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Four Links to help you Explore Costa Rica
Los Patos Waterfall, Corcovado National Park |
First, as shared on Facebook, here is the link to my most recent TRIP Gallery
2018 March – Danta Corcovado
It was one of my best trips yet and I do recommend the lodge.
NOTE: This gallery is in the TRIPS folder of galleries where you can check out every trip I have ever made in Costa Rica with photos of the lodges, birds and other sights in each place (56). Trips are listed chronologically with most recent at the top. OR for a focus on just the lodges or hotels, I have an evaluation/review of every one I have visited here at: Costa Rica Lodges & Hotels (35) listed alphabetically by name.
Tico Times Suggests
Explore the best of Costa Rica with this two-week itinerary
Arenal Volcano |
And if you are considering moving here or retiring here like me, I consider it essential to take Christopher Howard’s Live in Costa Rica Tour. It is one week (8-10 days) with a 3-day tour of the Pacific Coast, a 2-day ARCR Seminar in San Jose to answer every possible question, and then a 3 day tour of the Central Valley (where I live). And he had an optional tack-on tour of Guanacaste when I took it. Check his schedules on his website, there seem to be different lengths of tours.
Last Morning at Jungle Lodge
Heliconius Ismenius Clarescens A regionally endemic butterfly found only in SW Costa Rica Danta Corcovado Lodge, La Palma, Costa Rica |
Golden-hooded Tanager Danta Corcovado Lodge, La Palma, Costa Rica |
Chestnut-sided Warbler Danta Corcovado Lodge, La Palma, Costa Rica |
Red-lored Parrot Danta Corcovado Lodge, La Palma, Costa Rica |
Pale-vented Pigeon Danta Corcovado Lodge, La Palma, Costa Rica |
Simple Trails Like This Led Me To . . . |
The Birding Canopy Tower Danta Corcovado Lodge, La Palma, Costa Rica |
Lodge Office with Lobby to Left and Dining Room in the Background. See my photo gallery for more images of the lodge spaces and grounds. Danta Corcovado Lodge, La Palma, Costa Rica |
The Last Trail Junction Before My Cabin I was in Gavilán (Hawk) Cabin Danta Corcovado Lodge, La Palma, Costa Rica |
This lodge reminded me of the delightful days I spent at Boy Scout Camps as a boy, Camp Logoly near El Dorado, Arkansas and a whole summer while in college as staff on Camp Quapaw near Benton, Arkansas. There is nothing better than simple facilities totally emerged in nature! I have so many “favorite” places here in Costa Rica and this one is certainly near the top of the list! I will return in the future. And of course I hardily recommend it to anyone who loves nature and to my birding friends! After all, I found and photographed 4 “lifers” here or birds seen for the first time.! They were the Blue-crowned Manakin, Red-capped Manakin, White-shouldered Tanager, and the Scarlet-rumped Cacique.
Best Night Hike Ever!
Red-eyed Tree Frog Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Long-billed Hermit Hummingbird Sleeping Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Baby Basilisk Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Tropical Rainforest Frog Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Katydid Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Fleur-de-lis Spider Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Fleur-de-lis Spider hiding in curled dead leaf Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Blue Morpho Butterfly Sleeping They are bright blue on top with underside like an owl butterfly Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Red-eyed Tree Frog Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
I got a new guide for this hike who specializes in night hikes, a more mature man than the 18 year-old David. He was really good and helped make some of the photos. His name is Jairo, but the way everyone pronounced it, sounded something like “Hydel,” I almost backed out of the hike because of the light rain and sure glad I did not. Today’s hike in the park was postponed until tomorrow (Friday) because I was the only one going today and they need a minimum of two to afford it. There’s 5 of us for tomorrow. But they do the night hike solo and I was glad as the only one because I got more attention and probably saw/photographed more creatures!
Hot Water Shower AND a Frog!
Baño Frog Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Large Cave-man Bathroom (outdoors or out of screened-in area, but private) The lizard behind the mirror is art – not real. But we have real ones too! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Eagle Holds the Shower Head And not shown, a snake is one of the towel hooks Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
This has been a very interesting “rustic” lodge where I cannot wear shoes inside my room, the dining room or the lobby area. That part reminds me of Lookout Inn at Carate with the same rule. The food has been excellent, sort of a blend of Gourmet Tico with items like gazpacho or pumpkin soup before dinner, but still plenty of beans and rice if wanted and all kinds of meat dishes with lots of different veggies and salads. Most tours are with their guides, but a few like kayaks in the bay or the zip-line are provided by other vendors that Danta transports you to. Tomorrow’s park hike will be with one of the Danta guides and they provide our sack lunches and car to park entrance.
Danta Corcovado
Whale’s Tail Beach Uvita, Costa Rica |
Landing Strip Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica |
Driving Out of Puerto Jimenez On 30 Minute Drive to Danta Corcovado Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica |
My Huge Bedroom! A pleasant surprise when shown to my cabin. Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Outside Entrance to My CabinDanta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Daaaaa – viiiid Welcome receptionist, bartender, waiter, and sometimes cook! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Unknown Lizard (I will look him up when I get home, probably an Ameiva) Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Unknown Insect (Look him up at home too!) On my cabin screen, outside! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
At 6:45 AM my driver takes me through suburban traffic to the airport and the start of one of my more pleasant experiences here, flying in a small plane over the magical mountains to the ocean, Pacific this time. Though the pilot was too close, I still got a different view of “Whale’s Tail Beach” at Uvita and a different view of the landing strip in Puerto Jimenez.
A thirty minute drive to Danta Corcovado is a whole lot easier than the rough hour and a half drive to Carate on the other side of the park (my 2009 trip). Like everywhere in Costa Rica all the people are so welcoming and always smiling. My driver Eduardo helped me with my Spanish and got me to David (pronounced Daaaaa-viiiid here) as the receptionist and later the waiter and bartender in the restaurant. He arranged three tours for me and also put up with me speaking Spanish poorly to him. I later met the birding guide who is also named David.
By noon I was hotter than I can remember ever being here but a little afternoon shower has cooled it down and the two fans in my room help! Ooops! Just as I got to the WiFi spot in lobby the little shower turned to a long and heavy downpour!
I was expecting more primitive housing, though some of you might consider this primitive. I’m basically in a large screened-in porch on a platform above ground with a solid tin roof. Plus I have mosquito netting for my bed. Only cold water, but in the hot tropical humidity, that is what one prefers. The bed is very comfortable and the bathroom is chic primitive and big!
Tomorrow is my morning bird hike and evening night hike. Thursday will be the hike into Corcovado Park – all day! Friday and Saturday will probably be around the property here unless I decide to add another tour. And for unknown reasons Sansa canceled my Sunday flight back, so I am now on a Saturday evening flight home, meaning one less night here. And now you are all caught up on this trip for now! – The adventure continues!
Jungle Camping Tomorrow
Corcovado is the largest protected coastal rainforest in Central America Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
My Room is basically a wall tent on platform with mosquito netting on bed. Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Lobby and Dining Room feature rustic furniture and I will eat lots of beans & rice, other basic Tico food Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Hope I get this close to an Anteater! And maybe a Tapir! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
Night Hike promises frogs, snakes, insects & surprises! Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
It is one of the few places for the endangered Squirrel Monkey Danta Corcovado Lodge, Costa Rica |
My days will be filled with hiking on the lodge trails on my own, and tours with professional guides
for a birding hike, interior of park hike, kayaking a river, a night hike, and possibly a visit to an indigenous people village, panning for gold, or I might even be ziplining above the forest. This could be one of my most adventurous trips since moving here. All of the above photos were copied from the internet, but I hope to return with many more of my own! They are suppose to have wifi in the lobby, but I doubt it will be strong enough for regular nightly posts. We will see! I had scheduled 5 nights, but this afternoon, Monday, Sansa Airlines canceled the Sunday flight, so I now come back Saturday evening. Adventure is good! said Aesop