Not sure why I didn’t shoot the road! 🙂 But I guess the surrounding farmland and hills captivated me too much. Here’ a few favorite vistas:
Continue reading “Calle Balsilla Landscapes”Views from the Pier . . .
. . . and Other Landscapes.
Below are just a sampling of the many landscape photos I made:
Continue reading “Views from the Pier . . .”Xandari Scenery
Okay – my last post for Xandari! You may get tired of seeing photos from there, but hopefully they reveal why it is one of my favorite hotels in Costa Rica! I never tire of it and hope to keep going back! And like other great places, the friendliness and helpfulness of the people there is one great reason I may not have mentioned much! And that has nothing to do with my photography library being there – they treat everyone like royalty! I highly recommend Xandari Costa Rica anytime you are here and need a hotel near the airport or better yet for a luxurious nature experience over a longer period of time. You need several days to hike, see, photograph, and do all there is to do in this hotel!
And one of my many reasons for liking it is the beautiful scenery I have grouped here in two categories. As always, click a photo to see it larger and then you can return or take the option to see the photos in that gallery as a manual slide show. Enjoy!
Xandari Vistas
Xandari Trails & Grounds
And in case you wondered why no flowers here, I did a Xandari Flowers post last week or for those from all my trips there, see the photo gallery Xandari Flowers.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” ~Rachel Carson
¡Pura Vida!
Xandari Costa Rica (hotel website)
For the photo report on my latest and third trip to Xandari see my CR Trips Gallery 2020 Xandari Nature Resort, Alajuela. NOW READY! And includes for the first time my visit to the Starbucks Alsacia Coffee Farm.:
Or if researching Xandari, see photos from my 2 earlier trips in both galleries and in books:
2019 Xandari Birthday Week Celebration: GALLERY –or– BOOK
2018 July Xandari First Visit: GALLERY –or– BOOK
A Sense of Place
This final post on the Rincón de la Vieja trip shares some scenery and a little more about the hotel and park that I hope provides a “sense of place” concerning this unique national park and adjacent hotel.
Sense of place is the sixth sense, an internal compass and map made by memory and spatial perception together.
~Rebecca Solnit
In the northwestern corner of Costa Rica there are volcanoes and ranches. Rincón de la Vieja is unique to all the volcano parks in this drier, western part of the country, reminding me of the southwestern U.S. with persons riding horses as common as bikes and wildness depicts the beauty and sense of place. Plus this hotel is a working ranch. Here’s two galleries and brief evaluations of both the hotel and the place.
Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín
Hacienda Guachipelín is a large, old, ranch-style hotel on more than 2,000 hectors of land with more waterfalls than the park (8) and it is a working farm & ranch where you can actually be “a cowboy for a day” helping real cowhands or just take one of several horseback riding trips. And seasonally watch a rodeo!
All the typical adventure tours are also available like zip lines, white water rafting, tubing, rappelling, canyoneering, biking, ATV, hot springs & mud baths, a Spa, plus an on-property serpentarium, butterfly garden, Mirador (scenic overlook), and more trails than you will likely use!
My room was basic, comfortable and good for my purposes. It was a longer walk to the restaurant than some and if you need to be close, request that when making your reservation. They offered to move me but I need the walks!
The restaurant food is okay good, just not great, with the wait staff service also mediocre except for the separate bar which had great service! In high season or fuller capacity the restaurant is all buffet style and breakfast is buffet even in low season (now). I am not fond of buffets. 🙂 I ate my usual two meals a day here; a big breakfast from the buffet & omelette bar with an early, good dinner from the menu at outdoor Bar (one of above photos). Restaurant didn’t start dinner until 6:30.
The Scenery
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Sorry I failed to get photos of horseback-riders!
One or two trips to the park is enough to see most everything there. Had I gone a second time I would have done the 10-K walk to their largest waterfall, Cangreja Waterfall, but didn’t this time. Much of the rest is like a smaller Yellowstone park with lots of thermal activity from the volcano (hot springs, bubbling mud, steam or smoke, and yellow rocks from the sulfur).
There is actually more to see and do on the hotel property than in the park, especially for the adventurer or the bird-watcher. And though I saw birds in both places, you see more on hotel property because it is more open and walking the farm roads is the best way to see and photograph birds. I saw 25-30 species, photographing most and got four new birds, “Lifers,” here: the Lesser Ground Cuckoo, White-fronted Parrot, Magpie Jay, and Western Wood Pewee. Very good for me! Plus I got two new butterfly species and some new snakes in their serpentarium.
“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”
– William Shakespeare
🙂
I am working on the “Trip Gallery” for this trip at: 2019-October-Hacienda Guachipelín, Rincón de la Vieja, Liberia and when that is finished, a book! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Tarcoles River The Place
Nice Trees and Plants Along the River from mangroves to forests and plains Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Surrounded by Mountains and the Pacific Ocean Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Tarcoles Teens Headed for School at 7:30 AM Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Welcome to Our Tour Boat Jungle Crocodile Safari Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
A Fishing Village, Thus Boats Everywhere! Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Mangrove Trees Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Lone Boat Anchored in Mouth of River That’s ocean waves just beyond the boat. Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Why do I want to photograph every boat I see? Low tide on a tidal river close to its mouth Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Other Tour Boats Going Out You have several choices, but ours is the best for birding. Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Our Guide Explaining Something to John Like me, he talks with his hands 🙂 Tarcoles River, Costa Rica |
Tapanti Park & Scenery
Tapanti National Park It is one of the larger parks including most of the Mountain of Death Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
Rio Macho Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
A Bridge we crossed before entering the park Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
A Huge Exotic Forest of Color and Contrast Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
Great Forest for Birding Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
Ferns Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
Nest of the Red-faced Spinetail Bird (see bird in my birds post yesterday) Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
One of several Trails We Hiked Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
Green! Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
Balance in Nature! Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica |
Sometimes I share an interesting English Language Newspaper article, but today they all look interesting! 🙂
Updates from
Costa Rica Star NewsCosta Rica News In the 02/12/2018 edition: |
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Scenery Shots from Lost Canyon Nature Reserve
My favorite view from the mountain trail in Lost Canyon Nature Reserve. There are volcanoes way over there! |
The new reserve’s nice, small sign at the farm house where we ate lunch. Like most private reserves it is operated by a foreigner. |
Our van driver finds the hammock at Lost Canyon! |
From the reserve and enroute there we saw several volcanoes. |
One volcano from the van window. Yep, I had a whole van! Me, a driver and my guide. That is the transportation for all tours with Tours Nicaragua. By the way, I highly recommend them if going to Nicaragua for any reason! |