Dominical Beach in Costa Rica

Dominical Beach in Costa Rica is a village located opposite the beach, on the southern Pacific coast, just 45 kilometers from Manuel Antonio / Quepos in a southerly direction, and 35 miles west of San Isidro de El General. Originally a fishing village, Dominical is now home to a thriving and friendly community. With big waves throughout the year, Playa Dominical is a paradise for surfers from around the world. In addition, the area’s natural beauty and variety of activities and local services which converge in this town make it a great destination for any tourist.

In the past Sunday was a small fishing village, but eventually became a site known for surfers and travelers (backpackers). It is a point for national and international surfers travelers in Costa Rica. There are many places for accommodation for surfers on Dominical and if you do not bring your table to find a rent there, either at a store or on the beach there are places where you can rent surfboards.

In fact Dominical Beach is not a place for surfing for beginners, there are powerful waves that regularly broken the surfboards. Swimmers should not dismiss the waves or currents. The beaches in the southeast of Dominical are the most appreciated by the swimmers, the reef Dominicalito is a perfect place if you want to spend your day swimming in a beautiful beach because its calm water.

Dominical Beach in Costa Rica

There are many attractions, among which is important to mention the nearby Whale National Marine Park, there are also a myriad of things to do in this area, including hiking and camping in the forest, wildlife observation and excursions on horseback, among others. In addition, the beach is beautiful, every afternoon with stunning scenes of the spectacular sunsets.

In the opposite direction, northeast of Dominical beach, we found a good place for bird-watchers, many rare species of birds gather at the estuary of the River Baru.
Occasionally it is possible to see whales and dolphins from the beach. For those who want a closer look of the underwater world of Costa Rica just have to register at a school for diving in Dominical where there are many places for diving in the vicinity and you can also make a trip to the Isla del Caño where there can be found variety of species such as barracuda, king angel, clown fish turtles, big reef sharks and a variety of moray eels.

The beautiful Nauyaca Falls are located a little more inland, near the town of Platanillo. It is possible to swim beneath the waterfall of these two waterfalls of 60 meters in height. The Nauyaca Fallas can be reached on foot or by horseback riding, the tourist just need to take the route to the town of Libano in Platanillo. The Nauyaca Fallas are also known as Don Lulo or Holy Christ and is a beautiful place that you have to enjoy if you are visiting Dominical.

Herradura beach in Costa Rica - Central Pacific

Herradura beach in Costa Rica is located just 30 minutes from Jaco in Costa Rica and is renowned for having quite luxurious hotels, some of them famous in the country. The beach is protected by its own shape of horseshoe, for that reason the waves are small making it a good place for swimming. The town of Herradura is not very impressive but it has its own accommodations.

Herradura is fully equipped for marine sports such as sport fishin, also some of the largest private yacht in Costa Rica anchor in Herradura Bay. Due to its central location and proximity to San Jose, this is one of the most popular beaches for day trips. Many tourists who come to fish in Costa Rica are housed in hotels and resorts near Herradura and used fishing boats at their disposal to enjoy one of the best experiences of fishing that you can find in the country. In addition, Jaco with a lively and interesting nightlife is just a few minutes away by car.

The ocean is calm in Herradura beach and good for swimming as mentioned before, ideal for the family. The central Pacific region, where is located the Herradura beach, offers something different for each tourist, so is impossible to get bored in this place because there are a lot of things to do. These activities includes: swimming and the practice of surf (in Jaco beach), coastal villages, sports fishing, wildlife, outdoor activities and a beautiful national park.

Pelicans and other marine birds in Herradura Beach, Costa Rica

Herradura nearby areas are precisely in the transition zone where the Amazon and Mesoamerican biological environment meet each other, and is the meeting place for species from both environments. One of those areas is Carara, a famous national park that protects an evergreen forest of great complexity and density, with abundant wildlife, including the American crocodile, spider monkeys and frogs, and is also one of the best places to observe birds throughout all Costa Rica.

The 1492 film with Gerard Depardieu as Christopher Columbus was filmed on the Herradura beach in Costa Rica. The film was recorded on the Pacific coast, but the place where it happened the historical arrival of Columbus in reality was on the Caribbean coast. Several buildings and an Indian village were built for the film in which it was worked 10 weeks in this location. In the past Herradura was a sleepy village of fishermen, this has changed a lot. The bay is dominated by luxury condominiums and a golf course. Many owners of these condominiums are Americans and Europeans. With its tranquil waters, Herradura beach in Costa Rica remains as a major holiday destination for those seeking a quiet atmosphere.

Braulio Carrillo National Park in Costa Rica

Braulio Carrillo National Park in Costa Rica bears the name of meritorious Dr. Braulio Carillo, a benefactor and the third national president elected in Costa Rica. The park is located in one of the most difficult region to access in the country; almost all land is made up of skyscrapers Mountain of volcanic origin.

The flora of the park is composed by green and thick vegetation, with a very complex structure. The composition of the forest changes depending on environmental conditions, such as terrain, drainage, temperature and precipitation levels.

Braulio Carrillo National Park is considered of great importance because it protects many of the streams that are born and flows through the Central Valley. With its high and rugged mountains, lush forests, two extinct volcanoes, beautiful waterfalls, winding rivers and its wonderful rain forest, the travel trough this park can be an unforgettable experience for those who love nature.

The park is habitat for more than 500 species of birds, 6000 species of trees and plants and over 135 species of animals. The Braulio Carrillo National Park is the home of the magnificent Quetzal and also the habitat of two almost extinguished species of trees, the palm tree and the tepezcuintle. The toucans, iguanas, eagles, jaguars, tapirs and monkeys are some of the birds and animals that can be seen throughout the park. You can also find in this park the Bushmater, the most poisonous snake in Central and South America.

Braulio Carillo National Park is located 20 kilometers north-east of San Jose, the most visited section is in the south of the park, accessible by road to the Atlantic coast or by the town of Siquirres. It has an area of 45,899 hectares.

Poas Volcano National Park in Costa Rica

The Poas Volcano National Park is on the Cordillera Central of Costa Rica and was created on January 25, 1971. The Poas Volcano National Park in Costa Rica is one of the greatest natural attractions for tourism nationally and internationally. It is one of the areas of the system National Parks that receives greater influx of visitors.

Poas is a volcano that is over 2700 meters high. This is one of the most impressive volcanoes in Costa Rica, with tropical scenes that make you lose your breath. The land in this area is ideal for growing products and is an area of considerable potential for hydrological and geothermal energy.

Costa Rica Poas Volcano Lake

The Poas Volcano of Costa Rica is one of the most spectacular volcanoes in the country with and extraordinary scenic beauty. It has several types of habitats such as little forests, areas with low vegetation, an area of myrtles and beautiful cloud forests. In the last type of forest, there are an abundance of epiphytic plants like mosses, ferns, bromeliads and orchids that grow on tree trunks. However is most common to identify four major habitats that are dominated by the high mountain forest, with pygmy vegetation, also is possible to find cloud forest and areas with little or no vegetation. The flora of this area includes, but is not limited to cedar and cypress.

Some of the animals living in the park are the marmots, bats, toucans and quetzals, among the most common.  Additional to the main crater Botos, there is the Botos Lake and the cone von Frantzius and at least half a dozen other pyroclastic cones in the vicinity, consisting of dried lava and ash.  This park is located on the north-east of Alajuela, located adjacent to San Jose (the capital of Costa Rica) in a distance of 37 kilometers away, in the so-called Central Valley. The park has an area of 5599 hectares.

Marino las Baulas National Park in Costa Rica

The Leatherback National Marine Park of Guanacaste is another of the major sites of Costa Rica where the sea turtles nest. It is located on the south side of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica in Guanacaste province, near the tourist town of Tamarindo. This national park is considered one of the most important points in the world where the Leatherback sea turtles nest every year. It was founded in 1990 with the aim of protecting these turtles that come every year to nest on the beautiful beaches of Playa Grande.

Surrounded by 445 hectares of mangrove forests and rugged coastlines, the Leatherback National Marine Park has four beaches, Playa Grande, Playa Langosta, Playa Playa Ventanas and Carbon. The two estuaries park’s mangroves are the Tamarindo Estero and the San Francisco Estero that is considered the largest mangrove estuary in Latin America. The park extends 12 miles to the beach and also protects sea turtles from hunters and tourists.

Las Baulas National Park in Guanacaste - Costa Rica

Besides being the land of thousands of Leatherback turtles that travels every year to this national park, the Leatherback National Marine Park also protects 174 species of birds and a number of animals living in the estuaries. This place is home of white ibises, herons of the livestock, the blue wing teal and the Moscow duck. It also protects the capuchin monkey, the raccoon, the crocodiles, pacas and gray squirrels.

The world’s largest reptile, the Leatherback turtle comes here to the park every year to lay their eggs. The Leatherback turtle is the world’s largest turtle and can weigh up to 500 kilograms and is considered a delicacy in the East. Unlike other species of turtles that have a hard shell, the turtle has a black skin suede.

Golfito in the south pacific of Costa Rica

The area of Golfito is at the south of Costa Rica and is known as its last frontier as it is a remote and distant region of the country. Southern Costa Rica is a little inhabited where the facilities are basic, but it is also an interesting place to experience something different in comparison with the rest of bustling and popular destinations that are popular in the country. It is a coastal village located on the great bay of Golfo Dulce, located in the extreme south of Costa Rica. It was built in 1930 as a deep water port. Golfito is located about 400 kilometers from San Jose.

One of the main reasons why this beautiful region remains so remote from San Jose is due the distance. A typical trip from downtown San Jose to Golfito, the main town in the south, can take you 8 hours or more. However, you should not worry if you want to travel through the area, because there is the Golfito Local Airport which is located 4 km north of the town center with regular flights with airlines like Sansa or Nature Air. The flight from San Jose takes 50 minutes.

Golfito in Costa Rica south pacific

Golfito was an important port in the south until mid-1980. Golfito was the center for this growing region for banana cultivation. The United Fruit Company had its headquarters here in the north of the city. Since its closure, this city has suffered great economic losses and unemployment, but with the advent of tourism, this community is slowly rebuilding with more modern lines. It is a rustic, quiet place with an abundance of hotels and accommodations as many people use Golfito as a stopover before heading to the stunning beaches of Playa Zancudo, Pavones, and the National Park Piedras Blancas.

With an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, the magnificent National Park Piedras Blancas is an important nature reserve and wildlife refuge located just north of Golfito. Sport fishing is also another important feature to the south of Costa Rica, with many recreational fishermen who use Golfito as a base while they captured the magnificent Pacific sailfish. The best season for this is from November to May.

In this port, people are engaged in commercial fishing, which makes Golfito a very important in this area and is also a gateway to the beautiful beaches in the South that has a wide variety of marine life. The National Wildlife Refuge Golfito is an impressive site near the city.
The National Wildlife Refuge Golfito is located in an area where is a heavy rain abounded. This land was formed by the succession of layers of basalt dating from between 50 to 65 million years.
The forest is very thick in the wildlife refuge; a plant that grows commonly in these lands is the Palma Negra. You can also find botanical rarities such as the Quira (Carydaphnopsis burgeri), a tree that belongs to the family of Lauraceae, that is a very primitive plant.

There are many mammals living within the park boundaries, as the aguti, which is a rodent that belongs to the same family of the paca, very useful to spread the seeds of different plants and fruits that consume. It is also possible to find raccoons, rats and some reptiles like snakes. From this splendid area you can get to places like the Osa Peninsula, the Corcovado National Park and La Amistad International Park.