Amazing Costa Rica Biodiversity Discovered At Veragua Rainforest

It’s one thing to boast about having some of the greatest biodiversity in Costa Rica – a country renowned for its legendary fantastic amount of plants and animals. It’s quite another to have plenty of scientific research to back up the claim. Not only is the rainforest in the Costa Rica Talamanca Mountains around Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure spectacularly abundant with biodiversity, to date 11 new animal species have been discovered by the Veragua scientific research team and 15 endangered species have been recorded living in the area. “The rainforest around Veragua is spectacular!” said José Salazar Zúñiga, Research Coordinator of the Veragua Foundation for Rainforest Research. “We are one of the hotspots of biodiversity in Latin America.”

Salazar attributes the richness in plant and animal life to Veragua’s location in the Central Caribbean region in the Fila Matama and Fila Asunción mountains that lead into the Talamanca Mountain Range and the La Amistad International Park. The Talamanca Mountain Range and La Amistad International Park are UNESCO World Heritage sites; La Amistad also is the first binational biosphere reserve, located in both Costa Rica and Panama.

The Veragua Foundation for Rainforest Research actively pursues scientific investigation to understand and protect the biodiversity of Costa Rica's rainforests. Their studies take place in the 3,212-acre (1,300-hectare) private reserve of the Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure park and surrounding area.

Funded by donations and a portion of ticket sales from the Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure park, the Foundation operates two rainforest research laboratories staffed by full-time biologists and assistants who work in partnership with renowned academic institutions such as the University of Costa Rica, allowing them to publish their research findings with the world. “The Veragua Foundation carries out research in a wonderful rainforest that is valuable to the planet and world citizens,” said Salazar.

Veragua biologists are working in partnership on research projects with scientists from Sao Paulo, Brazil. One project involves freshwater crabs, and another a type of “harvestmen” or opilion that was discovered by Veragua biologist Andres Rojas. Another area of significant research, said Salazar, is with rainforest frogs. Veragua is the most frog-diverse place in all of Costa Rica, with 54 distinct frog species. Salazar said he recently discovered a new frog species which will be revealed soon in a scientific paper to be published. Two current scientific investigations involve endangered Tiger Frogs and Talamanca Glass Frogs. Salazar began the ongoing project with the rare Tiger Frogs four years ago, creating areas for the frogs to reproduce in the rainforest in trees. “It was incredibly successful with the population reproducing and growing,” he explained. “It turned into a laboratory in the forest.”

Contact the Veragua Foundation for Rainforest Research to find out more about their activities, help fund their scientific research, bring a student group to do hands-on projects, or to volunteer with their environmental efforts. When you visit Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure, every tour stops at the laboratory for a short talk on the exciting research projects happening at Veragua and about the incredible diversity of flora and fauna found in the Costa Rica rainforest.

Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure The nature and adventure park in Costa Rica’s Caribbean mountains is No. 1 of 18 things to do in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure is a top shore excursion in Limon, Costa Rica for cruise ship passengers. Open Tuesday to Sunday (and cruise ship Mondays), from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Entrance is free for children under 4 years old. Tours start every hour on the hour; the last tour begins at 3:00 p.m.

Article by Shannon Farley

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Your Christmas Vacation In Costa Rica At Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge

If you are lucky, you will be spending your Christmas vacation in Costa Rica on an amazing tropical beach alongside the incredible Costa Rica rainforest at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge. To help get you in the holiday spirit, here are some of the fun activities the Nicuesa Lodge staff has planned for you. There will be special dinners on Dec. 24 for Christmas Eve and Dec. 31 for New Year’s Eve. The gala feasts will include roast pork, grilled whole fresh fish caught by Nicuesa staff, and other traditional Costa Rican foods including fresh vegetables, rice, beans, plantains, salads and fresh fruit. Kids’ menu items include fresh fish fingers, fresh cassava chips, veggies and ice cream. Nicuesa Lodge meals are served family-style all together in the magnificent two-story tree house-style main lodge building. The open-air dining area allows unobstructed views of the tree canopy (great for wildlife spotting), the forest, beach and ocean, and at night, a huge star-filled sky. Relax after dinner in hammocks and lounge chairs and enjoy conversing with your fellow guests from all over the world.

 

Tamales in Costa Rica are an essential Christmas food, made from corn meal and filled with rice, potatoes, vegetables, garlic and onions, and usually shredded pork; then they are wrapped in banana or plantain leaves and boiled. Guests can join in the cultural tradition to learn how to make their own tamales.   Kids of all ages will have fun painting coconuts and decorating Christmas boxes to be hopefully filled by Santa on Christmas Eve.

Natural adventures are an essential part of the Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge experience, so there will be a kayaking competition for children and adults on Dec. 24 in the calm bay in front of Nicuesa’s beach. Playa Nicuesa Sustainability Coordinator, Natalia Solis, will lead an end-of-year tribute to the Earth on Dec. 30 with a tree planting ceremony, where guests can give the sustainable gift of a new tree to the world. The trees, all native to Costa Rica, were donated by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT). On Dec. 31, Nicuesa staff will engage in the last beach cleanup of the year, and invite guests to join in their eco-conscious effort. Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica is known for its pristine tropical beach and beautiful rainforest.

Efforts to keep the beach unspoiled were recognized earlier this year when Playa Nicuesa received the important Ecological Blue Flag Award for having one of Costa Rica’s cleanest beaches.  

Visit Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica Can’t come at Christmas? Visit Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in 2016! The Costa Rica eco-hotel is your dream destination for a rainforest and beach holiday in Costa Rica.

Located in the rainforest on a remote beach of the warm water gulf of Golfo Dulce in southern Costa Rica, Nicuesa Lodge is one of the first sustainable tourism eco-hotels in Costa Rica and holds the highest level of the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program. It is an oasis of comfortable, rustic luxury in the jungle on a 165-acre private rainforest preserve that borders the wild Piedras Blancas National Park.

The unique adventure travel destination includes in your stay all meals, boat transfers from Puerto Jimenez or Golfito, unlimited self-guided hikes in the private reserve, use of kayaks, snorkeling and fishing equipment, and a beachfront yoga deck. Contact Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge today to book your 2016 Costa Rica family vacation, honeymoon, nature and adventure vacation, or yoga retreat.

Article by Shannon Farley

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8 Tips To Spot Rainforest Wildlife In Costa Rica

The thrill of seeing a wild animal in its natural habitat, even if only for a moment, is unparalleled. Some animals are very nice and often stick around for a while – like monkeys. Others are so fast – wild cats, for example – that many times you’re not sure if you saw it or not. The Costa Rica rainforest is full of wonders and wildlife – you just need to know how to look. Costa Rica hosts more than 5% of the world’s biodiversity: 208 species of mammals, 870 kinds of birds, 1,250 kinds of butterflies and 8,000 different moths, 160 species of amphibians, 220 species of reptiles, and 34,000 types of insects. You’re certain to see something! Follow these tips to increase your chances of seeing wildlife in Costa Rica.

Wildlife spotting tips: 1. Be aware. When venturing into the wild, you are in Mother Nature’s territory. Pay attention to where you walk, stand, sit and touch. In the rainforest, when you stop to see that toucan in the tree, you also could be standing on an anthill – not good. Go to grab a vine and it may end up being a snake. Keep an eye out for animals so you can see them, but also so your encounter is positive.

2. Get up early. The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the wildlife sighting and photograph. Most activity in nature peaks at dawn and dusk, and this definitely applies in Costa Rica which swelters under a hot tropical sun in the middle of the day. For the best chance of seeing wildlife, get outside at dawn and again around sunset, lingering a bit as night falls. These also are great times for taking pictures in soft light.

3. Be quiet. If you spend the whole time on the trail chatting with your friend or family member – or worse, talking on your cell phone – you’ll never see anything. Humans are large and loud. You want to see as many animals as possible, without scaring them away.

4. Blend into your surroundings. Animals sense your presence long before you see them, but it helps if you don’t stand out completely. Blend into the rainforest with muted green, brown, khaki and gray clothing; avoid clothing that rustles and makes noise. Having your camera and binoculars out and ready means you’re not opening zippers or Velcro at a crucial moment.

5. Know what you are looking for. If you think you are going to see lions, tigers and bears in the Costa Rica rainforest, you definitely will be disappointed. Before you travel, read up on what wildlife lives in the area you are visiting, and ask a naturalist guide and the locals when you get there. If you know that Scarlet Macaws like to hang out in coastal almond trees, or that toucans make a funny croaking sound, it could make the difference between seeing them or not.

6. Patience is king. Pause and wait a while on a trail – still and quiet. You never know what may come wandering by, or what you notice up in a tree. That sly sloth certainly doesn’t call attention to itself. When you see an animal, if you need to move to get a better view, do so slowly, steadily and stealthily to avoid spooking it. Again, pay attention to where you walk and stand, so you’re not on that anthill.

7. Invest in a good pair of binoculars. Having good binoculars is vital to seeing wildlife in the rainforest, especially birds. A spotting scope is a step up in gear, but is bigger and heavier. However, you can attach your digital camera with an adapter to the scope to capture otherwise impossible images.

8. Respect wildlife and their environment. This is the most important rule of all. It’s easy to have a negative impact on animals and the environment if you don’t pay attention to what you are doing. Or worse, get yourself hurt. The essential rules are:

• Keep your distance. You wouldn’t want a stranger invading your space; neither do animals. Cute and cuddly wild animals are more likely to appear in Disney movies than in real life.
• Never feed wild animals. They have their own food.
• Don’t interfere with their natural behavior at any time. Don’t be surprised if an animal gets aggressive if you try to provoke it – especially true with snakes.
• Follow the principles of “Leave no trace” to make your experience beneficial for all.

Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica

Down in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica, there is amazing rainforest to see by the Osa Peninsula, Golfo Dulce and Piedras Blancas National Park. This is the wilder side of Costa Rica – where jaguars, monkeys, sloths and Scarlet Macaws roam freely, and humpback whales and dolphins swim in calm blue waters. The place to stay is Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, a leading sustainable tourism eco-hotel in Costa Rica that borders the Piedras Blancas National Park with a 165-acre private rainforest preserve. Natural luxury is how best to describe this Costa Rica eco-hotel that fronts a pristine beach and tranquil little bay of the Pacific gulf of Golfo Dulce. When you visit, you can explore thriving rainforest, beautiful tropical coastline, powerful waterfalls and a fascinating river mangrove estuary.

Article by Shannon Farley

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Rainforest Tours In Costa Rica: Veragua Rainforest & Tortuguero Canals

If you are stopping in Costa Rica on your Caribbean cruise, you can enjoy a fantastic full day in the rainforest at two of the top attractions in the Caribbean Costa Rica. This easy tour from the port of Limón combines a canal cruise in the Tortuguero National Park – called the “Little Amazon” of Costa Rica, and the nature, wildlife and adventure tours at Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure. This top shore excursion in Limon, Costa Rica is ideal for nature lovers and outdoors enthusiasts.

Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure & Tortuguero Canals in Costa Rica You will travel from the cruise ship dock at Limon by air-conditioned motor coach first to the 46,000-acre Tortuguero National Park – home of the magnificent Tortuguero Canals. Tortuguero, on Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean Coast, is a special ecosystem of marshy islands, canals, lagoons, beaches, and dense lowland tropical rainforest that is a habitat for abundant plant and animal life. As you slowly motor past beautiful water lilies and palms on a comfortable river boat, keep a lookout for crocodiles, spider monkeys, howler and white-faced monkeys, river otters, West Indian Manatees, sloths, river turtles, iguanas, or any of the 300 bird species that live here, including endangered Great Green Macaws.

After your river cruise, you will drive up into the coastal mountains near the renowned La Amistad International Park to Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure. This private reserve protects 3,212-acres (1,300-hectares) of primary and secondary tropical forest. With your visit to Veragua Rainforest, you contribute directly to the earth's sustainability by helping fund conservation and scientific research.

In the company of a small, guided group, you will meet iguanas, lizards and snakes in a natural Reptile Habitat; walk through a one-of-a-kind rainforest frog exhibit; mingle with hundreds of the most colorful butterflies in the world in the Butterfly Garden, including the brilliantly-hued Blue Morpho, which only exists in tropical rainforests. Then you will glide through the tree canopy on the Aerial Tram. As you descend the mountain to the riverbank below, keep watch for toucans, sloths and howler monkeys (note that wildlife sightings are likely but are not guaranteed). On the valley floor, follow the “Trail of the Giants” (so named for the gigantic trees that frame the path) on a nature walk to the Puma Waterfall. After returning by tram to the main visitor center, you will have time to enjoy a buffet lunch in the Rainforest Café and browse in the gift shop.
Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure is named #1 of 18 things to do in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica on TripAdvisor. Veragua Rainforest also offers half-day and full-day shore excursions for the best rainforest tours in Costa Rica's Caribbean region.
Article by Shannon Farley

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Best wildlife tour in Costa Rica Central Pacific region

If you love the idea of roaming through a rainforest looking for monkeys, snakes, exotic birds and wild cats, then this Costa Rica nature adventure tour is for you.

On your next Costa Rica vacation, you definitely need to take the Bushmaster Adventures rainforest wildlife tour. This is one of your best bets in the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica to see an incredibly diverse array of wildlife.

Private or group guided tours visit the coastal rainforest at Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living, located between Manuel Antonio National Park and the surf town of Dominical. Tours by Bushmaster Adventures also are available from Dominical to the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce.

Portasol is a residential eco-community that has Costa Rica vacation rentals, set on 1,300 acres of pure rainforest a few miles from the beautiful uncrowded beaches of Playa Linda and Playa Matapalo. The sustainable community’s property spreads up the narrow Portalón River Valley to high ridges of primary rainforest that are protected in Portasol’s private biological reserve. An incredible range of plant and animal species live in the area.

“There is an abundance of biodiversity in Portasol. It is one of the best areas in the whole Central Pacific from Manuel Antonio to Dominical to see wildlife,” said Bushmaster Adventures owner and naturalist guide, Gary Kritzinger. “It’s really old forest and I’ve had great luck at finding lots of different species of animals here.”



You can choose either a day or a night tour that will take you hiking on Portasol’s well-kept trails. On the day hike, Kritzinger said people have good chances to see birds such as hawks, parrots, toucans, tanagers and trogons, along with squirrels, tayras, white-faced and howler monkeys, peccaries, iguanas, coatis, and lots of different kinds of snakes. People can go for a swim in a crystal clear creek halfway through the two to three-hour tour; or Kritzinger said he can extend the tour to visit Portasol’s Cazuela Waterfall area for swimming and more wildlife viewing.


The night tour is particularly fascinating since most people don’t usually see what comes to life at night in a rainforest. Kritzinger said he usually spots assorted snakes, spiders, frogs, toads, salamanders, night hawks, owls, agoutis raccoons, and if very lucky an ocelot or an anteater.



The private guided tours cost $65 per person (both the day and night tours). Kritzinger supplies drinks and snacks, and for night tours: headlamps, flashlights and rubber boots. Bushmaster Adventures has never had any incidents but for those who are timid of snakes and want peace of mind, he has snake-protective chaps that you can wear over your pants for protection. ​Bushmaster Adventures can tailor any tour to suit guests' schedule and interests. Kritzinger is an accomplished nature photographer and is always happy to help people with their photos during his tours.



Bushmaster Adventures was born out of Kritzinger’s love for nature and wildlife. He traded the concrete jungle of Johannesburg, South Africa for the rainforest jungle of Costa Rica two years ago along with his wife, Shayne Mrazek, and their two dogs and two cats. Kritzinger specializes in herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians). He and Mrazek kept 18 snakes in South Africa, and both are certified there for venomous snake handling and snake removal from houses and other establishments.

“I fell in love with Costa Rica two years ago while on vacation from my home country of South Africa,” explained Kritzinger. “I chose Costa Rica specifically as it is well known for being one of the best places in the world to find a wide variety of snakes, birds and other animals. As a child, I always wanted to experience the jungle first-hand, and so with my research, Costa Rica ended up being the perfect place.”
The couple own four acres of rainforest with ocean views at the sustainable eco-community of Portasol Living; they plan to build a home there. In late 2013, the couple operated an impromptu rescue project for the red-eyed tree frog at Portasol.


Other Costa Rica nature and adventure tours offered by Bushmaster Adventures include a mangrove kayaking tour, a cave tour, and a boat tour to see dolphins, whales and sea snakes. Bushmaster Adventures also has longer rainforest expeditions between two and four days.

Contact Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living eco-community or Bushmaster Adventures to reserve a tour. Stay for a vacation in one of Portasol’s Costa Rica vacation home rentals, or stay forever on your own rainforest property in Costa Rica.

Article by Shannon Farley

Shhh, don’t tell … hidden paradise on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast

I’ve been to a lot of beaches in Costa Rica. Most of them I like, some of them I don’t. Then there are others that are so off the charts in fabulousness that I nearly don’t want to tell anyone about them.

All right, I’ll tell you. I’ve discovered a hidden gem. A place I had no idea it existed before last weekend. But let’s keep it between ourselves … or at least among fellow like-minded people who will keep this tropical paradise beach in the same pristine condition it is today. To start, for me a beach has to have a few key ingredients to be fabulous:

1. There must be shade – be it palm trees, coastal almond trees, jungle, etc. Since we are close to the equator, the Costa Rican sun is intense. After 30 minutes in the hot sun on a no-shade beach, you’re fried … literally.
2. The beach should be walkable. This means a good, mostly flat, stretch of sand.
3. The beach should be good for swimming. This means sandy-bottomed and I can go in the water at least up to my knees without risk of tumbling into a steep drop-off, being pounded by waves, or eaten by sharks or crocodiles. In Costa Rica, most open Pacific beaches have currents and riptides, but if I can at least go in up to my knees, that’s fine for me.
4. The beach should be clean, quiet, uncrowded and beautiful.

All of this I found last weekend on a little-known beach on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast called Playa Linda. This lovely hidden beach is a little over 20 miles (32 km) south of Quepos and the highly-visited Manuel Antonio National Park, yet it is a complete escape from the typical tourist destination. Playa Linda follows another off-the-beaten-track beach called Playa Matapalo; there are signs for the turnoff to this beach on the Coastal Highway.

Both beaches, which actually run one into the other, are immense, long, flat, black volcanic sand beaches framed by groves of mango and coconut palm trees. You have plenty of wide open space for walking, jogging, horseback riding, relaxing and watching magnificent sunsets. There were handfuls of surfers when I was there enjoying long rides on beautiful waves, and families playing in the water close to shore. Playa Matapalo and Playa Linda are kept so clean that they earned the Blue Ecological Flag for environmental purity.

Playa Matapalo is a small beach community with residences, a few restaurants and food stores, and a couple of small hotels – all tucked back from the beach under the trees. Playa Linda is blissfully empty. On the day I was there, families came in cars on the narrow dirt road and parked under the palms to enjoy the day. Some brought picnic lunches, while others grilled on portable barbecues. What I did notice is that everyone carried away their trash.

Playa Matapalo has the distinction of being a nesting beach for three species of sea turtles in Costa Rica that visit the area from July to December. An annual sea turtle festival is held by the Matapalo Sea Turtle Conservation Project to celebrate hatching baby sea turtles in November.


Where to stay:
Since there isn’t anywhere to stay on Playa Linda and only a couple of small places on Playa Matapalo, the best place to stay is Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living eco-community. Tucked back in the rainforest along the Portalón River Valley a few minutes from Matapalo Beach, Portasol has comfortable and luxurious Costa Rica vacation rentals and Costa Rica property for sale. The unique Costa Rica sustainable community adheres to green development principles with a 200-acre private reserve and 65% of its 1,300 acres in conservation areas.

How to get there:

Playa Matapalo is 20 miles (32 km) south of Quepos on the Southern Coastal Highway, a little past the Savegre River. There are two turnoffs, both with signs saying Playa Matapalo. Follow the signs to the beach.

Playa Linda is just south of Playa Matapalo. Continue driving the Coastal Highway south past both entrances to Playa Matapalo. When you pass a large cell phone tower next to the highway on your right, in just another couple of miles you will see two more cell phone towers on the right set farther back from the road. There is a small dirt road where you need to turn right, which leads past the towers. If you reach Plantanillo on the highway, you have gone too far. Drive the dirt road straight to Playa Linda; from there the road branches off to the left and parallels the beach. Park anywhere you find space under the trees.

Article by Shannon Farley