This morning the magnificent Golfo Dulce – Sweet Gulf – welcomed us into its cultural wonders.  Our plans this morning include leaving the ship and not returning until the very late afternoon.  Today is our day to explore the Costa Rican countryside and meet its people.  Four options were available for us to choose from. 

The first one, Finca KOBO, is run by Alex and his family, this farm is their dream. This type of project in Costa Rica is known as “Rural Community Agrotourism,” and in the case of Alex’s project, it is also an organic farm.   

Doña Eida and her sister in law, Yorleny, started our second option of the day, called Finca Las Jacanas, in order to support their families.  Also considered an agrotourism project, this farm is one of the last remaining hearts of palm production farms in the Southernmost Osa Peninsula. 

The third option was a visit to the area of Rancho Quemado, 40 minutes away from the beach landing.  This option is a combo of two sites. First, the gold panning project Finca Las Minas, run by a family whose father used to work for the “Osa Gold Company” that extracted gold out of the local rivers.  Later, he changed gears and decided to create a learning project to teach people of the old mining ways.  The second excursion from here was the “trapiche,” or sugar cane mill.  The “Trapiche Don Carmen” is the project of a family that decided to try to rescue the tradition of making sugarcane sweets, patties, and molasses.  Three generations of them are running the newly recovered business.

Our fourth choice was another family run farm, which offered hiking and wildlife watching – with amazing wildlife sightings – Danta Corcovado Lodge.  Finally, for those who decided one option was enough, staying at the beach in the morning or afternoon was an option too.

Back onboard with stories of people, homes, family traditions and heirlooms, beach time, scarlet macaws, tropical dances, a beach buffet, and many more memories that will last us a lifetime.