Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica, yet undiscovered, always magical. When we talk about areas off the beaten track we usually imagine that are areas that are not known because they are not as spectacular as the ones everyone visits right? After all the popular areas are popular because they are amazing…
However, we do have to consider other facts that are not included in the “amazingness” of a country. facts like: “How long has the country been into tourism?” Or… Maybe it is up until now that there is a decent road to that area or maybe, the people in the surroundings are so used to that… waterfall, cave, forest, that they simply don’t think it is that spectacular.
When I first went to the area of Golfo Dulce, one of my goals was to see the bioluminescence, that amazing effect that certain sea creatures project and that makes the ocean seem fluorescent at night. I asked some people of Golfito town “Is it true that in the Gulf I will be able to see bioluminescence at night?” and they looked at me as if I was crazy… I thought at first that they didn’t know what I was talking about, and then I repeated the question “You know the effect that makes the ocean seem fluorescent… ?” But then, I realize that it was like asking “Is it true that there is air to breathe here?” They are so used to it that they don’t find it exciting or amazing… their ocean is like that at night since they are babies.
Golfo Dulce is a spectacular area, unknown and undiscovered. Nevertheless, it is heavenly… In a way, it is good that is undiscovered as it keeps the pristine environment and its wild beauty.
This gulf is a wonder itself. One of the deepest points of the ocean, it has been considered to be one of the very few tropical fjords in the World, giving a richness in fish and marine life that makes it a capital to see whales and huge dolphin schools. But goes beyond that. It is surrounded by a great extension of rainforest and probably one fo the most amazing sights in it are a great amount of free scarlet macaws flying around the gulf as common there, as sparrows in a city.
There is abundant wildlife and the rainforests of the area are truly breathtaking and as you can see in the pictures the forest touches the water in mostly all the East side of the Gulf.
Golfo Dulce
How to get there?
There are two ways to get there, flying or driving. However, it is pretty far away from San Jose, taking a five to six hours drive. Great roads, mostly all highways, and the landscapes on the way are really gorgeous. Still, it can be tiring.
The other way is, of course, flying. The two main local airways fly to Golfito and Jimenez which are the two towns in the surroundings of Golfo Dulce.
Where to stay?
Right on Golfo Dulce there are some hotels and lodges, my favorite though is Nicuesa Lodge, a remote lodge surrounded by wilderness where you will experience nature in a most intense way. It is comfortable, the food is absolutely delicious and the service is outstanding (Look for our article in Nicuesa in the following weeks)
What to do there?
You can simply sit on the terrace of your room and wait for the wildlife to pass by… While staying in the area I felt like sitting on the edge of the animals highway… However, if you like to really live the rainforest, you can go hiking in some of the multiple trails in the area, you can go kayaking, paddle boarding, practice some yoga, go snorkeling or go on a dolphin and whale quest.
In conclusion:
Golfo Dulce is an amazing place if you are a water person as if you are a true nature lover. It will fill your senses, relax you, as you will have tropical nature at the best and most intense way.
Try it… If you are, as we are saying, into nature, into birds, and into wildlife… Golfo Dulce is your place in Costa Rica. Contact me if you have any questions or, if simply, you want to reserve and enjoy paradise on Earth.
Forest in Golfo Dulce
Noelia Moya
Written by Noelia Moya for Camino Travel. If you have any questions or comments write me to info@caminotravel.com