Costa Rica Hindsight
Here are a few behind the scenes shots along with tips, tricks, pointers, and advice about Costa Rica.
If you go in the rainy season be prepared for rain and mud. I know that sounds self-explanatory but the rain down there is no joke. It’s heavy, heavy rain and it rains for a long time. Bring plenty of rain gear. Also bring rubber boots. Your regular hiking boots aren’t going to make it in the rainy season. You will be wet constantly. Bring extra extra clothes because wet clothes suck and can take time to dry in the humidity.
Mud is inevitable.
Your clothes will always be wet.
The Osa Peninsula is an excellent place for herping (finding frogs, snakes and lizards), so bring a macro lens for sure to get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures.
The Osa is hot and a little isolated which makes it not so tourist heavy. Iif you’re looking to really get away, Corcovado is an incredible place to see. Next time I would stay a day or two to really get into the jungle.
Macro lens for night hikes.
Get up close.
Bugs are everywhere. Be prepared for that. They land and crawl on you, they end up in your bags, in your room, and in your clothes and underwear…sometimes even while you’re wearing them. Tuck your pants into your boots, especially on night hikes.
Hire local guides. Oh man are they the best. Royer and Jorge are brilliant guides and I can’t imagine another trip to Costa Rica without working with them again.
Royer guiding.
Sweating through my shirt after only a short hike into the hills
For the Osa Peninsula, I used Ficus Tours which is owned and operated by Royer and his wife Flor. They also own the Corcovado Dream House, an Airbnb which makes touring really convenient. Pro tip: Good luck keeping up with Royer. His energy is unmatched!
For Monteverde, I worked with Jorge from Nature Pros @naturepros_cr ,a really cool guy with a wealth of knowledge.
One other guide I will mention is Dennis Valverde from @osa_photography. Although I didn’t guide with him I did get to meet him and he was extremely polite and professional and gave us some information about Monteverde.
Bring cash. Cash is king
Glass frog on the rain cover.
We rented a car from enterprise for our time in Osa which gave us a lot of freedom to do what we wanted and when we wanted. We used a car service to get us from San Jose to Monteverde. Once in Monteverde cabs are cheap and abundant and a lot of stuff is in walking distance as long as you don’t mind walking the hills.
Be prepared to lose weight. I lost 10 lbs in 7 days. Hiking through the hot humid jungle, fighting through the mud, steep terrain and walking through rivers and sandy beaches. I have a new-found respect for those who make nature documentaries in the jungle. It is unforgiving and punishing.
Fresh avocado for breakfast.
Royer checking in at Corcovado National Park.
Bring toilet paper. There are times where you are not anywhere near a bathroom when nature calls and it can call quickly.
Lastly have fun. Costa Rica is a gorgeous place with magnificent biodiversity. There are thousands and thousands of species to see and some yet to be discovered. The people are friendly, polite, and helpful. There is so much to see and do. There is something for everyone.
Take only pictures, leave only footprints, kill nothing but time.
Cheers,
Greg
Pura Vida!