Costa Rica Travels, Part 3, Cahuita to Tortuguero

Early next morning we  returned to the Cahuita bus stop and waited about 1/2 hour for a bus to Limon.  A short time later we were in the Limon station having a breakfast.  A block and a half away was a small bus station for local area buses.  Many of the buses were standing under a protective overhang and the lot was unpaved. A few minutes later we were on a bus heading to Moin, just west of Limon.  We told the driver we were heading to Tortuguero and he left us off at a spot not far from where one can take boats to Tortuguero.  A boat was waiting to be filled and we were soon on our way.

To see map showing travel in this portion of the trip, click here.  The route followed in this portion of the trip is followed with a green line and yellow balloons at significant junctions.  Previously traveled route is indicated by a black line.  Clicking on pictures will enlarge them.

Tortuguero is only reachable by boat or a small landing strip north of the island.  The travel by fairly fast boat took at least 4 hours as it involves over 50 km of travel. Cost about 35 dollars/person.  The route follows natural and dredged canals just barely inland and parallel to Caribbean.  Sometimes the channel is quite narrow and one wonders if the boatman really knows the location of submerged logs.

The scenery is absolutely spectacular as the route goes through rain forest and sometimes  areas of mangrove.  Occasionally one sees small subsistence farms.  They are truly isolated as the only "road" is the river and canals.

Small Subsistence Farm Along Canal to Totuguero

The boat pulled over to one such farm and left a plastic 40 l container that appeared to be empty. The proprietor of the farm waded over to the boat landing to receive the container.  His house is on stilts and was standing in about 30 cm of water. Before we continue on, he brings over a large dead snake hanging from a rope.  It is one of the most dreaded pit vipers - Fer de Lance (lit. Iron Spearhead) - that are common in the lowland wet areas.  Reaching up to 6 kg weight and 2 meters long this pit viper possesses a potent poison. Unlike the Eyelash Viper, the Fer de Lance spends most of its time on the ground.( The

Just Killed Fer de Lance Viper

Eyelash Viper spends most of its time on branches and leaves where it is well camouflaged and thus one has to be careful where he puts his hands when going through vegetation.)  Sometimes referred to as the "ultimate pit viper", the Fer de Lance are found in a wide range of lowland habitats, often near human habitations.  Its proximity to human habitations is likely the reason it is considered more dangerous to humans than others.  This species is the main cause of snakebite incidents within its range.

The boat made a rest stop at a riverside lodge.  A pretty place where we had coffee and met the family living there.  Along the river were various

Little Beauty at Lodge

 shore birds and frequently we would see and hear Howler Monkeys in the jungle canopy.

We finally arrived at the boat landing at Tortuguero. Several boats were lined up on the shore.  Our first item of business was to arrange space on a tour of the incredible surrounding area. The wild life and specially the turtles of the area are the big reasons for visiting this reserve.

Next to the boat landing was an association of
local guides.  We were warned that some of the

Little Blue Heron

free-lance guides did not always give a

satisfactory service.  So arrangements were made at the guide center for a tour at 6 am the next day.  
 Tortoguero  has no roads - only sand paths going from one area to another.  One path crossed diagonally a large grassy field.  A man stopped us and suggested his guesthouse, Cabinas El Icaco Tortuguero.  We thanked him and said we had one we needed to look at first.  Hotel Don Quichotte was expensive and the grounds looked messy and the rooms not special.  We looked at El Icaco and settled on it for the night (about

Howler Monkey in Canopy

12,500 Colon) about half of what the other guest house was charging.  The rooms were spacious with large bathroom and a terrace outside where one could sit.  There also was a thatch covered area with hammocks where one could lay back reading a book and listen to the surf close by.

We spent the afternoon looking around the little village.  There was a bank, hardware store, and bakery with yummy chocolate cake.  There was also numerous guesthouses and restaurants spread up and down the region - most easily accessible by foot.

Local people were complaining about the cold weather.  Needless to say it did not feel very cold

River-side Birds

to us.  However, a cold front had come all the way down from the US through Mexico and was affecting the weather of Tortuguero too.  A powerful surf along the beaches suggested storms in the Caribbean.  The surf made swimming suicidal and was causing serious erosion of the beach areas. Tortuguero seemed to be located on pure sand and the shore is vulnerable to erosion by surf or torrential rains.

Although only 60 or so km northwest of Limon, Tortuguero has a dramatically different climate. The annual rainfall in Tortuguero is about 6,000 mm or 6 meters which is nearly 9 times the rain fall in our home area. Showers, sometimes heavy, can be expected anytime of the year.  During the rainy season the rains can be torrential.  Costa Rica is just a little bit to close to the equator for direct hits by hurricanes. This may be one of the attractions for retirees from the north.  However, Costa Rica is susceptible to heavy rains spinning off of hurricanes just north in the Caribbean.  These heavy rains can cause catastrophic floods and landslides and much loss of life.

To be continued.