Hi all,
thanks in advance for any help on this. We are going to Costa Rica for the first time in June and have a lot of questions on getting to and visiting Parque Corcovado.
1. Our plane arrives in San Jose at 11:45pm Saturday night and our (possible) flight to Puerto Jimenez with Nature Air leaves at 6am Sunday. If we just want to go from one airport to the other what are our options? is Nature Air terminal even going to be open if we show up at 1/2am, should we stay at santamaria until 4:30 and then take a taxi? Are there going to be taxi at that time?
2. To reserve the small cabins and some meals at Sirena st. do we need to be in CR or can we do it from here, by phone?
3. Does anyone know of a place in P. Jimenez where we could leave part of our luggage before hiking to sirena st.? could we leave it at La Leona st.? one other possibility I can think about would be at Santamaria, (that would work well too, as Nature Air has very small allowances for luggage) is it possible? how much would it cost?
4. Any suggestion, not on the LP guide for staying at P. Jimenez? looking for private bath, clean, cheap place, with chance of leaving some extra luggage maybe.
5. Should we try to get closer to the park instead of staying at P. Jimenez, the first night? I've seen on LP there is a colectivo at 6am for Carate, that seems to be early enough to complete our hike, even if tide doesn't collaborate... any thoughts on this?
6. Any thoughts on Corcovado Lodge Tent Camp in Carate? Other not expensive options close to the park? it doesn't look like there are many at all...
7. For another part of our trip we need to decide whether to go to Bocas del toro, panama or tortuguero, any preferences? in both cases we'll fly there and boat/bus out, with a stop in Manzanillo, which from what I read here seems a pretty good place for snorkeling and relaxing on a beach. My doubts are: are we gonna see any turtle in June at tortuguero? isn't Bocas (apart from the many little islands) too similar to Manzanillo?
thanks again all
1- You can not stay at the airport. Also the Nature Air Flight is from Pavas airport, closer to downtown San Jose, about $15 taxi ride and 15-20 minutes. Stay in a basic hotel in Pavas or on the northern edge of San Jose. Sansa Air is out of SJO, a small terminal next door, that will not be open.
2-Most people use PV as a base for the guide making all arrangements, if you do a search on the TT uner "CR Corcovado" you will see some suggestions. The times of the collectivo to Carate I am not sure of, should be a few prior to noon. Moost people book lodging near Carate and then head out from there, going straight away from SJ to PJ to Carate is a day in itself...
3-I suggest lodging and having everything there from guides to food. There are no towns or places to just show up in Corcovado outside of PJ, thats why its expensive there, everything is brought in via boats. La Leona lodge is a good option.
4- How are you getting from Corcovado to Tortuguero? Tortuguero is its own eco climate and zone, and has nothing in common with BTD Panama.
Manzanillo area is great for the reefs, Gonduca refuge and great beaches.
I would raft(pre arrange) here from SJ area on the Rio Paquare and get dropped in Moin (Tortuguero), Playa Cahuita (Music- great cuisine and afro caribe food, and the refuge), or Pt Viejo for the beaches south and Manzanillo-Gonduca.
- I don't believe that Santamaría airport is open overnight and even if it is they won't hold an immigration and customs officer around so you can mosey out whenever you like. Bolaños is not open at 1 a.m. and you won't be able to get in until an hour or so before your flight.
2. Reserve in advance, pay at the door. 735-5036 or 735-5580, or pncorcovado@hotmail.com then stop in to the station in Jiménez
3. Wherever you stay in Jiménez will be happy to hold a bag or two.
4. I think it's in L.P. but Cabinas Jiménez is great
5. You're fine on the collectivo
6. Kinda pricey for what you get...
(5/6) I'm of two minds on this... On one hand, you'll be operating on 4 hours of sleep at best, so just stay in Puerto Jimenez, arrange your logistics at the park HQ, hang out at the Carolina Restaurant and try to get some intel on the park from people coming out, and maybe jump on the collectivo and spend the afternoon exploring Cabo Matapalo (it's beautiful!) or Playa Plataneres. On the other hand, I'm partial to hiking in the early morning hours when temps are coolest and the animals most active, and staying in Carate will let you get a dawn start... La Leona Ecolodge tent camp is nice, but it looks like they've raised their prices a chunk. There were some budget rooms available via the pulperia in Carate, but inquire before you set out to see if they still exist.
(7) I believe the flight from PJ to Bocas del Toro on Nature Air first stops in San Jose, and the whole process actually takes a few hours... An interesting alternative to this is to go by land. Take a bus to the border (or ferry to Golfito and then bus to the border), then a frequent minibus to David (~1 hr), and then a bus to Almirante (~3 hrs) where you catch the boat to Bocas. You won't save any time, but it makes for an interesting journey with good scenery as your cross the Chiriqui Highlands in Panama.
Thanks all,
we actually have 3/4 days in between corcovado and Tortuguero/BDT, we'll spend a few days on the pacific coast and lazily get back to San Jose and leave from there. We probably will opt for Tortuguero, boat down to Moin and take a bus to Manzanillo, after a few days get back to SJ and from there leave for Grenada, Nicaragua.
Jogi, I was two-minded too, thinking exactly what you wrote down. Rest or Early start? I think it will be feasible to just go to Carate get some serious sleep and leave early.
I will try to get in touch with the people at the pulperia in Carate as having the chance to leave early in the morning seems pretty good to us too. I will let you guys know if I had any luck. Arriving at 7am in Puerto Jimenez should leave plenty of time to get to the station in Jimenez get a couple things done before catching the afternoon colectivo to Carate.
As for the 3/4 hours sleep on the first night I guess we'll try to catch it. what is the closest place to the airports? I'm trying to minimize driving time that night, if possible without spending much for 3/4 hours on a bed. Or should I not worry as there won't be much traffic at all at those times?
The bad news is that your arrival situation sucks... :( I'm not entirely convinced that you won't be allowed to hang out at the airport for a few hours, but you could always taxi/shuttle three minutes to the Garden Court Hotel where they have a 24/7 Denny's (ugh!) and casino. If sleep/shower's in the cards, book in advance a backpackers or other basic lodging in nearby Alajuela. Western San Jose is also a possibility, but it's further and there's a fixed $19 taxi cost you'll need to factor in unless your accomodations offers a transfer.
The good news is that you can really play the PJ/Carate lodging part by ear... The ranger station is adjacent to the airstrip in Puerto Jimenez, so after you land, just walk over there and get sorted. Ask there and at the internet cafe (www.soldeosa.com) in the center of town about budget Carate options and then make your decision. If you decide to go to Carate, have breakfast at the Carolina or wherever and ask them to hold your bags for a few hours while you explore around...
The more I read about it and the less it seems I know! I was just wondering what would be necessary in the dormitory beds at sirena st? That is: do we need to have a mosquito net or the building is closed? what exaclty is provided? does anyone know?
At Sirena, the beds are bunk-beds 2 sets per room (some may have more), foam mattresses, rooms are open at the roof eaves. You definitely will need mosquito net, maybe a bit of rope to rig it, and a 'sleeping sheet' is a good idea (that's a sheet folded lengthwise and sewn on one side, like a cloth sleeping bag. Makes a good sleeping bag liner, too). There are a few pillows here and there, not sure if you would want to use them (we helped diagnose head lice in a fellow guest there, I think by the life stage development he didn't get it there, but certainly may have left it there). Showers are cold water (but feel good in the heat), complete with roaches/ants/etc. Not that Sirena is dirty, but it's a biological station in the jungle. It's not a resort. Howler monkeys may wake you at 0530 by throwing bowling balls on the tin roof (at least thats what it sounded like), everything you bring will smell sour by the time you leave, and bugs (and sometimes snakes) don't respect doorways (hence the security of a mozzie net). The tent area is under a roof, or you can pitch tent on the lawn nearby. Food is simple but plentiful, everyone eats same, you must be there on time when it is served. They are strict that you can't get food unless you arrange and pay in advance (the way around this, if you forget to arrange for food, is to bring a 'gift', like a bottle of liquor or a nice engraving of a US president. Then, if you are polite, you may be able to buy some food there. Everything is brought in by boat or plane, so they REALLY discourage unplanned eaters. We observed someone trying to buy food, being refused even after offering extra money, but finally melting their resolve by giving a gift of a policemans badge from their job. A personal gesture goes a long way). Bring binoculars (or, better, hire a guide who will provide nice ones) , towel, soap, flashlight, snack food (consider skipping their breakfast, or you will be eating at the prime wildlife viewing time). Get up before light, sleep in the afternoon, go out again in the evening and at night, hire a guide.
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