Activities: Chocolate Tours
Two new friends from the hotel, Meg and Scott, accompanied me on a tour of Finca Kobo. Kobo means ‘dream’ in the language of the Guayami, a group of indigenous people who still reside in small numbers on the Osa Peninsula.The farm is entirely committed to sustainable agriculture and – more importantly – to producing chocolate.
Owner Alex Retana Mena is one of the most bubbly, excitable people I have ever met. His eyes lit up with genuine enthusiasm when he spoke of sustainable farming, and his energy was completely contagious. Initially, I was pretty much …
Location: Osa Peninsula, Puerto Jimenez, South Pacific »
Activities: Botanical Gardens, Chocolate Tours »
The Osa Peninsula and nearby Golfo Dulce are unquestionably some of the best places in the world for wildlife watching. Scarlet macaws squawk over villages and loiter in the palms around soccer fields, while all four of the country’s monkey species seem to outnumber local residents. This beautiful peninsula is extremely isolated– an arduous eight to ten hour drive from the Central Valley.
It has long been my dream to visit this wilderness first-hand. I could barely contain my excitement when I discovered I would be exploring this frontier – and by plane, …
Location: Cano Island, Corcovado National Park, Drake Bay, Golfo Dulce, Osa Peninsula, Pavones, Puerto Jimenez, Recent Trips, Sierpe, South Pacific »
Activities: Bird & Wildlife Watching, Chocolate Tours, Dolphin & Whale Watching, National Parks & Reserves, Pacific Beaches, Scuba Diving and Snorkeling, Sport Fishing, Surfing »
Before this trip, I had never been to the Southern Caribbean coast before, and I didn’t quite know what to expect — my guidebooks focused mostly on the Puerto Viejo party scene and surfing Salsa Brava, but I knew there was much more beneath the surface. In fact, many of my friends know and love the Southern Caribbean, and had regaled me with stories of white sand beaches, reggae parties and a word or two about the Bribri, one of Costa Rica’s last remaining indigenous populations.
Having majored in anthropology, I am always excited for new …
Location: Bribri, Cahuita, Manzanillo, Puerto Viejo, Recent Trips, Southern Caribbean »
Activities: Bird & Wildlife Watching, Caribbean Beaches, Chocolate Tours, Hiking, Historical Sites, National Parks & Reserves »
