Caletas and San Pedrillo, Corcovado National Park
We spent the night anchored in the sheltered waters of Drake’s Bay on the northwestern edge of the Osa Peninsula. During breakfast the National Geographic Sea Lion repositioned a short ways south of Drake’s Bay to a place called Caletas in Costa Rica’s rugged Corcovado National Park. The park is known for its dense vegetation, abundant bird and wildlife populations, and beautiful coastline adorned with sandy beaches and rocky outcroppings.
Corcovado is a great place to explore and we had the good fortune of spending several hours there this morning. For our morning activities, our naturalists led several jungle walks through the rainforest, pointing out interesting species of plants and trees and using their spotting scopes and binoculars to find birds, monkeys, and other wildlife. There was an option to do a long, vigorous loop that traversed several steep inclines, or to do a more mellow, leisurely walk that allowed for ample time to search out wildlife. Several guests also took the opportunity to go horseback riding along a trail that paralleled the coast and meandered through both forest and beaches. At the end of the horse trail there was a refreshing river where the riders could cool off and relax before returning back along the same trail.
The hotel staff and galley treated us to a delicious BBQ lunch ashore complete with hamburgers, hotdogs, and blondies for dessert. While eating, we were entertained by several pairs of macaws that flew by and a capuchin monkey perched high in a tree. All too soon it was time to return to the ship for a short reprieve before commencing our afternoon activities.
After a brief reposition down the coast of the Osa Peninsula, we dropped anchor again at a place called San Pedrillo. We arrived at the sandy beach by Zodiac and after washing the sand from our feet and changing into sneakers or hiking boots, we set off down the trail. Like this morning, there were two hiking options. One was a more strenuous hike to a beautiful waterfall and the other was more flat and ran along the shoreline. Both walks were beautiful and reminded us of what a diverse and lush ecosystem we were visiting. Several guests even spotted a crocodile! But thankfully it wasn’t in the swimming hole where they were swimming.
The National Geographic Sea Lion set sail just in time for us to enjoy a nice sunset on the aft bridge deck. Tomorrow is another full day of exploring and enjoying this beautiful country!
