Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula

October-November 2005

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

We land on picture-perfect beaches to spend time swimming and snorkeling

I’m paddling in a tricky low tide and swerve around a sandbar to face my Necky into the openness of Drake Bay. As I glance shoreward to take in the early morning scene—golden light-dappled jungle growth with bursts of brilliant hibiscus, ginger and bougainvillea blooms—the surf splashes over the top of my kayak. Whoops, I’m too relaxed!

I laugh. Being washed by the warm Pacific is a great way to greet the dawn. We’re in the southwest of Costa Rica, on the Osa Peninsula, a plump, curved finger of land which is lauded as one of the world’s last hurrahs when it comes to lowland rainforest. A large part of the Osa is the 54,000-hectare Corcovado National Park that boasts incredible biodiversity, with close to 400 species of birds, some 140 mammals and 500 species of trees. All four species of Costa Rica’s monkeys are here. Add the heavenly sweep of beaches, jungle shrouded rivers and great hiking trails, and it spells a sublime getaway.

We chose this trip with BC-based, Gulf Island Kayaking because it showcases this intriguing area of Costa Rica. When I spoke to Ben Miltner, the owner of the company, and heard he preferred small size groups, we started packing.

From the moment we hop a small plane in San José to land in one of those idyllic swaths of the tropics that we northerners dream of in February, we know we’ve made the right choice.

This trip has another component that makes it dear to my heart. Even though it’s a kayak vacation, we aren’t camping. Nothing against the great outdoors, but every once in awhile, it’s a treat to be in a resort instead of a tent. Our accommodation is a wilderness resort with comfortable cabanas—ours is about 20 paces from the lapping surf—the meals are hearty, the gardens glorious with tropical flowers and the hammocks are laced between palm trees. The lodge straddles a green space between the wildlife-rich Agujitas River and Drake Bay (Bahia Drake) where, in some places, the ocean shoreline is pounded by surf, making for occasional challenges.

The Bay was visited by its namesake, Sir Francis Drake, back in 1579 when he was on his global circumnavigation.

The first morning, our group of six meets for the introductory lesson given by Ben and assistant guide, Doug Tyrrell. While my husband and I have paddled for years, the other two couples on this trip are less experienced. We all appreciate the paddling hints and the time the guides spend making us comfortable in the kayaks. Ben encourages us to try different crafts and find our comfort level. Although there is one double kayak, he advocates paddling in a single to improve skills.

Even after our introductory day of paddling, we recognize why Ben, who has hosted keen kayakers in Costa Rica since 1987, moved his trips to this region in 1993.

“It’s the best of all possible worlds,“ he says. “There’s no wind in the morning, and when it comes up later it’s seldom intimidating. We practice beginners on the river, teach surf landings in the ocean, and even keen paddlers may be challenged as we can arrange special day trips for them.”

Our days settle into a dreamy pattern where the most diffi cult group decision is whether to paddle back to the lodge for lunch, or have apicnic packed and land on yet another soft-sanded beach.

Our days settle into a dreamy pattern where the most difficult group decision is whether to paddle back to the lodge for lunch, or have a picnic packed and land on yet another soft-sanded beach. Each morning, we can take a warm-up paddle on the languid Agujitas River, and perhaps spot a green-crested heron or watch brilliantly colored Scarlet Macaws scatter among the tree tops. Then, we gather at the shallow entrance to Drake Bay where the ocean meets the river water.

From the bay, we head south to skirt a palm-spangled coastline backed with tangled, verdant growth and dotted with soft-sanded beaches. In places, Mother Nature has dumped intriguing black, basalt rock formations. We land on picture perfect beaches to spend time swimming, snorkeling, hiking and lapping up warm rays. (The temperature in February is in the high 20s to low 30s °C / 80s to 90s °F.)

There are many highlights. Memorable for me is Bahia Paraiso. As we approach this beach which, indeed, does look like Paradise, waves crash on either side of us. Yet, timed just right by our guides, we paddle in the middle of a calm channel. Single file, we await the guides’ hand signal to swoop into the white sanded arc.

I find snorkeling around the Osa Peninsula much better than it usually is on the Pacific side of Central America. The water is warm and inviting as we float above dazzling fish, such as the Blue chromis, Foureye butterflyfish and Redband parrotfish.

The hiking trails are another bonus. One day as a group, we follow a path and then, in a canoe, end up at a pristine waterfall to plunge into cool waters and be ‘massaged’ under a downpour. Another day, my husband and I combine paddling and hiking. We kayak to Bahia Paraiso, then we trek back along a route that laces through jungle, paralleling sandy shores. We sit on beaches and watch the perfect flight pattern of pelicans, we spot huge iguanas and watch white-faced monkeys play. As we get closer to the lodge, we pass a few tiny homes surrounded by farmland.

From the lodge, a meandering trail crosses a swinging foot bridge over the river to the village of Agujitas. This wink of a town only recently got electricity and a road. Formerly it was reached by river through an estuary rich in mangroves and ruled by the tidal currents. In Agujitas you can purchase crafts such as bead jewellery or wooden carvings, buy a cool drink and chat with the locals. We watch dark-eyed boys play on their bikes.

The only day we see more than a few ‘gringos’ is our guided walk in Corcovado National Park. A large ship offshore means the cruise crowd has arrived.

Wilderness resorts with luxuriant gardens are tucked into the greenery on Costa Rica’s Drake Bay.

The delightful one-day excursion is included in the price of our trip. How can you miss when you are amid a high canopy of lush growth, spotting sloths, watching gorgeous Blue Morpho butterflies flitter and hearing the haunting call of Howler Monkeys as they swing above you? Then we get to paddle off with our small group, thankful not to be joining a banquet line on a cruise ship.

Day’s end finds us at Cocolita Beach, an easy walk from the lodge, and fabulous for swimming. A dip in the crystalline waters after a day of dipping our paddles is a just reward. Well, that and a cold brew plus ‘bocas’ in the waterfront bar, along with lots of laughs as we share the day events. Life doesn’t get much better than kayaking the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.

TRAVEL TIPS

For kayaking and birding excursions contact Gulf Islands Kayaking: info@seakayak.ca, 250-539-2442, www.seakayak.ca. Trips run from December 1 to the end of April.

After the kayaking, we signed on for a three day hiking/birding excursion with Gulf Islands Kayaking. The add-on excursion took us to the dramatic Talamanca Mountains, the highest in the country, and showcased the bevy of bird life, including the Resplendent quetzal.

For information: Costa Rica Tourism, 1-866-COSTA-RICA www.visitcostarica.com.

© Judi Lees, who lives in Sechelt, BC, is a freelance travel journalist who at last count had visited 64 countries. She is the author of guide books to Vancouver and Victoria, and gives workshops on travel writing. A Western Magazine Awards finalist five times, Judi won the 2002 Choice Hotels Award of Excellence in Travel Journalism for international destinations, and the Friends of Thailand Award for International Media.