Winter Destinations: Costa Rica

October-November 1996

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

Paddling The Osa Peninsula

by Kathryn Gardner

Our guide, Doug, demonstrating surf landing skills

The summer sea-kayaking season is drawing to a close and depending on where you are, you may be looking forward to a cold season of shoveling snow, scraping the ice off of your windshield and looking for that other mitten.

On the North Pacific coast it is possible to sea-kayak all year long but for most sea-kayaking companies business is slow so many head south for the winter.

Last year I saw an ad in WaveLength for trips to Costa Rica. Dialing the number, I was greeted with a message: "The skies are sunny, the water is 85°F and we're waiting for you in Costa Rica!"

No need for mittens there.

I soon learned that the Osa Peninsula on the Southwestern coast of Costa Rica is an ideal kayaking destination with generally calm seas, palm-lined beaches, great diversity of wildlife and relative lack of insects. The consistently mild surf provides opportunities for learning surf techniques and the availability of rivers to duck into when the ocean is a little too rough provides a safe and relaxed atmosphere for paddlers.

That's us exploring the Agujitas River

The qualities of the area are enhanced by the difficulty of getting there. There are no public roads or air access so relatively few people choose to make the journey. Although there are several resorts in the area, dense jungle foliage separates one from the other, and visitors are left with the feeling of being alone in the tropical wilderness. For those who want to experience the local Tico culture, the village of Drake Bay is close by.

This was just what I was looking for-and the snowstorm I woke up to on the morning of my departure reinforced my decision.

Arriving at Drake Bay Wilderness Camp eco-tourism resort, our group had a delicious lunch and then settled into our comfortable tents, complete with beds and electricity. Later we met our guide. Doug Tyrrell, or "Dooglass" as he was known to the local Spanish speaking residents.

After an orientation and safety session, we launched into the Agujitas River. Unlike most rivers which erode their way through the landscape, this quiet, emerald green river flows through a natural crevice in the surrounding cliffs. We were literally able to paddle through a tropical rainforest with lush vegetation rising steeply from the water's edge.

A juvenile blue heron, who was entirely white except for the grey on its bill and greenish coloured legs, warily watched our progress as we slowly paddled up the quiet river, as we tried to look everywhere at once. Basilisk lizards skittered across the surface of the water and tiny spotted sandpipers hopped along the shoreline, wagging their behinds and keeping us all amused. We were told that a three-toed sloth was hiding in the treetops and we could feel the eyes of a monkey troop secretly watching us. The "sqrraawking" call of Scarlet Mackaws directed our attention skywards as three brilliant birds flew by, adorned in scarlet red, shining yellow, and royal blue plumage.

That night, as I wearily fell into my bed, I listened to the ocean swells gently breaking on the rocks a few meters from my tent and recalled the snow back home that morning.

Day two dawned bright and early. I had thought that six'clock in the morning would be a painful time to wake up but the rustling of a troop of white-faced monkeys in the trees above my tent was all the excitement I needed to roll out of bed. It turned out the shy creatures often come down to the seaside in the dawning light and I was fascinated by their human-like facial expressions as they warily watched me.

After our 6:30 am breakfast, we launched our kayaks once again in the protected waters of the Agujitas River. Inexperienced paddlers were given a lesson before venturing through the surf, and soon we were heading across the waters of the bay towards the Drake River. We spent some time practicing our surf landings and launchings on the beach beside the river mouth. The smooth sandy beach provided the perfect location for brushing up on our surf skills. During high tide it is possible to paddle right into the river, but low tide found us portaging across the hot sandy beach, our feet sizzling in the sand.

The mangrove-filled estuaries and sandy beaches provided a different experience from the rainforest in the Agujitas. Lizards and iguanas hid amongst the mangroves, pelicans flew overhead, schools of little fish darted below our paddles and flying fish soared in front of our bows.

Doug's announcement of "siesta time" was met with dismay from our enthusiastic group, but the reason for our early breakfasts and siesta breaks quickly became clear. By noon the sun was simply too strong to be out on the water and we soon learned to fill those mid-day hours with a nap in the shade, searching for seashells, or lying in a hammock in the company of a good book.

Paddling the coastline of the Osa Peninsula was as unique as paddling the rivers. The swells of the warm ocean gently rocked our kayaks as we gazed at the shimmering tropical forest bordering the coast. Jagged black lava rocks jutted out of the water, reaching upwards to the neon blue sky. The ocean swells crashed on those rocks in a torrent of cascading foam.

Squadrons of brown pelicans circled above our heads, searching for fish. Upon spotting its quarry, one acrobatic bird would turn and begin to nose-dive like a kamikaze dive bomber on a suicide mission, smacking into the water with an audible thump - only to emerge triumphantly from the white froth with a silvery fish wiggling in it's beak.

We explored the coastline, warily watching for sharp, shallow rocks as we searched the trees for toucans whose piercing cries challenged us to find their perch.

Over 800 species of birds inhabit Costa Rica and it was easy to get trapped within the pages of an ornithological manual, but the country offered many other wonders from the wild kingdom.

Reptilian surprises came in the most unexpected places. Our group was paddling across the bay when we spotted what we thought was a turtle. Lo and behold, it was an iguana. The miniature prehistoric-looking monster looked incongruous, doing its slow motion dog paddle so far from shore. Doug suggested that iguanas swim to help regulate their body temperature and to escape land-bound predators.

Although it was nearly impossible to take a break from the wonders of paddling, it was well worth taking a day off to join in on the other activities offered by Drake Bay Wilderness Camp: trips to Caño Island and Corcovado National Park.

Caño Island is located 12 miles off shore from Drake Bay and is accessible by motorboat. Transportation, masks, fins, snorkels, and lunch were all provided for this day tour. The absence of a coral reef was barely noticed as schools of brilliant coloured fish, manta rays, tuna, turtles, and the occasional nurse shark swam by. On lucky days, spotted dolphins play in the waves or even the distant spout of a humpback whale can be seen.

Twenty-five percent of Costa Rica's land is protected and 17% of that land is in National Parks. Corcovado National Park is the largest protected tropical rainforest at sea-level in Central America. The park is extra-special because it also houses a complete rainforest eco-system.

Our day trip to Corcovado was led by a knowledgeable and entertaining Costa Rican guide and the diversity of wildlife was astonishing. The cries of howler monkeys echoed through the trees as spider monkeys darted among the branches. Birds twittered, rodents scattered and leaf-cutter ants marched to their steady rhythm.

Looking back on all this as the winter approaches, I can only advise you to forget trying to find your misplaced mitten. A tropical paddling vacation may be just the thing to get you through the coming cold.

Kathryn Gardner is a freelance writer and photographer living in the Gulf Islands. Kathryn took her trip with Gulf Island Kayaking of Galiano Island. Contact them at Site 24, Comp. 34, Galiano Island, BC Canada V0N 1P0. Phone/Fax: (604) 539-2442. Trips range from $575 to $1595 Cdn and leave every Friday from December through April, including Christmas, New Years and Easter.