Today we left Tortuguro and our guide, Frank, behind after a pleasant few days. We were up early to transfer by boat to the small airstrip that runs parallel to the beach to catch our 6.40 hrs flight to San Jose. The plane was a small 12 seater, so everyone now knew why there was such a strict weight allowance! It was great to see the beach and inland waterways we had spent the last two days exploring from the air. It gave a real perspective of the size and scale of the place.
We soon cleared the low wetland area and reached the mountainous region around the capital. It was only a 30 minute flight so we quickly reached our first stop and bounced and bumped our way onto the ground.
We had a couple of hours to wait before our connecting flight which was a slightly larger twin prop plane, which is used as an areal taxi to connect the smaller regional towns. We had a quick 20 minute hop to Quepos and then another 22 minutes to Palmer Sure where we were collected and transfered a short 25 mins to a quay. Here we picked up our boat and then enjoyed a wonderful 2 hour boat journey along a tidal river to meet the Pacific Ocean. Along the way we saw, Cayman, an Osprey and a beautiful Potoo and its chick, pretending to be a stick in a tree ( they are nocturnal birds and spend the day motionless in a tree. Their camouflage is fantastic and unless pointed out to you wouldn't know they were there!)
We reached the Ocean and then skirted the coast for another 50 minutes before reaching our destination, Casa Corcovado Lodge. The lodge is situated on a headland, with no road access, so we had to land on the beach and wade ashore! Once there a small tractor and trailer pulls you up from the beach area to the main part of the lodge. On the way we were greeted by some Scarlet Macaws which took off and circled around us!
The lodge itself is set in beautiful landscaped, but natural, grounds and has about 15 garden chalets, a lovely restaurant and two pools, one which is filled with fresh spring water. It wasn't what I was expecting at all, as given its remote location I thought it would be rustic and simple, but it is quite the opposite.
We had a great lunch and were then taken to our rooms. On the way we saw a beautiful black woodpecker and a small troop of Howler Monkeys behind our chalet! A great start to our time here. We had time to relax and unwind after our early start and enjoy the lodges facilities, before having a great dinner. The standard of food is excellent and all the staff are so personable. It should be a wonderful stay.
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