Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
Golfo Dulce is a tropical fjord in the southern part of Costa Rica. Its deep waters are a haven for whales and dolphins coming from both the northern and southern hemispheres on the Pacific coast of the Americas. In the 16th century, Spanish explorers who ventured into this area were impressed by the fact that its waters appeared to be less salty than the ones found in the Pacific Ocean outside the gulf. The reason for this peculiarity was the fact that numerous rivers from the surrounding rainforests flow into it. Thus the Spaniards named it Golfo Dulce which translates into Fresh Water Gulf.
This morning we anchored by the port of Golfito where early in the morning the Costa Rican immigration officials cleared the ship and we were allowed to continue our journey into San Josecito where right after breakfast we landed at Casa Orquideas (Orchid House) a fantastic botanical garden which a couple of American expatriates (Ron and Trudy Macallister) planted on the site of an abandoned cacao plantation some 26 years ago. We walked along the well-kept trails throughout the morning accompanied by our naturalists and our hosts from Smithsonian and World Wildlife Fund looking at the fascinating tropical plant collection and keeping an eye out for birds. Melissa, the masseuse, took her chair ashore and some of us could enjoy a relaxing massage in this little piece of heaven… We just didn’t expect heaven to be this hot. So once back onboard we indulged jumping into the ocean from the stern.
After making our own salads for lunch, Marco, our hotel manager, opened the ship’s gift shop and again we indulged… this time in shopping. Then siesta time came and after that Robin gave an enlightening presentation which was followed by Zodiac rides or kayaking along the mangroves of the Rincon River or a birding walk with Ricardo and Christian.
Evening cocktails were followed by recaps and next day’s briefing. For dinner we had a taste of Costa Rican traditional cuisine and then Katherine, the Wellness Specialist, introduced us to the world of tropical dances… basically salsa and merengue.
Golfo Dulce is a tropical fjord in the southern part of Costa Rica. Its deep waters are a haven for whales and dolphins coming from both the northern and southern hemispheres on the Pacific coast of the Americas. In the 16th century, Spanish explorers who ventured into this area were impressed by the fact that its waters appeared to be less salty than the ones found in the Pacific Ocean outside the gulf. The reason for this peculiarity was the fact that numerous rivers from the surrounding rainforests flow into it. Thus the Spaniards named it Golfo Dulce which translates into Fresh Water Gulf.
This morning we anchored by the port of Golfito where early in the morning the Costa Rican immigration officials cleared the ship and we were allowed to continue our journey into San Josecito where right after breakfast we landed at Casa Orquideas (Orchid House) a fantastic botanical garden which a couple of American expatriates (Ron and Trudy Macallister) planted on the site of an abandoned cacao plantation some 26 years ago. We walked along the well-kept trails throughout the morning accompanied by our naturalists and our hosts from Smithsonian and World Wildlife Fund looking at the fascinating tropical plant collection and keeping an eye out for birds. Melissa, the masseuse, took her chair ashore and some of us could enjoy a relaxing massage in this little piece of heaven… We just didn’t expect heaven to be this hot. So once back onboard we indulged jumping into the ocean from the stern.
After making our own salads for lunch, Marco, our hotel manager, opened the ship’s gift shop and again we indulged… this time in shopping. Then siesta time came and after that Robin gave an enlightening presentation which was followed by Zodiac rides or kayaking along the mangroves of the Rincon River or a birding walk with Ricardo and Christian.
Evening cocktails were followed by recaps and next day’s briefing. For dinner we had a taste of Costa Rican traditional cuisine and then Katherine, the Wellness Specialist, introduced us to the world of tropical dances… basically salsa and merengue.
