Broad winged hawk

The Broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a small hawk of the Buteo genus. During the summer they are distributed over most of eastern North America, to as far west as the Alberta province and Texas; they then migrate south to winter in the neotropics from Mexico down to Southern Brazil. Many of the subspecies in the Caribbean are endemic and most do not migrate.… Continue reading →

Hot Tamales

December is a special month in Costa Rica. The slightly longer nights are brightened by holiday lights in the cities and homes of many and cool, dry winds blow across the the northwestern plains and central valley.  Here golden afternoons signal the beginning of the dry weather of Costa Rica’s summer and the season of vacations at the beach.
December is also a time of year when families and friends get together and enjoy a special traditional holiday treat: hot tamales and a cup of delicious Costa Rican coffee.  In the illustrations below, we will take you through the process of making tamales.

1. Start with a specially prepared corn meal paste, green beans, red sweet peppers, culantro, corn meal… Continue reading →

Los Campesinos Reserve

- Campesinos Reserve (full day): Driving toward the mountains of Talamanca, 45 minutes from Quepos-Manuel Antonio, is the town of Londres. After enjoying fresh fruits and coffee at Vicki’s Restaurant, we start our hike to Los Campesinos Private Reserve with your private guide. The hike covers a total of 7 kms starting on an old farm road then passing many creeks and waterfalls inside untouched rainforests. Along this road we have amazing views of this pristine area with great opportunities for wildlife and bird observation. At the end of the road hike, we stop at The Campesinos Reserve, located on a beautiful mountain range between the Naranjo and Savegre rivers watersheds. The Reserve is part of the community of Quebrada… Continue reading →

Southern Solstice

A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun’s apparent position in the sky reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes. The name is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstices, the Sun stands still in declination; that is, the apparent movement of the Sun’s path north or south comes to a stop before reversing direction.
The term solstice can also be used in a broader sense, as the date (day) when this occurs. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with the seasons. In some cultures they are considered to start or separate the seasons, while in others they fall nearer the middle.
Of the many… Continue reading →

La Cusinga Lodge

A recent exploration to the south of Dominical, took us to revisit a hotel we use and highly recommend, La Cusinga Lodge.
This hotel has breathtaking views of the famous tombolo or whale tail of the Marino Ballena National Park. From late July to October its possible to see south pacific Humpbacks Whales, right form the observation deck and restaurant! And from December to April, though in less numbers, Humpbacks from the north are commonly sighted too.
Hiking La Cusingas’ superb trail system is a unique experience as its the only hotel bordering the National Park Marino Ballenas’ lush rainforest! You will feel like on a private park just for yourself, hiking next to giant garlic and milk trees among… Continue reading →

Howler Monkey

The howler monkey is mostly a leaf-eater, like the iguana and the sloths.
Here is a howler on the way to Monteverde. Costa Rica. Dec 2010
Photo by Leo Chaves.
 … Continue reading →

Quetzal In Arenal

Last week nature guides and guests have seen a Female Resplendent Quetzal feeding at the fruiting fig tree in front of the Smithsonian Rooms the Arenal Observatory Lodge, in Arenal Volcano Area. This is the first sighting of this beautiful could forest bird at the grounds of the lodge! Problably due to the unsusual cold conditions last days some mountain species are having altitudinal migrations to lower elevations looking for food and warmer temperatures- Leo Chaves, naturalist guide. (Photo by Marco Fallas.)
 … Continue reading →

Whinbrel

Whinbrel (Numenius plaeopus) One of the most wide-ranging shorebirds in the world, the Whimbrel breeds in the Arctic in the eastern and western hemispheres, and migrates to South America, Africa, south Asia, and Australia. It uses its long, down-curved bill to probe deep in the sand of beaches for invertebrates, but also feeds on berries and insects.… Continue reading →

San Luis Waterfall

The 250 foot tall San Luis waterfall is located near the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, in the hills above the small farming community of San Luis on property owned by Cristina y Geovani Mendez.  A pleasant yet mildly challenging hike through transitional forests from seasonally dry, cloud and rain forests is required to view the falls.  The hike begins at the local school and covers a round-trip distance of slightly over 4 miles.  The trail has numerous moderate “ups and downs,” some more challenging sections, and a final steep section of about 300 feet distance before arriving at the waterfall base.  At an elevation of near 2500 feet elevation the climate is generally comfortable and neither very hot nor cold… Continue reading →

Lesser Ground Cuckoo

Lesser Ground Cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus). Photo by Alexander Arias, Hacienda Solimar, Guanacaste dec 03, 2010… Continue reading →

Costa Rica Travel Industry

Costa Rica Ranks High as a Tourist Destination in the Eyes of the International Travel Industry
A 2010 study by the prestigious international consultant, FutureBrand, and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) in London revealed that as a recognized tourist destination in the industry, Costa Rica ranked first place among Latin American countries and placed 27th overall out of 110 nations with its trademark slogan “Without artificial ingredients.” The phrase was coined and is promoted by the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism in reference to Costa Rica’s diverse natural beauty in the form of forests, mountains, volcanoes, abundant wildlife, beautiful beaches and coastal year-round tropical warm weather.
The collaborative report between FutureBrand and the BBC (the largest news broadcasting company in… Continue reading →