If you are looking for an Adventure that takes you from Cloud forests high in the mountains to a Coastal Beach Wildlife Refuge on the Pacific coast and tops it off with a stay on a cliff in the rainforest off the waters of a remote bay, then Costa Rica is for you. To make it easier it can all be done through Greentique Hotels and Tours. They will set up lodgings in three unique locations throughout Costa Rica and transportation to all of them along with tour options.
From San Jose you will take a shuttle North to the Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel. This resort is in a nature preserve on a mountain top surrounded by massive trees that seem to trap the clouds. This is our first stop in our Costa Rican adventure.
The fact that the clouds tend to stick around longer during the day helped to explore the jungle longer without the crazy humidity. There are numerous trails through the jungle that start at the resort. On these trails you will find untold amounts of fauna and wildlife; birds, insects and reptiles. At night the jungle seems to come alive with insects flying around the lights of the resort. Moths the size of your hand, spiders, beetles and insects I have never seen before. This is a photographer's paradise with endless subjects. During the day you have your choice of Ziplining through the treetops, nature hikes, and trips to an active volcano or a relaxing day in the spa..
After a long car ride south to the coast and through miles of Palm oil forests you reach the
Central Pacific Coast and the next resort, Si Como No. Unlike the previous resort, this one is in a town with shops, merchants and many restaurants. Being on the coast this resort offers more ocean related adventures like; scuba, snorkeling, and boat trips to local islands that contain ancient artifacts and lizards that walk on water. To please us photographers the local reserve opened up for us and allowed for a nighttime hike through the rainforest allowing us to see all the creepy crawlies and what eats them.
The third and final resort destination was an adventure just getting to it. The Aguila de Osa Rainforest Lodge is located in a remote rainforest in Drake Bay. The trip starts early in the
morning with a taxi ride to the local airport to catch a small air taxi to a town on the Sierpe River. From there we took a bus to a dock and grabbed a ride on a small zodiac boat which took us to the ocean and down the coast to the resort. This resort is unique in the fact that it's more open to the elements and weaved into the jungle. The eating area is open to the forest with a view of the bay and the rooms have screens covering the windows making you feel like you are sleeping in the jungle. Adventures include kayaking up a crocodile infested river, hiking through the jungle to the coast and bird watching. Your morning alarm clock is hundreds of Macaw Parrots roosting in the trees around the resort waiting for the sun to rise.
These three resorts are unique in that they protect the land around each resort and share resources from seafood, produce and to grass fed livestock. This shows in all the great food prepared at each resort. They are at the forefront in Eco-tourism.
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