Corcovado National Park, 1/3/2022, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Costa Rica, Panama & Colombia
Our adventure brought us to Corcovado National Park, where National Geographic Quest anchored for the afternoon. Guests explored a nearby waterfall or a parallel trail on the beach. We observed monkeys and several bird species while hiking. The highlight of the day was a pair of mountain lions encountered in the middle of Río Pargo trail. What a way to start our expedition, our adventure and of course, a new year.
Frank is a naturalist guide with a long career path involving his beloved Costa Rica. He grew up in Escazu, a small town surrounded by blue and green mountains in the Central Valley. His admiration for nature and wildlife turned him into an autodidac...
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Today onboard National Geographic Quest, we arrived in one of the most remote areas of Costa Rica which has a rich biodiversity, Drake Bay. On the first outing, we offered different walks on private property owned by Costa Ricans, and they had trails in the primary rainforest for our guests to enjoy. For those who wanted to walk a little bit more, we offered a coastal walk and finished in the town of Drake. During the coastal hike, we saw the Central American spider-monkey, white-throated capuchin monkey, and different species of birds. The landscape along the coast was outstanding as the waves broke on the rocks and the sounds relaxed our guests. After the walk, we returned to the ship for lunch and then went for another outing on a Zodiac excursion up the Agujitas River where we saw a yellow-crowned night heron, a solo male capuchin monkey, and a show in the rainforest canopy.
After six days of amazing exploration in Central America, we explored the buffer zone of one of the most important national parks in Costa Rica, Corcovado. The morning began with a Zodiac cruise on Agujitas River. On this amazing tour, we had the opportunity to observe different species of animals, including iguanas, long-nosed bats, boat-billed herons, and yellow-crowned night herons. Traveling deep into the river, we spotted spider monkeys. These monkeys are indicators of a healthy rainforest. As fruit eaters, they need a large and healthy rainforest. We enjoyed two rounds of Zodiac cruises before returning to the ship. In the afternoon, we explored another area, Caletas Private Reserve. Guests enjoyed various hikes, including a long hike around the property and a medium walk around the gardens. For a big surprise that thrilled our guests, we spotted spider monkeys eating fruit in the canopy of the water apple tree. Exploring the rainforest was the best way to finish a great day.
Today we had a beautiful day at Playa Blanca exploring this amazing tropical forest. In addition to seeing the macaws and monkeys, we had a wonderful, rich experience hosted by the locals. We were able to visit some of the unique, small projects that the families of Playa Blanca are developing, from a sugarcane artisanal mill and hearts of palm farm to an organic cacao farm. Not only did we learn about their businesses, but we had a beautiful time with these people who welcomed us warmly with open arms (and also gave us delicious local snacks!). What a wonderful day we had enjoying the wildlife, the diversity of the tropical rainforest, and the people.
