From Wild to Wilder

On to Drake Bay via San Jose

Tortuguero, Caribbean Sea and canal

San Jose from the air

That's what the guide said to us as we left Tortuguero for Drake Bay and Corcovado National Park on the southern Pacific side of Costa Rica. We packed up for another boat ride across the canal to meet our plane. It was barely sprinkling when we took off for San Jose.  After a short 25 minute flight we landed at San Jose to change planes for another 40 minute hop to Drake Bay.  Unfortunately the air turbulence was pretty intense during that 40 minutes and a few members of our party required airsick bags. But what fantastic views out of windows.

Beach landing

The airstrip at Drake Bay is surrounded by green fields and we were met by a driver and a few barking dogs. He threw the bags on the top of the van and we hopped in for a short ride over the hill  down the main street of Bahia Drake to the beach where we waded into the water to board the boat to the Drake Bay Wilderness Resort. Frankly, beach landings are pretty much the standard in this part of the world. The drivers back the boats up as far as they can onto the beach and you scramble in or out as best you can trying not to be knocked over by the small swells or step on a big rock. Try not to lose your shoes, backpack, hat, or whatever else you've brought along.

Drake Bay Wilderness Resort boasts a dock so no beach landing there. It also boasts a good deal of sunshine and not much rain so we anticipated some drying out. What fools were we! Down in the south the humidity is considerably higher regardless of the sunshine. And of course it does rain, especially at night which really bugs the howler monkeys for some reason and their noise making can be heard a mile away. Humidity does have an upside: no need for moisturizer, anywhere. On the flip side the sheets always feel a little damp and your bathing suit never drys unless you lay in the sun letting your body heat dry it. You can try to hang your clothes out to dry but 3 days later nothing will have changed. Ah, but there was a solution. The resort had washers and dryers and washed and dried your clothes for free, even your shoes. I didn't know about the shoes until we left so I came home with really stinky shoes.

Drake Bay croc

Mural in our room

The resort can be reached by hiking from the town across the river or by boat. It sits on rocky spit of land surrounded by water and jungle.  The actual bay is home to a couple of crocodiles and some shorebirds.  A crystalline river snakes out of the jungle to meet the ocean here. Toucans are abundant if not always visible. Our rooms are like small cabins, again with no glass in the windows just screens and shutters to keep out the light and the bugs. Built of renewable Costa Rican hardwood with porches and painted murals inside they are charming and comfortable. The views to the ocean are only slightly obstructed  by flowering plants and palm trees. Hammocks rock gently in the breeze and the pool is salt water.  Lunch is served at the bar overlooking the pool and the ocean. Every afternoon the chairs that line the rail around the bar area are filled with people reading while the tables accommodate families playing games or even checking email.

A spoonbill of some sort, never did get
his name.

When we arrive we get a list of the activities available to us and since we're there for 6 days we have at least 5 activities included.  Our meals are paid for, including wine with dinner. We can order drinks from the bar after 3:30 in the afternoon which are not included but cost little in comparison with U.S. prices. So after getting the 411 we unpack and get together to decide which activities interest us. The rest of the adventure begins the next day.

Drake Bay Resort - ocean side