Corcovado National Park, travel report
With more than 12,000 different plant species is this biological hotspot helping that Cost Rica is at the very top of the world stands with their biodiversity.
Sierpe is the best place to start to explore both Areas, which is well accessible by car or by public buses. In the neighboring Palmar Sud also is a small airfield.
The little village Sierpe, with tropical flair, is located directly on the water channels. There, almost every house has its own jetty and it seems like living on the water.
So it is not difficult to do excursions for example into the mangroves or to drive with boat taxis to the Drake Bay or in the Corcovado National Park.
However, we must distinguish between mass tourist excursions and interesting natural history of individual tours with competent management. An experienced naturalist guide knows exactly in which tree crowns are Sloths, sees from far away the Mangrove-tree boa hanging in the branches or carries the boat in a fantastic closeness to the resting caymans.
The 'Nature Guide' do not only know the name of the numerous living and resting birds such as ibises, spoonbills, blue herons, frigate birds, etc. he also knows many interesting ecological relationships. Then it is worth to pay a little more money for an individual tour.
The vegetation is dominated by four species of trees, the Red, Black, White, as the pineapple Mangrove, which are adapted to the very specific ecological conditions in this river delta.
This brackish mixture characterizes the entire habitat, with its specialized fauna and flora. Also a trip by motorboat or kayak with is a thrilling experience.
While the main river, the Sierpes River, has a wide forming waterway, throughout the small branchings, where you are immediately in a beautiful green forest and water world again.
In this Labyrinth of winding page flows, still waters and countless Channels you can easily get lost without local monitoring.
(Travelogue by Richard Gubler, Zurich - Switzerland, April 2009)
Travel report: Volcano Arenal
On the beginning of April 2009 we leave our hotel Paraiso del Cocodrilo, in order to visit the Arenal one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
We were not particularly optimistic about seeing it in its full size. The approximately 1630-meter-high mountain was probably very often shrouded by clouds. We ventured it anyway, as we hoped to get lasting impressions of the Arenal.
We drove over Canas and Tilaran to the north-western end of Lake Arenal.
Which is with approximately 80 square kilometers the largest lake in Costa Rica, it serves to get energy and was created in the seventies. Its productivity is so great that it covers 60% of the national power.
After we had passed the first giant windmills and many curves we have seen a magnificent view of the long, deep blue sea. Fantastically beautiful as he was among us in the hilly countryside was. And then suddenly we discovered "him" in the distance. The majestic, mighty Arenal stood by the southern shore of the lake far into the blue sky.
It was immediately clear which of the surrounding mountains, "he" was. Its form was so typical of how a volcano is just imagining. Just as we had drawn as a child; a sharp cone, whose vent smoke from escaping. Until we came to the foot of the Arenal we had seen nothing of the mountain.Would also be nice.
Greater was our happiness at the next morning while the clouds veil slowly ventilated the view of the now directly before us emergent Thunder Mountain.
But whats happen when the gigantic monster shows once his angry side?
Only on 1937 when the first ascent was they discovered that this was ever a dormant volcano acted. His more than 450-year resting phase gave the people his wild and dangerous past. 1968 the Arenal reported and then suddenly unfolded his destructive power in a powerful eruption, two villages were destroyed and 87 people were killed.
Despite these powerful natural phenomena, the people at his feet accustomed to the dangers.
Even as a visitor leave from normality influence with the natives of their everyday activity.
We deeply hope that they will never ignite their complete destructive power.
April 2009, Richard Gubler
The next travel report is about the mangroves in the region of Sierpe.
The area is located at the northern end of the Osa Peninsula. The Corcovado National Park is ideal to reach by boat, by car or by public bus on the Osa Peninsula it is to go slow and the Secondary roads on the peninsula are mostly in poor condition, particularly in rainy weather sometimes impassable...
