Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
We woke up today in the second country of our trip: Costa Rica, inside the Golfo Dulce or Sweet Gulf. One of the only tropical fjords existing in the world, the Golfo Dulce area is one of the most scenic spots in the country. With a landscape of deep blue hills and lush green rainforest vegetation, this gulf is home to a large number of ecosystems, from mountain forests to mangrove estuaries to rich deep waters. We had the chance to explore this area in many ways: by boat, Zodiac, kayak, and on foot.
During early hours of the day, we docked in Golfito – translated directly into the small or little gulf – one of the two most important cities within the Gulf. In the 1930’s the United Fruit Company established large banana plantations in the area, which gave jobs to the local people; but in the early 1980’s the Company left the country and the people were left with very little job opportunities. In the mid 1980’s, the government decided to establish a “free of tax zone” here and the area thrived again. Nowadays, people come from all over the country to shop for more accessible electronic goods, providing work for vendors, hotel and restaurant owners, tourist guides, shop owners, etc.
We had the custom officials legalizing our stay in Costa Rica, and as soon as they stamped the last passport, we headed out on our faithful Zodiacs. The mangrove estuaries just in front of the Golfito dock are quite amazing, providing homes to a large array of species of plants, fish, invertebrates and waterfowl. The coastline also contains strips that are not exposed to tidal effects and thus contain bits of tropical rainforest. Today we were surprised with good sightings of mantled howler monkeys within the light and bright green leaves of the Schizolobuim trees.
After we came back from the Zodiac rides, our Captain repositioned the ship and we anchored right off the beach in Casa Orquidea. This place is a botanical garden created by Ron and Trudy McAlister, an American couple who decided to make Costa Rica their home almost thirty years ago. After driving from their homes in Tennessee and New Hampshire, hoping to reach South America, the McAlisters fell in love with the lushness of the Gulf’s habitat and established their home here. This garden can be one of the most exuberant spots and a highlight in our trip. Orchids, bromelias, helioconias, ferns, gourd trees, Zicads, fig and Cuipo trees, bougainvilleas, giant palm trees and hundreds of more species of plants make of this garden their home. For those of us that are birdwatchers; this garden can be a paradise as tanagers, honeycreepers, macaws, toucans, and seedeaters also dwell here. It is a pleasure to walk through a garden that is kept and tended by the two people who love it the most.
