This week I took a trip with my kids and visiting in-laws week to the lagoons of the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge.  WOW!

Our guide picked us up at 7 am and drove us out to Gandoca where we met up with our local guides who have a beautiful finca (farm) loaded with fruit trees and many sustainable living features ..You can also do this trip via boat out of Manzanillo and then kayak into the lagoons and we know several expert guides who will take care of all the details and guide the trip in the lagoons as well, but not everyone in our group wanted to paddle in kayaks ;0) We loaded into a small boat and our guides rowed us through the lagoons pointing our birds and different species of trees, but no one had to point out the Herons, Toucans, and Kingfishers  gliding by, the large troop of Spider Monkeys (Colorados) playing along the shore, or the other troop of Howler’s (Congos), but they did show us a Racoon (Mapache) we would not have seen and what we all thought was a Caiman or Mantee, but it was too quick…

Maybe it was just us hoping, but they did say perhaps…and both species are known to frequent the area…You can read more about the refuge below, but we rowed through the lagoons and then the mangroves to where they meet the Ocean a couple miles past Punta Mona and were treated to tour of the Turtle nesting area

where they have a nursery to hatch all the eggs they have saved from poachers and other unfortunate endings. It was nice to get out of the boat and see the beautiful coastline stretching from Punta Mona to the Sixaola River at the Panama border

…this coast is very wild and the main nesting site for the endangered turtles in the area. Especially during the nesting season, I would say that this trip is very comparable to what people experience in Tortuguero (canals, mangroves, turtles, birding, wildlife) at a fraction of the cost and effort and in fact I prefer it because it is more isolated and wild and there is tons of wildlife. Plus where else will you see a whole community cooking with gas collected from their pigs ;0) 

The other great thing is that you will rarely see another person out there because it is just so remote (i.e. no other boats screaming by etc)….this trip lasted about 5 hours and was very affordable…We’ve had several guests take the trip and said it was the favorite part of their Costa Rica trip (even better than the ziplines ;0)…Make sure to check out this hidden jewel on your trip to the South Caribbean of Costa Rica.

More on the Refuge 

The Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 

The Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge is a much overlooked treasure, and is not to be missed by any visitor to the area. Although it begins protecting the beach near Cocles beach, the Refuge begins about 100 meters to the North of Pachamama on both sides of the road and extends some 30 km down to the Rio Sixaola which forms the Panamanian border, protecting along the way gorgeous beaches, coral reefs, lowland tropical forests (some primary), and several of Costa Rica’s most endangered habitats including the only jolillo palm swamp in Costa Rica. Created in 1985, the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge is one of the only humid tropical forests in Costa Rica and provides a wide range of lowland habitats with rare and unique plants, and it protects major freshwater and marine habitats, including one of the least-spoiled coral reefs on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The refuge is classified as mixed use with regulations to protect land and water wildlife and their habitat because special provisions were made to allow residents of Manzanillo and Punta Uva to continue living in their community, which are within Refuge’s boundaries.The coral reefs that begin offshore from Punta Uva extend south to Manzanillo’s Punta Mona are part of the refuge’s protected zone.  The living reef supports more than thirty five types of coral, 11 species of sponge, 27 species of algae and 34 species of mollusk.  Beyond Punta Mona (Monkey Point) a couple mile hike or boat trip from Manzanillo are beaches that serve as important nesting grounds for the four species of endangered sea turtles that nest from March through July (green, hawksbill, leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles).  This is a major attraction for visitors because you can see the turtles lay their eggs and then learn about the viveros or nurseries where the eggs are brought to protect them from poachers and the elements in order to maximize bith rates.The refuge is also well-known for its rarely visited red and white mangrove swamp. It is the only red mangrove swamp remaining in Costa Rica. The swamp serves as a spawning site for Atlantic tarpon, oysters, and many other marine organisms. A true hidden gem in refuge is the Gandoca lagoon, where crocodiles, caimans, shrimps, manatees, snook and tarpon all contribute to the cycle of life. However, the beauty of the flora lining the lagoons and the abundance of Sloths, Spider monkeys, White Faced Capuuchins, and Congo (Howler) monkeys and of course Toucans, Trogons and the rest is unrivaled anywhere on the Caribbean coast. Parrots, toucans, red-capped manakins, collared aracaris (small toucans), and more than 360 other species of bird may also be found in the Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge at various times of the year. 358 species of birds have been spotted, of which 102 are migratory, mainly coming from North America. This makes the Refuge and particularly the lagoons and mangroves a must-visit for birdwatching. 

So how do you get there and what can you do?  There are a few main ways to enjoy the refuge.  One is to lay in your hammock at Pachamama and soak in it, or head down to Punta Uva beach or Manzanillo and relax, swim, snorkel, and even surf small reef breaks out at Punta Uva a couple months out of the year. Some of the best snorkeling along the coast is right in Punta Uva and all the dive boats come to Punta Uva to a huge beautiful reef with drop offs about ¼ mile offshore. The other ways include self-guided or guided jungle hikes with guides that know all the species of birds, animals, plants and can spot them for you when otherwise you would see nothing. In fact, many of the guided birdwatching and nature tours in the Refuge begin near Pachamama and just walk down the road to Manzanillo.  You’d be amazed how much you can see just on that couple mile hike (and then take the bus back ;0)…Hikes into the refuge can be a short as a ½ mile to see wildlife and some beautiful beach coves and sea stacks, to ½ day hikes into the primary forest and/or to Punta Mona, to full on adventures hiking out to Gandoca , watching the turtles lay eggs and then returning that night. 

The other way to enjoy the refuge is by boat.  You can head out of Punta Uva on a scuba trip to the reefs, or take a spin out to Punta Mona to see dolphins, turtles and the beautiful coast.  Of course there are also a number of fishng opportunities, with the most spectacular being the Tarpon fishing, but the boats always come back with catches or stories of red snapper, kingfish, jack, grouper, barracuda, mackerel and many more. 

To get to the Gandoca mangroves and lagoon there are two options.  You can take a boat out of Manzanillo and then transfer to kayaks to enter and explore the lagoon, or you can take a bus or taxi to Gandoca and hook up with local guides there who will row/guide you through the lagoons and mangroves on one of their boats. We have guides that take care of this from Pachamama pickup and drop off and can even arrange locally prepared meals at the destination or along the way.  The turtle watching works about the same way.  They pick up here at about 5:30 and head out to the beaches of Gandoca with approved local guides where you wait for turtles to come in and lay their eggs.  They usually come in about 7-10 p.m. and then you get dropped back off here at Pachamama with visions of magnificent turtles in your dreams ;-0)  So, don’t miss the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, El Rufigio during your vist to the So Caribbean of Costa Rica.

Hiking in Cahuita National Park

The So Caribbean of Costa Rica has many natural wonders and although many are all around you wherever you are, some are designated areas…I’ll get to my favorite the Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge a little later, but the Cahuita National Park is a great day trip from our area.  I had a few hours to burn before parent teacher conferences (kids are doing great in the Cahuita Complementaria Escuela and Colegio by the way so I decided to hike out to Cahuita Point and Punta Vargas.  All you need to do coming from the new bus station in Cahuita (which is what I did) is to walk towards the center of town (go right on the street after passing through their gauntlet of new shopping malls) along the brick paved street and at the end of that take a right and it takes you right to the park entrance.  Also at the end of that brick road (on your left corner) is Roberto’s Tours which is the only one I recommend for snorkeling in Cahuita.  He will take you out on a boat to the point for snorkeling and then you can get dropped off and hike back to town saving the round trip.  There are also guides out there who will walk back with you for a fee and tlk about the trees, ecosystems, animals etc.. There you need to sign in at the park entrance and leave a donation…mine is usually 500 colones. There are showers and bathrooms at the park entrance so you can even bring a change of clothes and be set for the day.. The trail is very nice, wide and clean, especially in the first mile because they rake it etc, but more importantly probably, it withstands rain and does not get muddy so it is nice in or after any weather. 

The trail follows the beach for the first mile with beautiful white sandy spots to feel all alone and then it weaves  into the jungle a bit on the way to Punta Cahuita….It’s about 4 km to the point which took me about 45 minutes walking briskly.  Along the way there are many little beach coves and some bridges you cross (walk on the nailed parts to ensure strongest part of the bridge or it gives a bit :)…

This trip I mostly say lizards and crabs, but also a troop of howler monkeys and a Trogon, some Herrons, many ant/fly birds, and one vulture (lucky me)…Oftentimes at the point you will run into white faced monkeys, White Capucchin, or Cariblancas as they are known here. Near the point is the mangroves/river on your right and there are also some trals that head up that a bit, which can be much more natural and no people so I suggest taking a right there if you have time (right after the Perezoso River “sign”, or keep heading along…

The trail gets much wilder toward the point because not as many people (including the people with rakes), make it that far and you feel all alone in the jungle with the animals covered by a nice cool canopy…Cahuita Point has a covered little picnic area…I always blow right by it because the real treasure to me is Punta Vargas…At Punta Cahuita you can see back to Cahuita, but you can not see all along the Playa Negra to Puerto Viejo…About 1km past unta Cahuita you arrive at Punta Vargas…This is about an hour from the park entrance for me, but count on 1.5-2 hours for a leisurely walk.. There is a sign, but you can also tell because there is a big sandy/coral point and you can hang out there and feel like you are on a deserted island because you can see both ways along tree-lined beaches and out to the coral reefs….it is a nice place for a rest or picnic.  You can also access the point more easily from the Ranger station in Puerto Vargas…What you do is catch the bus at Pachamama at 8:40, get off the bus from at the entrance to Puerto Vargas (you have to pull the cord or tell them..it is a mile or two before the turn into Cahuita) and then hike 1 km to the park entrance…there they do charge a  couple thousand colones and then head towards Punta vargas and Cahuita…Then you can hike to Cahuita, eat lunch hang out at the park, check out cahuuta and catch the 3 p,m bus to Manzanillo and it will drop you off back at Pachamama…Variations to this trip might be to catch a ride to the Sloth refuge (avarias del Caribe) a bit past Cahuita,

or to get off the bus in Puerto Viejo on the way back and hang out there for awhile, grab dinner and catch the 7 pm bus back or dance the night away and taxis it back to Pachamama for a well deserved rest

You often hear about sustainable tourism and it has almost become cliché, but what does it mean and how can we participate are common approaches I hear about from guests.  Without going into detail, sustainable tourism helps local communities to retain their culture and environment through effective and efficient use of resources that they control and manage. This brings positive benefits to the local community through preserving their way of life so they do not have to turn to other forms of income from their resources, or worse yet, dissolve the community in search of outside jobs.  Of course environmental preservation is important in all of this as well, and eco-tourism focuses on experiencing the environment in its natural form and leaving it in as good or better condition as when we arrived.…

Anyway, community-based tourism is not much different except that it specifically offers the “..opportunit