more of Colombia’s incredible rhythms, including mapale, cumbia, and chande, performed with pride and gusto by a group of young artists from the nearby town of San Onofre. The day was capped off perfectly with a tranquil cruise on local panga boats into the Bahia of Cispata. We saw flocks of frigatebirds, parakeets, white ibis, a green-backed heron, and much more. Finally we observed a one-year-old crocodile, raised in a local crocodile conservation project, being released into the waters of the bay. Fortunately no one made the poor decision to kiss the baby croc on the lips!
Today National Geographic Quest arrived at Caletas Beach in Corcovado National Park. You can see so much here in the protected forest on this peninsula. We organized groups of guests for coastal hikes and enjoyed great views of the beach and the shorelines of the Osa Peninsula. Forest hikes allowed us to experience the rainforest, and various walks were offered to guests. We saw lots of wildlife, including spider monkeys, mantled howler monkeys, and yellow-throated toucans. We returned to the boat for a delicious lunch and relocated to the entrance of Drake Bay. We explored Rio Agujitas in two rounds of Zodiac cruises. This was a highlight for many of our guests. The river was so calm and full of wildlife. We saw green kingfishers, boat-billed and yellow-crowned night herons, American crocodiles, and white-throated capuchin monkeys. We observed the towering canopy trees from the river and the forest’s vegetation, including woody lianas, climber plants, and palm trees with prop roots that anchored them to the very uneven forest floor. We returned to beautiful National Geographic Quest and celebrated the success of another great expedition.
We spent our second day at Golfo Dulce, the beautiful, pristine bay on the southwest coast of Costa Rica. We landed on Playa Blanca for an immersive experience with the “Ticos,” as Costa Ricans are called. Today we had the opportunity to experience a little bit of the Costa Rican culture. Some guests headed off to learn how chocolate and vanilla are cultivated–and eaten! Other guests learned about heart of palm, and some tried their luck with gold panning (no luck this time). While experiencing all this, we had wonderful encounters with white-faced capuchin monkeys, mantled howler monkeys, and several bird species, such as the spectacularly colorful scarlet macaws. Indeed, today was a very meaningful and complete day.
