Destination Insights: Costa Rica

DESTINATIONINSIGHTS

COSTA RICASan José, La Guácima, The Butterfly Farm,

Amigos De Las Aves,

An Essay: Stravinsky’s Gift,

Drake / Peninsula de Osa,

Aguila de Osa Inn, Sierpe River & Mangroves

C o s t a R i c aO n t h e R o a d L e s s T r a v e l e d

CONTENTS

San José 4La Guácima 18Amigos de la Aves 28Stravinsky’s Gift—an Essay 33The Butterfly Farm 36By the Way 48Drake/Peninsula de Osa 56Aguila de Osa Inn 62Drake Environs 77Sierpe River & Mangroves 80

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PURA VIDA: these pages provide just a taste of pura vida, the goodlife that Costa Ricans, or “Ticans,” live every day.

You’ll see capital city San José, La Guácima’s Butterfly Farm, theAmigos de las Aves bird rescue and macaw breeding center, and thefamous Tárcoles River crocodiles, along with a peek at the OsaPeninsula, known for its ecologically rich rainforest.

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S A N J O S ÉE l C a p i t a l

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San José is a bustling, sprawling city of more than one million people (in the extendedmetropolitan area). The Pan American Highway (below, left) runs through the city.

S A N J O S ÉE l C a p i t a l

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Local squares, each with its own church and soccer field, belie the city’s size.

San José has many spectacular homes and estates.

S A N J O S ÉT h e P l a z a

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This was a small festival we saw by chance; local politicians wereout drumming up support; they used a small band and thesecostumed children to help attract a crowd.

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S A N J O S ÉA r o u n d T o w n

Part of San José’s charm is that you neverknow what you’ll see: rustic pueblitos,colonial-style churches, or sleek modernarchitecture.

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La Iglesia de San Miguel


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This restaurant (above) comes highly recommended. The building below is a private residence.


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When we visited, $1 was worthabout 500 colones. The tollcharge (at right) was about 65¢..

Public art, churches, old buildingsand modern architecture providesurprises around every corner.


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S A N J O S ÉA r o u n d T o w n — O l d & N e w

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This street vendor explainedthat she had built her cart andrepairs it herself (hence thehammer).You can purchasesospiros (traditional meringuecookies) from her, or an icyfruit drink from the vendor afew feet away.

S A N J O S ÉS t r e e t Ve n d o r

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L A G U Á C I M AA r o u n d T o w n

La Guáima, like much of Costa Rica,doesn’t rely on the formality ofstreet numbers. Few houses havethem.

It isn’t only the street numbers La Guácima considers extraneous:the streets themselves have nonames. It’s a small town.

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L A G U Á C I M AA r o u n d T o w n

Everything grows with vigor and beauty in Costa Rica—so much sothat this tree grew right through the fence in just four years (left).

The backyard of a home with a large swimming pool and lush garden.

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One of the three local greengrocers.

L A G U Á C I M AP l a z a F e r i a s — T h e M a r k e t p l a c e

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Friendly vendors at the market were selling pieces of deep-fried porkfat with small bits of meat attached. Not good for the heart.


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Fast food chicken eateries are popular all over Costa Rica.


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L U G A R E S A C O M E RP l a c e s t o E a t

There are many ethnicrestaurants in Costa Ricaincluding Argentinean,Brazilian, Caribbean,Chinese, Cuban, French,German Indian, Italian,Japanese, Mexican,Peruvian, Salvadorian,Spanish, Thai—andeven vegetarian.

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Lenny Karpman (above,with a local restaurateur)is the author of thecomprehensive foodguide: Feasting andForaging in CostaRica.(see following page.)

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Feasting and Foraging in Costa Rica is available at http://www.lennykarpman.com/FeastingandForaging.html

The book lists many eateries worth the visit, and includesdetailed descriptions, addresses, and phone numbers.

Author Lenny Karmpan (see previous page) provides aglossary of ingredients, which is particularly helpful sinceCosta Rican cuisine has so many international influences.There are also recipes and chapters on Costa Rican markets,ethnic restaurants, and “Restaurant Spanish.”

A chapter on common Costa Rican dishes includes:

• Bocas: small plates, or bite-sized appetizers, like Spanishtapas or Chinese dim sum.

• Batidos: blended drinks, similar to smoothies, made fromfresh fruit, ice, and milk or water.

• Patacones: delicious twice-fried chunks of plantain.• Chorreadas: light, f lavorful pancakes made of white corn.• Cream of pejibaye soup: “among the world’s best cream

soups,” with f lavors of chestnut and Japanese pumpkin.• Casado: from the Spanish adjective meaning “married,”

is a mixed platter or dish of the day.• Horchata: a blended drink of rice, peanuts, and milk

flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and sugar.• Gallo pinto: a colorful dish of black or brown beans, white

rice, sweet red pepper, and cilantro or other green herbs.• Tres leches: the national dessert, a white cake soaked in

sauce made from whole milk, evaporated, milk, andcondensed milk.

Another chapter describes the home-style, authentic cookingthat lives in every little hamlet in eateries called “sodas,” whichare luncheonette–greasy spoon–coffee and sandwich shop–dinner–cafés that serve breakfast, lunch, and occasionallyearly dinners.


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This Salvadorean restaurantserved house-made pupusas—thick corn tortillas filled withmeat or cheese and beans. The food was delicious and the service was friendly; I’d love to return.

A M I G O S D E L A S AV E SB i r d R e s c u e F a c i l i t y

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Amigos de las Aves specializes in the rescue and breeding of macaws. It began as the Flor de Mayo botanical preserve, founded by SirCharles Lancaster, renowned naturalist and botanist to Queen Victoria.

Fast-forward to 1980, when Richard and Margot Frisiussettled at Flor de Mayo with a collection of parrots theyhad acquired when Richard worked in Africa. In 1986the two were credited as the first aviculturists to breedmacaws in Costa Rica. Richard and Margot’s reputationas animal rescuers and rehabilitators grew, and soontheir collection of rescued exotic birds was too large fortwo people to care for on a daily basis.

In 1992 Richard (pictured at right) and Margot foundedAmigos de las Aves, which has become one of themost successful bird conservation and releaseprograms in the world.

A 2006 magazine articlehelped publicize the workof Amigos de las Aves.

Ann

e Si

gmon

Alan Taylor, the British ornithologist whoworks at Amigos de las Aves, explained thatthe birds themselves are owned by the CostaRican government.

The rescue facility is working to breed andrelease great green macaws and scarletmacaws, and also takes in assorted rescueanimals.To date, they have released severalhundred scarlet macaws, with an 85% survivalrate after release. Their biggest challenge isfinding appropriate release sites.

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Some rescued inhabatants include:

A Whistling Duck, which likes to nest in high places

Scarlet Macaws

A rescued turtle


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I went to visit Amigos de las Aves, an eight-acre avian rescuecenter. It began as the Flor de Mayo botanical preserve,founded by Sir Charles Lancaster, renowned naturalist andbotanist to Queen Victoria. Sending exotic specimens homefrom the colonies was a noble scientific pursuit, andLancaster procured thousands of plants from CentralAmerica for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, which nowboasts the world’s largest collection of living plants. Today Flor de Mayo’s history is commemorated by a single,modest wrought-iron sign that uses a few weak curlicues todecorate the rusting letters of the words “Flor de Mayo.” Thedark, damp grounds are populated with tall palms, giantclimbing philodendrons, and uncountable epiphytes—plantsthat depend on others for their physical support. Orchidshide their beauty in the dripping undergrowth.

Richard and Margot transformed the silent botanicalpreserve into a lively avian rescue center, Amigos de las Aves.The couple had relocated to Costa Rica in 1980 with theirown menagerie of exotic birds, some of which they acquiredwhen Richard worked in Africa for Pan Am. Richard builtspecial outdoor cages for the birds, using wire screening withsquares of just the right size for the birds’ feet to graspcomfortably.

Today Amigos de las Aves is inhabited by hundreds of“donated” birds—former pets who turned out to be

too noisy, too smelly, or too aggressive fortheir owners’ tastes. Parrots, macaws,

and other colorful exotic birdswho were confiscated from

poachers—presumablydestined for the

illegal pet trade—ended up here, too. Many of the birds atAmigos de las Aves can be re-released, if habitat is available.

Amigos de las Aves specializes in the rescue and breeding ofmacaws. I saw at least two hundred there. One of thespecies they shelter, the great green macaw, is the second-largest parrot in the world; its wingspan is well over ameter. In the wild, great greens can live for more than 50years. They usually fly in pairs or in small groups—unlikemany birds, these have family values.

Millions of great green macaws once migrated betweenHonduras and Ecuador, their flight following the fruitingof the almendro, or wild almond tree. Today, ornithologistsestimate there are at most 250 individuals left in the wild,and fewer than a third of those are breeding pairs. Amigosde las Aves is the only place that has been able to breed greatgreens in captivity. But successful captive breeding does notsolve the problem. There is nowhere for the great greenmacaws to go.

Logging has destroyed most of their habitat. Seventy ofAmigos de las Aves’s great greens are ready for release now,awaiting appropriate sites. They need an adequate naturalfood supply, nesting sites, and the guaranteed safety of aprivate lodge or protected reserve. In the meantime mostlive in small cages, too crowded to mate. Overcrowdingmakes them cranky. The longer the macaws are here, themore difficult it will be for them to find food in the wild,to build nests, reproduce, and avoid predation. The staffand volunteers at Amigos de las Aves are searching for releasesites.

The great green macaw (Ara ambigua) is also calledBuffon’s macaw. Learn more about Amigos de las Aves atwww.hatchedtoflyfree.org.

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S T R AV I N S K Y ’ S G I F T

Stravinsky stretched languidly, neck to toe, then fell onto his butt. With only one useful leg and no tail feathers tospeak of, his balance is compromised. He cannot perch. He is forced to live on the floor of his cage, hopping on onefoot, tail feathers worn to nubs. The flight feathers on eachglossy green wing—which should be long and elegant—arealso shortened from constant rubbing against the floor. They give this small toucan the sad, stunted look of amultiple amputee.

Peering into Stravinsky’s cage, I was immediately drawn tohim, although I cannot say why. I may have identified withhis melancholy. Or perhapsI knew, somehow, that hehad a gift for me. ButStravinsky would not makeeye contact—his onlyacknowledgement of mypresence was a nervous hopto the far side of his cage. I wished the skittishcreature would reciprocatemy interest.

We had come together atFinca Fango de la Suerte,the sprawling central CostaRican home of Joan Halland Lenny Karpman, whohave created a sanctuaryhere for more than forty injured and unwanted animals. Theclimate is nearly perfect, the air is clear, and the finca exudesa warm, amiable hospitality. Stravinsky has lived here forthree years, recuperating from his wounds. I was visiting fortwo weeks, craving sanctuary myself.

I love the name of the place: A finca is a small ranch, andfango de la suerte translates roughly as lucky mud. It’s areference to Cat’s Cradle, the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. novel inwhich God created the earth and then woke up the mud so it could see what an excellent job he had done. “And I wassome of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Luckyme, lucky mud … I loved everything I saw!”

Joan and Lenny love everything they see, too. They havebrought homeless cats, dogs, and birds to Finca Fango de laSuerte. The place is a tropical madhouse. Roosters crow atmidnight and kittens eat butter off the breakfast table.Parrots laugh raucously and screech “Grandpa! Grandpa!”when Lenny walks by. Six dogs lick my feet and legs at everyopportunity. Their tongues are long and soft.

But it is Stravinsky, a fiery-billed aracari, who captivates me.A riff of red across the small toucan’s golden breast conjuresblood, as though he’d recently lost a fight. Stravinsky won afight, though: a fierce one. Years ago, he was attacked as anestling by a marauding rat, which gnawed all the toes off thetiny bird’s right foot after brutally devouring his sibling andnestmate in his entirety. Left alone, Stravinsky would havestarved to death—if he had not been eaten first by a snake, a coati, or another rat.

But Stravinsky was saved, and brought to Amigos de las Aves,a rambling avian rescue center founded by Richard and

Margot Frisius on the slopes of the Costa Rican rainforest.In the wild, small flocks offiery-billed aracaris forage forfruit and insects in the humidforests. As many as five adultssleep together in oldwoodpecker holes—tails foldedover their backs—and shareparenting responsibilities. At Amigos de las Aves, theparenting responsibilities fell to Richard and Margot. Theirwitty name for the bird—Stravinsky—was a nod to thegreat composer’s Firebird.

Maybe it was more than a nod.Stravinsky-the-composer was evolution in action: restless,curious, experimental, moving listeners through chaos tocomplexity. His intention for The Rite of Spring, for example,was to produce a “bloodcurdling” masterpiece evoking theunsentimental savagery of the natural world. Firebird isuncharacteristically melodic, a respite from Stravinsky’sdissonant style, just as Amigos de las Aves is a respite from therealities its inhabitants faced in the wild.

Underfunded, Amigos de las Aves could not provide the highlevel of ongoing care Stravinsky required. So he moved toLenny and Joan’s finca. Lenny built a special cage with a high floor and an orthopedic perch. He situated it near thekitchen door, so the forlorn bird would have regularcompany and eye-level stimulation. Stravinsky eschewed hisspecial perch, but gradually developed a relationship withJoan and Lenny.

Lenny introduced me to Stravinsky one morning at dawn,and I watched as the bird hopped on his one good foot andbalanced on the stump that is his other leg. He didn’t screechlike the larger birds, but chattered a quiet greeting. Lenny fed

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Stravinsky a few slices of banana and filled his bowl withdiced watermelon, pineapple, and papaya. Stravinksy ate thebanana first. It’s his favorite food.

The next day, Joan opened the cage door and showed mehow she made a game with the first two fingers of her lefthand, scissoring Stravinsky’s beak. He stuttered softly andnudged back, caressing her fingers with his beak. ThenStravinsky licked her fingers with his slim brown tongue.Joan said he likes the salt from her skin. She tossed a singlepiece of kitty kibble towards Stravinsky and he caught it inmid-air. They play well together.

That evening when all the other birds perched, both feetlocked in sleep, Stravinsky slid his long, elegant bill throughthe bars of his cage and leaned against it for support. Thatbeak is a beauty: the upper mandible is vermillion, fading likea sunset to yellow-green, and then again to violet at the base.A crisp daffodil-colored band marks the line where bill meetsface on Stravinsky’s left side—his good side—but runsragged and muddy on the right.

The next morning, Lenny fed Stravinsky his fruit. Stravinksybegan eating the banana, but when Lenny moved on tooquickly to feed the other birds, Stravinsky stopped eating andbanged the bars of his cage with his beak in protest. Lennyreturned and rubbed Stravinsky’s outstretched bill with onefinger, petted the top of his tiny head with another. They haddeveloped a sweet ritual.

The days passed, and I continued to visit Stravinksy. I learned to stand a few feet back from the cage, so as not tofrighten him. I spoke quietly, told him where I lived, musedabout the weather and upcoming elections. I admired therhythmic pattern of shallow, saw-like serrations along theedge of his powerful bill; they would have been useful forfeeding in the wild. In the evenings I stopped by to bidStravinsky goodnight, but he was usually already asleep.

One warm afternoon Stravinsky bathed in front of me,balanced on one foot, his short dark wings beating likeminiature outboard motors, wet belly feathers wilting in abedraggled mess. He used his beak to splash water out of theshallow bowl in his cage. The spray was cool, and I felt asthough we were bathing together, Stravinsky and I.

Afterwards, I watched Stravinsky hobble over to his fruitbowl. He stumbled once, then continued. The little birdpicked up a cube of watermelon with the very tip of his bill.

In one fluid motion, he opened his beak, tossed the fleshyfruit back into his mouth, and swallowed. Then he picked upa second watermelon chunk, hopped back over to where Istood watching and extended his bill out through the blackcage bars towards me. He was still holding the watermelon.

Was Stravinsky offering me his food—food that he cannotcatch for himself, that he is dependent on Joan and Lenny toprovide? If so, I was humbled by such trust and generosity.I was also perplexed: Lenny had asked me not to feed the

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birds, but he hadn’t said what to do if a bird tried to feedme. Should I accept the soft, pink piece of fruit? I am not astrusting as Stravinsky is. I backed away from the gentlearacari and his powerful, serrated beak.

Stravinsky looked at me and waited, a large drop of liquidwobbling at the base of his bill. It looked like a teardrop. He balanced on one leg with his good side facing me.

I looked back and reconsidered. The red band acrossStravinsky’s belly reminded me of the belt on aswashbuckling pirate. His eyes shone clear and curious, withan inky pupil polka-dotting the center of each bright whiteiris. That droplet on Stravinsky’s beak was not a tear; it wasjuice from the watermelon. I stepped closer and smiled atthe plucky bird. He had a rough start, but life is good herein the land of lucky mud.

Lenny walked over to the cage, stuck his finger in, andstroked the bird’s back. Contented, Stravinsky closed hiseyes and purred.

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The fiery-billed aracari (Pteroglossus frantzii) breeds only on thePacific slopes of southern Costa Rica and western Panama.

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B i r d s o f C o s t a R i c a

Costa Rica is home to an estimated 50 species ofraptors. These birds of prey include the commonBlack Hawk, Osprey and the extremely rare HarpyEagle, which can mostly be found in the remoteTalamanca ranges and in the Osa Peninsula region.There are approximately 17 owl species, and alsoaround 51 species of the hummingbirds, 100species of sea and shorebirds, including a variety ofgulls, and some 25 species of endemic neo-tropicaland migratory birds in Costa Rica. The country alsoprovides habitat for 16 species of parrots, including6 species of parakeets and 2 species of macaws.

The most f lamboyant birds of Costa Rica are thedelightful Toucans. Also called the “flying bananas,”these endangered birds are a pleasure to watch. The country is home to 6 of the Toucan species,including the Keel-Billed Toucan found in thelowlands, the loud Chestnut-Mandibled Toucanfound in the Pacific southwest and in the denseforestation along the coastal zones. Also the ScarletMacaws and the ‘Buffon’ or the Great GreenMacaws, which are endangered and now in dangerof disappearing completely.

—Eco Preservation Societywww.ecointeractivevacations.com

L A G U Á C I M AT h e B u t t e r f l y M u r a l s

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La Guácima is justlyfamous for its butterflyfarm, and thesupergraphics aroundtown are a colorfulreminder that theseinspiring creatures arenever far away.

L A G U Á C I M AT h e B u t t e r f l y M u r a l s

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T H E B U T T E R F LY FA R M

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For more information visit:http://www.butterflyfarm.co.cr/

At the Butterfly Farm you cansee all phases of a butterfly’slife, from egg to caterpillar tolarva to butterfly. See themcrawling, pupating, munching,sipping, chasing each other,mating, f luttering, drinking,fighting the wind, resting, andjust hanging around. TheButterfly Farm has been inbusiness for 25 years, and isCosta Rica’s largest exporter of tropical butterflies.


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Beautiful Blue Morpho


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How butterflies mate.

A parides swallowtail caterpillar.

A Blue Morpho with wings folded.

A malachite butterfly feeds on banana.

T H E B U T T E R F LY FA R MO w l B u t t e r f l y

Danni shows the owl butterfly. Counterclockwise fromleft: • Unrolling the proboscis, the butterfly’s coiled

feeding tube.• Eggs laid recently on a banana leaf. Each butterfly

species has a preferred host plant; the owl butterflyprefers bananas and plantains. The eggs will darken—but will not enlarge—before the caterpillarsemerge.The caterpillar’s own eggshell is its first meal.

• Newly hatched caterpillars are preyed on by lizards,frogs, birds, monkeys, ants, and snakes. These arecamoflauged with brown splotches that resembledamaged leaves.

• The caterpillars eat their host plant and grow quickly.These are big and hairy, and don’t even look like the same animal as when they were little. Theircamoflauge now makes them look like the roughbark of a tree.

• An adult owl butterfly.

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Danni, Tour Guide


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A wide variety of species will delight adults as well as children. Well worth the trip.


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T H E B U T T E R F LY FA R MT h e B l u e M o r p h o B u t t e r f l y

Blue morpho eggs

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Blue Morphos mating. Females mate only once in theirlifetime, and afterwards lay about 100 eggs. Malesneed a lot of sperm; mating takes about 4 hours.


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Blue Morpho caterpillar


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These butterflies just emerged this morning fromtheir chrysalises.They won’t stay around long: Thebutterflies hatch quickly, dry their wings for aboutan hour, and then disperse in search of food.

Malachite butterfly


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B Y T H E WAYS a n t a A n a

This beautiful stone churchin Santa Ana hosts theBaroque Music Festivalevery November.

Santa Ana is also home to Applebee’s, Taco Bell,Kentucky Fried Chicken,McDonald’s, Papa John’s,and Quizno’s outlets, aswell as Multiplaza, thelargest shopping mall in all of Central America.

Brightly painted antique wheels recall the days when oxcarts were a common meansof transportation. If you visit in March, try to catch the Día de los Boyeros festival.

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B Y T H E WAYR i o T á r c o l e s

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Great swarms of industrious leafcutter ants (above)travel more than a kilometer on a regular basis,carrying pieces of vegetation back to their nests. It’sa good thing, too, because they play a vital role inthe rainforest ecosystem.

The loads are small, but the ants are proportionatelysmaller: If these guys were humans, they’d each becarrying a 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood over theirheads. After chewing the leaves into a gruel, theyuse it as a basis for growing mushrooms, which they“harvest” for food.

The iguana on the left popped up out of the rain gutter in a nice residential neighborhood.He had his eye on the gal on the right, who was hanging out coquettishly (so it seemed) inthe weeds across the street.

Above and right: Crocodiles in the murky Tárcoles River

Below: The beautiful beach at Punta Leona

B Y T H E WAYP u n t a L e o n a & R i o T á r c o l e s

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B Y T H E WAYR i o T á r c o l e s

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B Y T H E WAYJ a c ó

Enjoy strollingthrough the littlebeach town of Jacó,which is famous forits consistent wavesand excellentsurfing. The maindrag is lined with icecream shops, art andcraft shops, souvenirshops, surf shops,head shops, clothingshops, restaurants,bars, nightclubs ...and lots of tourists.

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B Y T H E WAYC e r á m i c a L a s Pa l o m a s

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B Y T H E WAYC e r á m i c a L a s Pa l o m a s

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B Y T H E WAY

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Treasures not found in tourist traps: This statuette was found in a backyard under brush androcks and along with other artifacts. Costa Rican artists seem to like the female form.

P E N I N S U L A D E O S A

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The Osa Peninsula is home to some ofCosta Rica’s most endangered plant andanimal species and is considered one of themost biologically intense places on earth.

Here rain forests merge with mountains andbeaches, creating a complex system offreshwater and marine ecosystems andgiving shelter to much of the country’sbiodiversity.

The Osa Peninsula encompasses thesouthwest portion of Costa Rica and isbound on the west by the Pacific Ocean andon the east by the Gulfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf).

It is one of the least developed areas ofCosta Rica. More than 80% of the Peninsulais protected by Corcovado National Park andother reserves. The few small towns arereached by boat, plane, or roads that areoften impossible to use during the wetseason, and rough and dusty, during the dry.

D R A K E A e r o d r o m o D r a k e

Drake Bay is so-namedbecause Sir Francis Drake issaid to have landed here in1579. We flew in from SanJosé in the cute little NatureAir plane in the photo.

The photo at bottom is theDrake airport terminal,complete with waiting areaand gift shop.

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Transportation on the Osa Peninsula is basic, involving fording rivers and driving on bridges of questionable structural integrity.

D R A K E T OW NG e t t i n g T h e r e

D R A K E T OW NT h e S p h e r e s

Thousands of stone spheres(“espheras”) have been found onthe Osa Peninsua. The smallest arethe size of marbles, and the largestare more than six feet in diameter.The spheres are linked to the Borucaethnic group, and were made over a period of thousands of years,beginning around 300 BCE.

The spheres’ near-perfect geometrysuggests that the people who createdthem had advanced technical abilities,and the arrangement of the spheresin orderly groups suggests that theyhad some symbolic importance. Butbeyond that, their significanceremains a mystery.

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D R A K E T OW ND o w n t o w n

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Like taxis everywhere, this one requires an occasional push.

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D R A K E T OW NWa t e r t a x i

Drake town consists of a few places to stay, some vendor stands, a nice beach,a couple of dive shops, and a bar or two.

A G U I L A D E O S A I N NA r r i v a l

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A G U I L A D E O S A I N NT h e G r e e t e r s

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The White-Faced Capuchin Monkey will greet you — just don’t hand it a banana.

A G U I L A D E O S A I N N

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Beautiful rainforest accomodations at the Aquila de Osa Inn include tropical hardwoods, comfortablerooms, and plenty of places to relax while looking for monkeys, butterflies, and tropical birds.

The bar-lounge area with lush surroundings.

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A central open-air dining hall with plenty of fresh food daily, and a great chef who makesdelighful dishes with something for everyone.

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Carlos is a superb naturalist and guide.


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Beautifully carved wooden doors enhance the inn’s rustic charm.

Owner Bradd Johnson

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A G U I L A D E O S A I N NT h e G a r d e n s

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A G U I L A D E O S A I N NT h e G a r d e n s

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A G U I L A D E O S A I N NT h e B e a c h

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The local beach is a popular place for tourists and locals alike.Once in a while, a cruise ship stops by and some passengerstake the time for a little f ly fishing with the Inn’s dog.

A G U I L A D E O S A I N NT h e B e a c h

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Locals use a more certain method of catching some dinner, for both themselves and the Inn.

A G U I L A D E O S A I N NT h e N e a r b y R i v e r

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A G U I L A D E O S A I N NT h e N e a r b y R i v e r

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A river next to the Inn offers calm waterfishing, kayaking, and hiking. Onemight come across a local fishermanwho will sell a few fish.

A night tour of the rainforest willyield views of the smoky jungle frog(below, right), tailless scorpionspiders, tarantulas, wolf spiders,centipedes, millipedes, white crickets(at right), large cockroaches, waytoo many moths, and lots of othercreepy little critters. What fun!

A G U I L A D E O S A I N NT h e N i g h t Wa l k

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D R A K E E N V I R O N S

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D R A K E E N V I R O N SB e s t B e a c h i n C o s t a R i c a

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D R A K E E N V I R O N SN a t u r e Wa l k o n t h e B e a c h

Mel Gibson owns this house behind the San Josecita Beach, which Carlos says is the most beautiful beach in all Costa Rica.Gibson owns about 18 acres and employs 22 locals as gardeners, caretakers, and guards. Nationwide zoning laws preventthe construction of large buildings along beachfronts.

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S I E R P E R I V E RW h a l e s S i g h t e d O n T h e Wa y

This whale was in the open ocean between Drake Bay and Isla del Caño. The photos are courtesy of traveler Elisabeth Bettan den Hollander.

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S I E R P E R I V E RO n T o T h e M a n g r o v e s

Islas Violinitos (“Little Violins,” bottom) at the mouth of the Rio Sierpe (below). From here travelers willmotor upriver to the great, dark mangrove forests.

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S I E R P E R I V E RT h e M a n g r o v e s

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You will come across homesteads and small farms, sometimes hidden within the mangroves.While on the boat, Carlos and crew (above right) are always spotting wildlife and will be happy

to stop for photographs.

S I E R P E R I V E RT h e M a n g r o v e s

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S I E R P E R I V E RT h e M a n g r o v e s — N a r r o w C h a n n e l s

Counter-clockwisefrom upper right:green-backedheron, mangrovecrabs, purplegallinule,mangroves, more mangroves.

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S I E R P E R I V E RA n i m a l s i n t h e M a n g r o v e s

Clockwise from left: long-nosed bats, boat-billed heron, barn owl, mangrove tree boa, spectacled caiman, little blue heron.

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S I E R P E R I V E RT h e L o c a l s

There goes theneighborhood: boatsare pretty much theonly way to travelalong the Rio Sierpe,but you need to keepyour eye on theneighbors. Right acrossthe river from thelaunch at right was thecroc below.

Far right, bottom:Palms in this plantationare harvested for oil,which is refined for useas both edible andindustrial products.

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There are many inns and lodges along the river.

S I E R P E R I V E RC o m m o n T r a n s p o r t

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S I E R P E R I V E RWe l c o m e t o S i e r p e

The town of Sierpe is home to about 400 families.

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S I E R P E R I V E RS i e r p e

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S I E R P E R I V E RT a k o L a n d L u n c h

TakoLand is the happeninglunch spot in the town ofSierpe. The food isMexican-Tican and thedecor is a festive jumble of about a hundredcomputer-generated signstouting Mexican folkproverbs, such as “StolenLove is Cursed Love.”

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The Sierpe River emptiesinto the Pacific Ocean at awonderful beach, perfectfor a cooling swim withoutthe worry of crocs.

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S I E R P E R I V E RT h e R i v e r ’ s E n d

Photography by Laurie McAndish King and Jim Shubin, except as otherwise noted.All photographers retain copyright to their own work.

www.LaurieKing.com I www.LaurieMcAndishKing.com I www.shubindesign.com©2010 Jim Shubin & Laurie McAndish King/Shubin Design Group Inc.

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Destination Insights: Costa Rica