Tortuguero is another region of the country that offers accessible wilderness.
Since the area is relatively flat, this is a good choice if you are not
prepared for the rigors of hiking on uneven terrain. The area consists of
swamps, marshlands, canals, virgin rainforest and a narrow strip of beach
which has become famous for the sea turtles that lay their eggs there.
Getting to Tortuguero is an experience in itself. The easiest way is to book a one or
two night package from one of the many lodges in the area. A comfortable bus
will pick you up at your San Jose hotel early in the morning. You drive
through the cloudforests to the east coast, then through the huge banana
plantations of the Caribbean slopes. You will usually stop at the banana
processing area for a brief discussion of the banana industry. Then you will
board a boat for the trip through the canals to the lodge.
Along the way you
can expect to see monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, and dozens of varieties of
waterfowl. Numerous tours available from the lodges include nightly walks
along the beach during turtle nesting season. A little further north is Barro
del Colorado, which boasts some of the world's best tarpon fishing. This is a
completely different side of Costa Rica that you do not want to miss.
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Looking north from the top of Tortuguero Hill, you can see
for miles into the largest tropical rainforest still remaining in the northern hemisphere.
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