

He was no more than eight feet from the boat, and while he remained quiet and unaggressive, we didn't press our luck. When the troop's alpha male saw us, he scrambled over to the boat, chest out and eyes defiant, clearly staking claim to his grounds and females. They were searching for food just a few feet off the ground, but having little luck. Without a doubt, the mammalian highlight of our 90-minute tour was a shore-side interaction with a group of capuchin monkeys. Thankfully, our motor was fast enough to evade the inevitable poop slinging involved in howler turf wars! With a few hoots, our guide excited two troops of howler monkeys. As promised, the park was also home to other wildlife, including sizable crocs, iguanas and ctenosaurs. It first ignored, then quietly regarded our boat, watchful but not poised for flight.Īs we motored down the river, our guide pointed out boat-billed herons, green herons, kingfishers, white egrets, flycatchers, and - the icing on a the cake - a majestic osprey eagle, with wings extended to dry its plumage. Case in point: our first sighting was of a blue heron, perched in a tree by the riverbank. The covered motorboats are humble and unassuming, and their quiet engines and tiny wakes are perfect for navigating rivers and canals without disturbing the wildlife. The best way to see Palo Verde is on a boat tour. Yeah, my honeymoon was so awesome that we were basically going to see mini-dinosaurs.

And then, ctenosaur – the closest living relative to ancient dinosaurs. Then, amid visions of spotting endangered avian species, I heard the word crocodile. As we drove past cantaloupe farms and banana plantations, I hummed with excitement. By me!" list.Įnter Palo Verde National Park, home to more than 300 bird species. But I do appreciate beautiful plumage and melodic song, and I love scribbling another species down on my ever-growing "Seen in the Wild. I am woefully pathetic at spotting camouflaged birds or identifying all but the most unique warbles. You could call me a budding birder, but only in the most comical sense. En route to this Guanacaste village of famed indigenous artists, we had scheduled a safari float through Palo Verde National Park. But I had faith, for today we were headed to Guaitil, home to the country's top clay artisans. With this in mind, my husband and I were six days into our Costa Rica honeymoon, and we had yet to find something to document such an important milestone. Costarican Coffee & Pottery Learning Tour.I am decidedly not a knickknack person, so when I travel my souvenirs must do triple duty: recall fond memories, be decorative, and serve a purpose. Having said that, the Costa Rican’s mountainous regions and warm temperatures provide the perfect climate and environment for growing the highest quality coffee beans. In additio to this, about 75% of the most popular coffee growing areas are located between 800 ~ 1600 meters (2,624 ~ 3,280 feet) over the sea level. Throughout the year the temperature only varies about ten degrees between 17☌ ~ 30☌ (63☏ ~ 85☏). Since the first bags of coffeee were first shipped to England in 1843, Costa Rican coffee is considered one of Costa Rica’s key exports.Ĭosta Rica has two seasons, the dry and the rainy season, both seasons provide ideal coffee growing climates. Costa Rica’s history is directly associated to coffee production since the eve of the country’s independence from Spain in 1821, coffee seeds were distributed by the government as a means of promoting coffee production to impulse the local economy. Costarican Coffee & Pottery Learning Tourĭo you know that Costa Rican coffee beans are considered among the best in the world?Ĭosta Rican Coffee & Pottery Learning.
