Costa Rica – Hotel at Nicoya Peninsula Pacific coastline

Introduction:

What? :

This blog is all about the wildlife we saw on our few days stay at the beach near the small town of Coco, not so far from Guanacaste Airport (Liberia).

 

The large hotel (RIU) is located on the 1-mile-long sandy beach facing north. On both sides of the bay there are large rocky hills and cliffs, and the bay is surrounded by the local rainforest.

Animal picture samples (there are a lot more below):

Other Costa Rica Blogs I wrote:

• Costa Rica – How to Plan your Visit and Tips
• Costa Rica – Poas Volcano
• Costa Rica – La Paz Waterfall
• Costa Rica – Starbucks Coffee Farm
• Costa Rica – The Crocodile Bridge
• Costa Rica – Sunset near the town of Jaco
• Costa Rica – Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio National Park
• Costa Rica – Manuel Antonio Biesanz Beach
• Costa Rica – Manuel Antonio Hotel
• Costa Rica – La Fortuna and Arenal Visit Planning
• Costa Rica – La Fortuna Arenal Mistico Hanging Bridges Park
• Costa Rica – Arenal Volcano View and Lava Trails (1968 Trail)
• Costa Rica – La Fortuna Waterfall
• Costa Rica – Tamarindo Beach and River Boat Ride

Our Hotel:

 

Every day, I wake up around sunrise, at 6am, and went for a long walk along the beach.

 

 

Where? :

Our hotel (Hotel Riu Guanacaste) is located on the north section of Nicoya Peninsula Pacific coastline, 35 km west of Guanacaste Airport (Liberia).

Google Map Link

 

 

When? :

Year round.

December to April is the dry season at Costa Rica and I recommend visiting the state when there is less chance for rain.

It’s also the most popular time to visit, so expect more tourists and crowds. Book things you know like hotel, park entries, rental car as far ahead as you can. 

When traveling to Costa Rica you should always be prepared for some showers no matter what time of year you are visiting.

 

Due note 1: Animals in general but especially birds are usually more active during the cooler morning hours, lizards and reptiles usually more active mid-day because they need to get warm.

 

Due note 1: The pictures in this blog are collective of 3 mornings walks.

 

My thoughts:

This was a very pricy hotel, outrageously pricy that I’m embraced to say how much.

This is all inclusive stay hotel and at list on this it indeed include all including 3 meals, drinks, including alcohol drinks even at your room.

The service is excellent, the facility and the location is good my main problem, leave aside the price, is the hotel size and the number of guests that is overwhelming. This is not a quite boutique hotel.

Other than that, the location itself is very nice, great beach and pools to spend the day at.

We did some activities, zipline and ATV, all with shuttle from the hotel,

The zipline is nice, ATV trip is OK.

 

 

Animal Viewing:

 

I saw here a lot of animals, mainly birds, few monkeys, Iguanas and even Sea Turtles laying eggs on the beach and even small Sea Turtles taking their first steps on earth walking done the beach to the ocean (protecting hatchery nursery baby release).

 

Birds:

Every day I wake up around 6am, right when it starting to get some light and I had down to the beach for bird viewing.

 

I saw many birds… I’m not a bird’s expert but I think I got the correct names.

 

Brown Pelican

 

 

Water Birds

 

Crested Caracara

 

 

Black vulture

 

 

Green Parrot

 

 

Monkeys (Capuchin monkeys):

We can here in the forest the howling monkeys … one day a group of Capuchin monkeys approach the trees near the beach.

Kids gave them bananas….

 

 

Iguanas:

We learned that there are tons of iguanas in Costa Rica, almost everywhere.

 

Here there where many in the tress near the beach and few green one that where at the hotel pool, we saw there the impressive male and 2 smaller families. The hotels guests are in the pool swimming plying just near the Iguanas …

 

Green iguana in the pool:

 

 

Black Iguana on the beach:

Iguana Mating, everything last less than 30 sec...

 

Sea Turtles:

This was an interesting experience, in one morning I saw on the beach a sea Turtles covering here egg nest with send and heading back to the ocean.

 

Few facts about sea turtles:

·         Adults will go back to the same area they were born at.

·         The sex of sea turtles depends on the temperature in the nest.

·         After about 60 days, baby turtles emerge out and make their way to the ocean

·         It is estimated that only one out of 1,000 hatchlings survives to be an adult.

 

In one of the nights there was an activity at the nearby protecting sea Turtles hatchery, they did a new baby release to the ocean just at sunset.

They released few of the 1-day old baby Turtles to the ocean.

They put the small turtles at upper dray section of the send (where turtles mom lay their egg) and let the small turtles walk and find their way down to the water.

The small sea Turtles, size of a credit card, manage to walk relatively fast down the sand, climbing over obstacles and reach the water in 15-20 minutes.

Taking their picture in the dark without the use of any light or flash was challenging…

 

Additional Pictures: