Curu Wildlife Refuge and Tortuga Island, Costa Rica
Early this morning, the first of our trip through Costa Rica and Nicaragua, we woke up to the sight of a long dark sand beach at the eastern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula at the Curu Wildlife Refuge. This privately owned 70 hectare (175 acres) refuge holds a great number of habitats which in turn support an array of different species of animals. We could not have asked for a better day in terms of weather, forest conditions and wildlife watching. We could choose between two different walking options, the first one, a long loop trail through the dry forest and the second one, a flatter one-way road trail. Most of us came back to the ship having spotted red-legged land crabs, coatimundis, variegated squirrels, monkeys, lizards, large and small spiders, and the definitive highlight of the morning: an eight foot-long tiger ratsnake, trying to cross the same hanging bridge we were crossing.
With a morning already too good to be almost impossible to beat, we prepared ourselves for the afternoon activities. Our Captain repositioned the boat to a small island known as Tortuga Island not too far from our morning site. We disembarked to our first beach time: swimming, boogie boards, soccer, volleyball or just resting on the beach were part of the menu. Tired and sun-bathed, we left “Turtle Island” towards our next destination: the Bat Islands…
Early this morning, the first of our trip through Costa Rica and Nicaragua, we woke up to the sight of a long dark sand beach at the eastern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula at the Curu Wildlife Refuge. This privately owned 70 hectare (175 acres) refuge holds a great number of habitats which in turn support an array of different species of animals. We could not have asked for a better day in terms of weather, forest conditions and wildlife watching. We could choose between two different walking options, the first one, a long loop trail through the dry forest and the second one, a flatter one-way road trail. Most of us came back to the ship having spotted red-legged land crabs, coatimundis, variegated squirrels, monkeys, lizards, large and small spiders, and the definitive highlight of the morning: an eight foot-long tiger ratsnake, trying to cross the same hanging bridge we were crossing.
With a morning already too good to be almost impossible to beat, we prepared ourselves for the afternoon activities. Our Captain repositioned the boat to a small island known as Tortuga Island not too far from our morning site. We disembarked to our first beach time: swimming, boogie boards, soccer, volleyball or just resting on the beach were part of the menu. Tired and sun-bathed, we left “Turtle Island” towards our next destination: the Bat Islands…
