Yes, we’re still here. Retirement is keeping us surprisingly busy. Another trip, a couple of hurricanes (no damage, thankfully), and a family visit have kept us really busy.
For some reason, blogging about Costa Rica has been a bit challenging. Don’t get us wrong; Costa Rica is beautiful and has spectacular wildlife, so much so that it blends.
That said if you ever get the chance to visit Costa Rica, DO NOT skip the opportunity to go to Tortuguero!
Heading to Tortuguero
At one point, Costa Rica was on our list of places for possible retirement. The climate, natural beauty, and warm people played a big part. We also soon realized that some areas outside of San Jose could have infrastructure issues, aside from living in a walled expat community away from everything we loved about Costa Rica.
The reason for mentioning this is twofold. As we left San Jose, we traveled along the Caribbean coast, passing beautiful countryside and banana plantations.Â
The trip took nearly three hours longer than usual as the road from San Jose that the tour would usually take had recently been washed out that week and would take some time to repair. Â
The second reason is that Costa Rican roads can be mountainous, wet, filled with potholes, narrow, winding, and have sheer dropoffs down the mountain. Our tour bus driver earned every cent Gate 1 paid them, and we’d have difficulty navigating many roads.
Arriving In Style
After a lengthy ride and a stop for lunch, we arrived at a boat launch, where our overnight bags were loaded into a boat for a scenic ride to our hotel for two nights.
The scenery was green and lush, and we saw many waterfowl and many locals who used this waterway as their means of transportation to access the local towns for supplies for daily life.
Aninga Lodge Tortuguero
Frente a la Laguna Principal Del Tortuguero, Diagonal, Limón, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
We loved the rustic beauty of Aninga Lodge. Located in Tortuguero National Park, it has a raised boardwalk surrounding each cabin, which is raised off the ground, as we’re sure this area floods during the rainy season.
The cabins were simple and rustic, with comfortable beds, a ceiling fan, a bathroom with plenty of hot water, and screened walls allowing plenty of airflow. But even with the curtains closed for privacy, you could hear people on either side of you.
We had buffet-style meals in a small dining room. Most meals included Gallo Pino, a Costa Rican staple of Rice and Beans. There was always fresh fruit and fruit juices. We were served by staff members who stood behind a large plexiglass screen. You could easily see the food selections; the staff was friendly and helpful. Most spoke at least some English, but our time living in Mexico and learning Spanish came in handy.
The food was always fresh and plentiful, with a decent selection, but very simple and tasty.
One of the highlights of the resort was its pool. Most of us relaxed by the pool on the first day, enjoying a swim and taking advantage of the amusingly friendly bartender. He poured a strong cocktail and was very funny.
The property is connected to a sister resort. We took a nature walk with our tour manager on our first morning. We saw several birds, some baby armadillos, sloths, and monkeys.
Wildlife Tours
The big reason to go to Aninga is to enjoy boat rides through the local waterways. The wildlife is incredible, with birds, reptiles, insects, and small mammals. The bird watchers in our group had a blast!
And kudos to our Tour Manager, Jose. Besides being knowledgeable about the country, its history, and culture, he was SUPER knowledgeable about the local wildlife.
A Visit To Town
Across the river from our resort was a village on a narrow strip of land between the waterway and the ocean. We wandered through town, grabbed a snack, did a bit of shopping, and walked the beach, circling back past a tiny school.
The town was simple, with no motorized vehicles and only accessible by boat. The town was adorned with colorful murals, mosaics, and decorated trash and recycling containers.Â
It was a great way to spend a few hours interacting with the locals while shopping and strolling through town.
Back to San Jose
After two very peaceful days at Aninga and exploring the waterways of Tortuguero, we returned to San Jose to meet up with new members of our Gate 1 Travel group, who would join us to explore the rest of the county.
On our way back, we stopped at Freddo Fressas Restaurant. The area is well known for its fresh strawberries, and they offered beautiful takeout cups of Strawberries and Whipped Cream.
Our group was treated to drinks and fresh, warm Tortillas. However, coming from Yucatan, these were slightly different from what we’re used to in Mexico. These griddled, dinner plate-sized Tortillas were offered sweet and savory options, served with a light crema. They were tasty, just way different from the corn tortillas we know.
Arriving in San Jose, we stayed at the same hotel we started at, grabbed a light dinner there, and slept well before heading off to Arenal and the rest of our adventure.
