One of my blog readers, Patrick, who is thinking about beginning his retirement in Costa Rica (like I should have!) shared with me the just-released new hiking guide available on hiking coast to coast across Costa Rica. It’s first on his agenda here! Are you interested in such a hike?
There’s also a newer video of the trail than the one I showed earlier plus more new info on the website and I found a good “Make the Leap” story I’m also linking! 🙂 . . .
One of the 5 waterfalls on the hotel property is where the whitewater tubing adventure begins but I did not want to do the tubing, so the adventure tours staff let me ride on the early guide’s bus (5-miles) to the falls and ride back on the return bus.
I just photographed the falls which included a short hike down the mountain to the falls with my guide Javier and his 8-year old son Santiago (asst. guide). Fun guides that also took me to the butterfly garden and snake exhibit after the waterfall + birding along the way. A very good morning before it started raining! Bird, butterfly & snake photos will come later.
Quebrada Victoria (a small stream) forms the waterfall at the point where it flows into Rio Colorado and at that juncture is where the tour staff & participants depart on the whitewater tubing (in big tractor inner tubes) down the rocky Colorado River – see feature photo above. Easy enough for families with children to participate. I did that growing up in Arkansas as a kid and had a day-long tubing trip on a similar river when in college and decided it was not needed again! 🙂
The tours here also include a serious whitewater rafting trip down a bigger, wilder river with class 3 & 4 rapids, but I’ve also done that in TN and once was enough! 🙂
La Victoria Waterfall
It was not the prettiest but one more check off the list!
La Victoria Waterfall
Where tubing begins.
La Victoria Waterfall
La Victoria Waterfall
La Victoria Waterfall
Javier insisted on making a photo of me with his son, who, like all Tico children and youth, was very respectful of age and very helpful, polite & friendly! A joy!
Santiago & Charlie on the trail to Victoria Waterfall.
“Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.”
– Lovelle Drachman
This happened yesterday. Today I have another guide (Johnny) + Javier taking me birding here & then on a tour of the national park. Lots more photos! 🙂
The Island of Venado is a strip of land running close to the mainland near Leon. Much of the island and the channel of water between it and mainland is Mangrove Forests which is good for birds, other nature, crabs, fishing, etc. We got our boat in this little bay.
When you pay for a private float trip you get to sit in the front of the boat! 🙂 Here near end of trip we approach the rookery or nursery in earlier post.
Even when working, young people have fun on the water!
This is one of the government nature reserves. I think there may be more private reserves than public right now.
It is currently legal for locals to collect firewood in the reserve as long as it is already dead wood. In Nicaragua most people still cook on wood fires.
Non-commercial Fishing is allowed in the reserve.
and “Nature Tourism” is growing here!
My guide Freddy had new hiking shoes he did not want to get wet, so boatman carries him across stream. I got my old shoes wet – no big deal anymore! 🙂 And why didn’t he take them off and go barefoot? Good question! The boatman is barefoot!
Where we got our boat was a little “Comedor” which is the same as a “Soda” in Costa Rica, a small Mom & Pop restaurant for cheap local food. We did not eat here but got sandwiches at a little local bakery.
And don’t miss my Nicaragua Birds photo gallery for 98 different species!
And remember that both my trips to Nicaragua were provided by Tours Nicaragua!Check out what they offer! I’m happy with them!
