RSSOff The Beaten Path: Caribbean Costa Rica Beaches
Jan 25
Costa Rica adult nightlife, adventure, beaches, Costa Rica, Costa Rica Beaches, destinations, family, fishing, recreation, sports, surfing, tourism, travel, Vacations No Comments
The Latin American country we know as Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, world-famous for its pristine waters, tropical mountains, and volcanoes. There are sandy beaches ranging from white to black, coral beaches, and rugged boulder strewn beaches with magnificent surf along the Caribbean Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Because of its many attractions and stability, it has become one of the favorite tropical vacations for beach lovers and eco-tourists.
Few visitors to Costa Rica appreciate its rich history or how it got its name. About 10 years after discovering the New World along the American coast, Christopher Columbus returned and sailed south. He became so enthralled with the Caribbean beaches he found here that he named his discovery Costa Rica! The name is Spanish for rich coast and has stuck for over 500 years.
Despite the passage of centuries there is still a lot for travelers to discover on the Atlantic side of this little country. This coast is much more undeveloped and has a very different ambiance from the Pacific. Think reggae.
For many eco tourists, no Costa Rica vacation is complete without touring one of the country’s Seven Wonders, Tortuguero National Park. Tortuguero is the largest nesting area for the green sea turtle in the western hemisphere. When Columbus landed, these oldest of reptiles, dating back millions of years before the first dinosaur, nested here in unfathomable numbers and surely provided fresh meat for his crew. For centuries, beaches here were some of the world’s largest hunting grounds for these gentle animals. That changed in 1961 when it was transformed into the world’s premier reserve and leading center for turtle monitoring and research. In addition to green sea turtles, three of the other six surviving endangered sea turtle species come ashore to nest. You will find a growing number of tours and lodges which service an increasing number of fishermen and families. Wildlife is very abundant and the rivers and ocean provide great fishing.
Limon is often the starting point to head north by boat or small aircraft to Tortuguero or along the Costa Rica Caribbean highway to great beaches south, including the beach where Columbus named the country. Limon is not a recommended vacation destination and is best thought of as the place to go north or south. Heading south will take you to Puerto Viejo. This small place is legendary for surfers and a favorite Costa Rica surfing destination. From November through April, it is often filled with surfers. The top surfers head for the world-famous three-mile long La Salsa Brava wave. A short distance south beginners and intermediates can have lots of fun surfing at Playa Cocles.
Between Limon and Puerto Viejo is the small community of Cahuita, primarily a stop for snorkeling and beach walks. There are white and black sand beaches here and good snorkeling. The coral reef is just offshore and has two shipwrecks to explore. At night, vacationers find this place very quiet and many head down to Puerto Viejo for its restaurants.
As one drives farther south, the Gandoco-Manzanillo Wildlife Reserve awaits nearly at the Panama border. This is where Columbus came ashore and named Costa Rica. Here he found, and you will, too, crystal clear tropical waters perfect for swimming. But, unlike him you will be able to go scuba diving at Costa Rica’s largest coral reef. The rare and recently discovered river Tucuxi Porpoise lives only here. Visitors can see sea turtles nesting and fishermen often find tarpon and snook. Lots of them. In the sea just offshore, in the many lagoons and rivers. Very little fishing pressure. But when they are here, lots of fish!
Mr. Vic Krumm lives in tropical Costa Rica and and has a popular website Costa Rica Vacations. Look here to learn more about Costa Rica Beaches
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