Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
March, April 2005 Note: Click on Photos to Enlarge
We had a good three day voyage to Costa Rica. One dark night, whilst on the way from Panama, both of us (on separate watches) had great dolphin displays. We could not see the dolphins directly, yet their shapes were outlined clearly by the large amount of phosphorescent plankton in the ocean. A wonderful and moving experience!
Sailing into Golfo Dulce early in the morning, we find it is surrounded by pristine rainforest. The Peninsula de Osa on its west side, holds the Corcovado National Park, a wilderness for walking, camping and observing the unique flora and fauna. Lodges dot the shores, many only accessible by boat. This region is probably the most isolated of Costa Rica which adds to its appeal. Many roads are for four-wheel drives and due to the rain often muddy or impassable. A boat is the best transport here.
There are two towns…Golfito on the east side and Puerto Jimenez on the Peninsula de Osa. Golfito, our base, was once a company town for the United Fruit Company, (bananas) and Puerto Jimenez is the frontier gateway to Corcovado National Park and is the base for surfers, hikers and nature lovers.
We anchored in Golfito near a small marina, Land and Sea, and met our hosts Katy and Tim. Both Americans, they have a great little cruisers club here catering to sailors of the world with their extensive knowledge of the area. The "club" is small and comfy with a bit of funk thrown in. It is a good place to base ourselves.
Our
friends Marianne and Adrian arrived safely but tired from the flight from
California. These two experienced travelers recovered fairly quickly and
were anxious to explore this remote tropical region. Departing our anchorage in Golfito,
we headed to the larger Golfo Dulce. We watched silently for birds, monkeys and other
wildlife, which abounds here. Finding a good swimming place, we jumped in, cooled off and
settled in for a night at anchor.
While Marianne and Adrian were with us, we visited Casa Orquida. Ron, Trudy and their family have lived here for twenty-five years. During that time they learned as much as they could about local plants. Because of all this the two of them have built up a most exquisite garden with a strong emphasis on orchids. They invite visitors for a tour and discussion of the botanicals. It was a great introduction to the flora of the region. Blooming flowers and exotic orchids of all kinds greeted us with their vibrant, luscious colors.
Puerto Jimenez was our next destination. We contracted a local guide for a half day drive and walk to look for wildlife. The guide and driver were excellent in spotting the animals and birds. We saw three types of monkeys, scarlet macaws, caimans (small crocs) and many other tropical birds. It was an excellent morning! Another day, I stayed with the boat while Rob, Marianne and Adrian took a rainy kayak trip through the mangroves. Visibility was difficult, but all had a good time spotting many herons.
The next day found us sailing north to Drakes Bay, about a nine hour voyage. We went to the clear waters of Caňo Island but the sea was too rough for a comfortable anchorage. It was decided we would go to Drakes for the night. The anchorage was rolly, and the breakers very large. It would take a great deal of local knowledge and experience to make a landing in this type of surf. However…Rob and I went in the dinghy to check out what was on shore. I only eekkked a little bit going in, but of course his skill got us in safely…wet, but safely!
On shore we found the lovely Aguilla de Osa Lodge. It is the type of place you do not want to leave. As we could not bring the dinghy in at low tide, it was arranged to have the staff come and pick us up in their launch for us to enjoy a lunch at the lodge and have a leisurely afternoon on shore. Strolling through the lodge gardens, along the beach to “town” , we looked for birds and other wildlife. When the tide was higher, we got our own dinghy and went up the Agujas River to explore. Here we found lovely fresh water. Adrian and I could not resist jumping in for a cooling fresh water rainforest swim. Lovely!
Returning to Caňo Island the next day, we stayed on the boat as it was too rough to land the dinghy on shore. We had a cooling swim and watched the local boats timing the surf, picking up passengers on shore. We stayed the night at anchor here.
On our return trip to Golfito, we saw Spotted Dolphins and Common Dolphins. They came to play on our bow so we got a very good look at them. What a treat!
Once back in the calm waters of the Gulf, we found anchorages and beaches for swimming. We could hear the howler monkeys deep in the forest as the scarlet macaws swooped in and around the beach almond trees.
Alas, it was time for Marianne and Adrian to return to California. Sad to see them leave as they are so nice to have on board and great sports. Rob and I certainly hope they will join us again, as they are always welcome on board!
A
few days later, five friends arrived from California, Christine and
Cecil, Jan, Jeff and Diane. It was the first time they have been to Costa
Rica, so it was a pleasure to introduce them to what we have learned and share
this lovely part of the world. Once everyone was on the boat, luggage in
cabins and a good lunch, we took off to find a place to swim. It is hot
and humid here and this group was quite tired from their flight, so a swim was the
order of the afternoon! A short motoring/sail trip was also good for
everyone to get used to being on the boat.
The following morning we visited the quintessential tropical beach. We set up our chairs and blankets in the shade of a large beach almond tree. The parrots were calling as we watched the many fish jumping. It was difficult to get Cecil out of the water when it was time to leave! Once back on board Sea Fever, the scarlet macaws put on a really great show in "our" almond tree.
After a visit to Casa Orquida, Christine came back with lots of information about local herbs and vegetables. Since no one had been in a mangrove system before, our kayaking expedition taught us a great deal about the vital role of mangroves in coastal regions. The roles include the protection of low lying coastline from the ocean, a fish and marine life nursery and a major animal and bird habitat. We all got up at 5:00am one morning to search out the region's rich wildlife! Armed with binoculars and spotting scope, with the help of our guides, we discovered a marvelous number and variety of animals, reptiles and birds.
In addition to all the wildlife spotted on shore, we had several visitors to Sea Fever....swallows and martins begging to build nests in the boom and sail covers; a very tired gull came to rest after what looked like a hard night at sea; a pelican stopped by for a visit while perching on the stanchions; and a rancador, a fish that sits under our hull at night making a sound that is a cross between a cat's purr and a frog croak. Of course we saw lots of dolphins come to play on our bow if they were not too busy feeding in these rich waters.
A
day sail to Drakes Bay found the surf low, but the swells large. This
made for a very rolly anchorage. This was not enjoyed by anyone. In the morning
the lodge staff picked us up. Once ashore we all enjoyed a lovely lunch and a leisurely day. Diane, Jan and Jeff found a little store that sold ice cream!!!! A
real treat for Rob and I. As high tide approached we wound our way up Rio Agujas
for a mile or two stopping the engine and drifting to listen to the sounds of
the surrounding rainforest. The huge trees formed an arch over our heads.
Upon reaching a point where we could go no further (too shallow for dinghy)
almost everyone slipped into the cool fresh water.
Another rolly night meant an early hours departure (3:00am) to Golfo Dulce and its calm waters. On the way we had Spotted Dolphins as well as Bottlenose Dolphins riding on the bow. Jeff and Rob caught a good sized fish for dinner!
As we entered the Gulf, a good wind sprung up and we had a marvelous afternoon sail with twin headsails and seven plus knots on the “speedo”. Everyone had a turn at the wheel and the women sailed us into our anchorage for the night.
Jeff enjoyed helping Rob with the sails, anchoring and other deck work. Christine was busy watching for wildlife. Cecil enjoyed his reading, naps, swims and conversation, Jan and Diane worked on their tans and kept a look out for wildlife on the water and land. A tremendous amount of wildlife was seen thanks to the keen eyes of our guests; far more than anyone dared to expect including a very laid back three toed sloth. Although a species list was made, we never heard the final count, but it was a high number!
Rob's daughter, Annalise, and eighteen of her school friends are coming to Puerto Jimenez! The group is on a school trip from California touring Costa Rica and will be where we are anchored. They are going to hike for two days in the Corcovado National Park. We invited them all on board for a swim and lunch. This is a great bunch of "Kids" and we thoroughly enjoyed hosting them for a good feed and a cooling swim.
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