Corcovado National Park and Caletas Private Refuge
On board National Geographic Sea Lion, we awoke little by little among early birds, totally calm waters and a stunning sunrise. Drake Bay is an ideal site for spending the night since the sheltered inlet remains practically undisturbed by currents or strong winds throughout the year. Possibly, that might have been the reason for Sir Francis Drake to visit this area a long time ago in order to rest his vessel and pick up fresh provisions. Evidently, the presence of Drake in Costa Rica was important enough to name this area after him.
Soon after breakfast, the ship repositioned in front of a privately-owned reserve which provides fascinating opportunities for exploration. Playa Caletas welcomed our guests with the typically untamed ocean and challenging waves that bathe a volcanic sand beach. Nevertheless, the “Tico” Zodiac drivers know exactly how to cope with these exciting wet landings. Our fearless horseback riders were quickly in their saddles and took off along rugged trails in this exuberant tropical environment.
Shortly afterwards, the long hikers commenced their wonderful adventure in the rain forest of Central America. Quite amazing surprises were saved for the guests who conquered the steep terrain. Swarms of army ants covered the forest floor while our intrepid guests tried to avoid a bite from these remarkable insects. Not long after the ants, one of our guests found what she thought could be a snake. Indeed, the snake was identified as one of the pit vipers in the country. We all took turns trying to obtain a quite memorable photograph of this beautiful venomous reptile which was quietly coiled inside a tree trunk. Pretty exciting for a morning walk in the forest!
After a very festive picnic lunch served at Playa Caletas, we all returned aboard Sea Lion to prepare for the second part of this extraordinary day. The National Park Corcovado was our goal for the afternoon and guests could choose between an especially motivating waterfall hike and the chance to explore some more flat beachside trails in the park. Both of these options were highly rewarding in their own particular way; those who went to waterfalls could take a refreshing dip in the river pond while the hikers observed exciting wildlife such as spider monkeys or colorful pale-billed woodpeckers.
All too soon it was time to come back to share great moments with old and new friends on board the ship. As the icing on the cake, the night brought another pleasant occasion with the visit of local musicians who came on board and played romantic Latin-American tunes for our guests.
