On our first day in Costa Rica, we visited the little bay of Golfito and its surrounding mangrove forest, by kayak and by Zodiac.
Exploring this important ecosystem, we found many bird species that make it their home, such as the green heron and the green kingfisher. However, the highlights were a troop of howler monkeys resting high on the forest canopy, and a slow-moving three-toed sloth that seemed to be looking for a shortcut to make it to another tree.
In the afternoon we visited the Casa Orquideas botanical garden to explore by foot the perfectly groomed property. Ron and Trudy McAllister, the owners and creators of this magnificent garden, greeted us upon arrival.
Casa Orquideas with its large collection of palms, spices, fruits
and flowers of all sizes and colors is a perfect example of all the diversity
the tropics have to offer. Many beautiful and colorful birds also visited the
garden from the nearby tropical rainforest: tanagers, flycatchers, toucans, and
scarlet macaws, among others.
