Early this morning we woke-up in the calm waters of the bay of Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica to visit the famous botanical garden of Casa Orquideas. Casa Orquideas was created by two American expatriates, Ron and Trudy Mac-Allister, who have lived in this remote area for the last 35 years; slowly and lovingly putting together a perfect showcase of the diversity of the tropical rainforest. In their perfectly manicured and easily walkable property we could see plants, fruits, spices, and tropical birds of many kinds.
3/20/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Caletas Private Reserve and Corcovado National Park
Over five days ago, we began our journey in Panama and now we’re on our last day in Costa Rica. We decided to explore one of the most important areas in terms of biodiversity, the Osa Peninsula. The Osa Peninsula is home to approximately 4% of the biodiversity in the world. For many years, people tried to mine the area because it is very rich in minerals, specifically gold. Over thirty years ago the government of Costa Rica decided to promote the country as a tourist destination and today it is a pioneer of sustainability in Central America. We began our morning activities offering different options for our guests. The first activity was a coastal walk, and some had the opportunity to see a boa, a white-throated capuchin monkey, and a mantled howler monkey. In the afternoon, part of our group chose to go for a waterfall hike led by our naturalists, and they finished at a swimming hole where they took time to relax and enjoy themselves. Other guests took the long Pargo trail where they saw a Central American spider monkey, and a tapir, one of the most difficult animals to see in the tropics. We finished our day with an amazing sunset from the bow of the National Geographic Quest , a great end to a great day.
