Costa Rica 2025 - Part 3

FEBRUARY & MARCH 2025

It was hard to leave our idyllic villa in the mountains but there was more of Costa Rica to see. The next day we drove two and a half hours further down the Pacific coast to the Península de Osa and the town of Puerto Jimenez.
We were here for 5 nights, 4 in Puerto Jimenez and 1 in the Corcovado National Park. We rented a rustic two bedroom single story house with secure parking for the time in Puerto Jimenez. Then spent the first two days taking it easy exploring the local area. This meant driving to various locations and doing shorts walks to admire the scenery and watch the wildlife.

Jesus Lizard (common basilisk) nicknamed due to its ability to run on water for short distances

Pair of Scarlet Macaw engaging in preening (they mate for life)

Coconut and crab

Pacific Beach, Puerto Jimenez

River Crossing on the road out of Puerto Jimenez

Gravel road out of Puerto Jimenez

Scarlet Macaw

Puerto Jimenez, our accommodation street

Twenty five years ago, we were in the area and wanted to visit the Corcovado National Park. For various reasons, we weren’t able to achieve this. This time we were more organised and a two day one night trip was planned.

It was still dark when our 04:00am alarm went off. This gave us enough time to wake up, have breakfast and get ourselves to the boat jetty for the 05:30 boat into the park. It wasn’t a good start to the trip, as confusion rained over what boat we would take into the park. Our allocated boat wasn’t available so we were squeezed into another one going that way. Although an uncomfortable ride, it got us to the park entrance on time to meet our guide and other guests part of our group.
Tourist access to this part of the park is restricted to an area around the Sirena Ranger station and all explorations need to be with a guide. Every tourist arrive and depart from the same point, whether on a day trip or an overnight, and start with a wet landing on the beach. At this point you meet your guide and park rangers check your bags for any prohibited items, food, knives, plastic items, etc. It’s then a short walk to the ranger station. At this point you are amongst, probably, a couple of hundred other tourist but here and at the ranger station was the only time you felt the crowd. A Tapir mother and calf had been reported sleeping in the undergrowth near to the ranger station, so we stopped to see them en-route.

Waiting to leave Puerto Jimenez for Corcovado NP

landing at Corcovado National Park

Sleeping Tapir (Mother and calf)

The ranger station sits at the end of an unused airstrip and functions as an administration centre and tourist facility. The kitchen and dining area can cater for a couple of hundred tourist and the bunk bed open air dormitory about hundred overnighters. There is also a small shop and decking area to relax on.

Ranger Station

ranger station relaxing deck

We had just enough time to put our over night stuff in a locker and top up our water, before heading out on the first forest hike. It was around 08:00am by now and very hot and humid, even in the shade of the forest. Our guide introduced us to the flora and fauna of the forest as we made our way along fairly good trails. It was mostly dry under foot, except for a few small river crossings. Having been in Costa Rica for a month now, new wildlife sighting were limited, a few spiders and frogs were all that was new to us. However, it was a pleasant environment, even with the heat and humidity, and the other members of the group were getting more out of it.

One of many spiders encounters in the jungle

Spectacled Caiman

Bat hiding beneath the leaf

Tree defence system

Missed the runway

Coati

Jungle Path

Around midday we returned to the ranger station for lunch and a couple of hours rest. Then we embarked on a much more strenuous hike to the Claro river and back. Our party had reduced from seven and the guide to five of us now. Again, nothing new in the way of sightings, but we were entertained by the antics of monkeys in the canopy and Coati’s on the ground. However, we did also see a Three Toed Sloth with baby in a tree and this time it wasn’t partly obscured by foliage, the highlight of the afternoon. It was dark by the time we got back to the ranger station and everyone was exhausted.

Big tree with huge roots and hollow trunk

It was at this point we had our second issue with the tour organisation, following the chaotic transport arrangements. We had not been allocated our bunk beds for the night. After a lot of chasing we finally had somewhere to sleep. With lights out at 8pm, we now had little time to shower, have dinner and prepare for the night. We did manage everything in time, only to be told at the last minute I had been allocated the wrong bunk bed. However, it was too late to change now, so the other guy went to a different bunk.

Ranger Station dormitory, up to 100 bunk bed! All were occupied!!

A restless night followed, due to the heat (there was no fan or natural breeze) and a very thin mattress. It was almost a relief when 4am arrived and it was time to prepare for the early morning hike.
It was still dark when we entered the forest again but the sun had risen by the time we emerged on the beach, just where the Sirena River enters the Pacific Ocean. We were only four guests now, as Anne had chosen to rest her aching body back at the ranger station.
At this point the temperature was much more bearable, the breeze off the ocean helped to freshen the air and reduce the heat. Most tourist on the beach were searching for Bull Sharks (one very brief sighting) in the estuary but the variety of bird life on the shore was more of an interest to me. Meanwhile, back at the ranger station, Anne was being treated to an amazing sighting of a Tapir ambling past the veranda.

Tapir out for a stroll (it is very early morning, everyone has left the station to go for jungle walk, I could enjoyed the amazing sighting on my own)

Back at the ranger station we took breakfast, very tasty as have all the meals been. A short break followed then we headed out into the forest again. Anne probably chose the right option and stayed behind at the ranger station once more.
Several hours of hot and humid hiking followed with nothing much to see. Monkeys continued to entertain us up in the canopy, spiders laid trips with their webs for us to walk in to and small mammals teased us with their sound and elusiveness.
We did encounter an amazing tree, still standing meters high but hollowed out by termites. There was so much room inside, it could accommodate several adults and was home to hundreds of bats. A crawl through a large root system was required to access the inner chamber, which, along with most of our group, I chose not to do.
That was the last hike of the day and it was time to gather our possession from the ranger station and connect with our boat back to Puerto Jimenez.

Boarding the boats for departing Corvovado NP

On our way back from Corcovado NP

Back at the house in Puerto Jimenez it was time to crank up the air-conditioning, take a shower and reflect on the experience of the last two days. My description above doesn’t portray a glowing picture, but our conclusion lays some of the blame on us. If we set aside the organisational issues, I think we went with too high expectations. We had already been in the country for a month and seen so many amazing things that spotting something new was going to be very hard. We didn’t expect so many tourist either. However, seeing a Tapir was a highlight and a big positive for the tour.

The following day was another new adventure and with a leisurely start. However, we weren’t expecting the bed to start wobbling just before we got up. You guessed it, it was our annual earthquake experience (similar time of year to our Taiwan 2024 experience, but nowhere near a violent), it only lasted a few seconds but brought back memories.

Notice of earthquake

From Puerto Jimenez we followed the Pacific coast north. A lunch stop in Uvita, then we headed inland and up to the mountains. We finally reached our destination of the Talamanca Nature Reserve Lodge (see below) around mid-afternoon. We had lost about 10 degrees and the air was less humid, very pleasant and quite a relief. What immediately struck us on arrival was the quality of customer service, it was superb and made us feel very welcome. There wasn’t time to explore before dark so left that until the next day. Although we did indulge ourselves in a cocktail at the restaurant bar before bed.

Garden in front of our chalet

View from Talamanca Nature Reserve toward the village

We were awake early the next morning and on the recommendation of lodge staff, we made our way up to the gazebo area in search of birds. From our cabin it was a steep climb, up a well maintained path lined with trees and colourful flora. There were great views over the surrounding valley from the gazebo area but more importantly the bird life was plentiful. We were able to identify several new (to us) species of hummingbird and the trees were full of colourful birds we had not yet seen in Costa Rica. Time flew by, but as the day warmed up the bird life became less active. This was our sign to return to the cabin for a late breakfast.

Northern Emerald Toucanet

Striped-throated Hermit

We spent the next part of the day relaxing on our covered veranda, still watching birds, this time in the garden opposite us. There were now more people arriving for a day visit, almost all locals, which was nice to see. Around 15:30 we headed out once more to explore more of the reserves trails. Again the bird life was prolific, we didn’t know which way to look they were all around us. The sun was shining, it was a comfortable 24 degrees and we were in our element. The flora was also magnificent and so well maintained. This is a truly beautiful place.

Grey-headed Chachalaca

The second day followed a similar pattern. An early morning visit to the gazebo area which resulted in more new birds. Breakfast at the restaurant whilst watching hummingbirds visit the garden feeders. Relaxing on our veranda until early afternoon, then back to the restaurant for lunch. During and after lunch the restaurant was visited but a variety of birds we had yet to see, so we lingered there for a couple of hours.

Summer Tanager

Golden Hooded Tanager

It was about at this time we began to hear thunder and it seemed to be getting closer. The clouds over the valley were very low and dark, we guessed the rain was falling over there. At this point we made our way back to the cabin, just before the rain arrived. Unfortunately, this put pay to our afternoon bird watching, because by the time it had stopped it was too late to venture out. So we had a couple of cocktails in the bar instead. This also reminded us how efficient and friendly the lodge staff are, a credit to the profession.

Restaurant

Our last day in the Talamanca Nature Reserve started the same way as all the others, with an early morning birdwatching hike. By now it was getting hard to spot new birds but admiring the species we had already seen was enjoyment enough. If the birds weren’t as numerous as other mornings, the butterflies made up for it, equally as colourful and often greater in size.

Beautiful Moth

Fight of the Titans! The spider lost!

One of the butterflies of Talamanca nature reserve

A late and leisurely breakfast, then we were on the road again. Following route 2 north we traversed Costa Rica’s central mountains with spectacular views on either side of the road. Or that’s what we assumed, because most of the time we were in the clouds with visibility varying from 20 meters to as little as the end of the car bonnet. When the clouds disappeared the rain started and the temperature dropped as low as 12 degrees C. By mid afternoon we had reached our destination of Orosi. Nestled in a river valley with mountains on all side it should have been a picturesque location, unfortunately today the low cloud and rain didn’t do it justice. We had an early dinner in town before retreating to our hotel room to escape the rain that was now falling much more heavily.

On our way to Orosi, missing the beautiful sceneries

Low cloud and drizzle persisted for our last day in Costa Rica. A leisurely breakfast was followed by a visit to the church in Orosi, the oldest in Costa Rica we are told. We stopped at a view point over the Orosi Valley on our way back to San Jose and that was our last tourist activity.

Orosi Old Church

Orosi under the rain

Orosi Valley

Although only a 55km drive from Orosi to the car rental office, it took us almost 2 hours because of the traffic. This wasn’t an issue as we had left plenty of time and were in the airport well in advance for our flight departure.
This gave us time to reflect on the trip. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, so green and lush. The wildlife had been spectacular, especially the birds. On the down side the humidity was oppressive and Anne’s hip injury had restricted what she could do (see below). But a trip we will have found memories of.

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

Talamanca Nature Reserve
Talamanca is a non-profit Nature Reserve dedicated to protecting and enhancing the local flora, fauna and avifauna, while also providing employment to the local community. Talamanca covers over 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) of primary and secondary cloud forest and borders the Chirripo National Park.
Until the 1930’s the area was sparsely populated and the surrounding forests were largely untouched. Between then and the late 1980’s the area was cultivated and a large amount of deforestation took place. In 1988 the land was sold to an overseas buyer. He recognised the beauty and potential for restoration. Over the next 30 plus years the area was reforested with native species and facilities built to attract tourist. Now the wildlife is back, especially the birds which number more than 200 different species. The flora is also incredible diverse and colourful. The foreign owner has now handed over the reigns to a local family and the place is thriving. One of Costa Rica’s secret gems.

Talamanca Nature Reserve

Talamanca nature Reserve

View over the valley from the Talamanca nature Reserve

Anne’s Hip Injury
Part way through our first day in Costa Rica, Anne developed a sharp pain in her hip. It appeared without warning and didn’t improve during the whole trip. Self diagnosis suggested it was sciatica and a local pharmacist provided us with strong pain killers. When not walking the pain was manageable but painkillers were needed for any hike undertaken, even then the distance was limited. This sadly meant she couldn’t enjoy the trip to its fullest extent. As the trip progressed we learnt what was achievable and planned our activities accordingly.
Medical advice once we got back home ruled out sciatica and suggested it was more likely an inflammation. Writing this blog two month on, we are still not sure what it is, but thankfully it is now showing signs of improvement.