South of Costa Rica | 07 Most Beautiful Places in Costa Rica
South of Costa Rica is so beautiful, there are so many places to be visited. The information regarding some of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica as under:-
- Golfito
- Drake Bay
- Puerto Jimenez
- Uvita
- Dominical and Dominicalito
- Manuel Antonio
- Quepos
- Manglares de Damas
- Playa Bejuco
- Playa Herradura
- Playa Esterillos
- Playa Hermosa
- Jaco Beach
- Punta Leona Beaches
- Puntarenas
Golfito
Golfito is the most beautiful places in Costa Rica located in the Gulfo Dulce at some 340 km southeast of S. Jose. Golfito, South of Costa Rica is the perfect departure point for visits to other coastal community
such a Puerto Jimenez, Zancudo beach, Pavones beach as well as tours around the
Gulf, Rio Colorado, Drake, and Playa Cacao.
From 1938 until 1985 this remote town was once the
headquarters of United Fruit´s operation in this southern part of the
country. Just like in the region of Quepos, due to banana diseases, workers
unrest, and market falling prices most of the banana's plantations were
converted into African oil-palm. United Fruit moved out and left Golfito and
its people to endure an economic hardship that only several years later the
Costa Rica Government was able to alleviate.
The economy of the region was in fact boosted by the creation of a “deposito libre” a kind of duty-free facility that has given work not only to those directly involved in the trade of duty-free goods but also to hotels and related services.
Golfito is built-in two-part along the coastal
road with a backdrop of thickly forested steep hills. The northern part is
known as “zona Americana”, the old headquarter of United, with its beautiful
tropical homes and well-groomed gardens. This is the area where the airfield
and the duty-free zone are located.
The south of Costa Rica is less glamorous: the old
banana-workers houses, a small dock called “Muellecito” and the majority of
businesses are located in this area. Small but well protected the port
hosts an increasing numbers of sport fishing boats, yachts, and oceanic cruise
as well as being the departure point for the boat to Puerto Jimenez and to
Playa Cacao.
It is in this area of town that the Warner Bros
chose to shoot ”Chico Mendes” a true story of the famous Brazilian activist who
was killed in the effort of saving the Amazonian tropical forest from
deforestation.
Drake Bay.
Drake Bay, south of Costa Rica is a small village is composed of two tiny separate hamlets: Drake and Agujitas, joined by a rough road that runs along the coast between the soccer field and the airport and the most beautiful places in Costa Rica to explore.
Drake was named after the famous British explorer Sir Francis Drake who sailed to this remote corner of the world in March 1597. This laid-back village and bay are not easy to reach on the cheap but a journey to Drake is well worth your investment, a journey that will certainly convert you into an explorer.
A 4WD vehicle is a must all year round especially during the rainy season when the road becomes impassable due to its many deep river crossing. The best way to reach Drake is by boat or by plane, from the airstrip you will be transported by boat and 4WD to Drake bay. Most hotels will arrange transportation for you. Prepare yourself for some rough rides in true Camel Trophy style.
There are plenty of things to do in Drake, south of Costa Rica: a visit to Corcovado National Park, south of Costa Rica is not to be missed at all. The best way to reach the park is to take a boat ride. Hiking, birdwatching, horseback riding, sportfishing, canoeing or sea kayaking, whale watching, and dolphin encounter tours are among the most sought-after activities in the area along with snorkeling and scuba diving at nearby Cano Island.
Pueto Jimenez
Pueto Jimenez, south of Costa Rica located on the Golfo Dulce “Sweet Gulf” Puerto Jimenez is the heart of the Osa Peninsula.
This laid-back small town of about 700 inhabitants owes its fame to the time of the gold rush. Today there are only a few gold panners left, the real gold lies in the riches of Corcovado National Park that has changed this sleepy town into a thriving visitor's departure and arrival point.
The town itself is just a couple of dusty roads, small restaurants, few budget hotels, a handful of small travel agencies, a clinic, a soccer field, and an airstrip. Due to its remoteness, we suggest you fly into Puerto Jimenz. Daily flights with Sansa and Nature Air connect San Jose in about 50 to 60 mins. You can also reach Golfito on a small passenger boat, the 35 km trip across the waters, dolphins are likely to swim and play alongside the boat, you can almost touch them
For the more adventurous, a 4 x 4 vehicle is strongly recommended, it represents the best option for exploring these most beautiful places in Costa Rica to visit. It might take you as much as an 8 hours tedious drive from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez but once in the Peninsula de Osa, you will surely enjoy the freedom of having your own vehicle to visit areas that will be otherwise very difficult to reach.
The most attractive hotels in the area are in fact at some distance from the town center so is the Corcovado National Park with its remote and pristine beaches.
Take a boat tour from Puerto Jimenez and explore the estuary of the Rio Tigre and the mangroves of the Gulfo Dulce, you will see an incredible number of animals and birds like the magnificent scarlet macaw. This colorful bird can be spotted flying in pairs over the town especially before sunset and most come to eat from the trees surrounding the soccer field. A delightful sight.
Puerto Jimenez offers plenty of other activities mostly water-related like fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Due to the ocean, strong currents swimming is to be done with extreme caution.
For you surfing enthusiasts the place to be is Cabo Matapalo on the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula known for its right point breaks.
Uvita
The small village of Uvita, South Costa Rica is a loose straggle of houses and farms, an example of how Costa Rica beach towns looked like in the old days before the arrival of the tourist boom that changed most of the country’s coast.
The village's main attractions are miles of secluded beaches, hiking along the coastal mountain ridge, or the visit to the Ballena Marine National Park.
Small local tour operators offer whale and dolphin tours, sportfishing, and Ocean tours to Cano Island and Corcovado National Park.
At low tide, you can walk out along Punta Uvita, South of Costa Rica ask the locals for the best
time of the day so that you don’t get cut off by the tides.
Dominical and Dominicalito
The unpaved dirt road that joins Quepos to Dominical crosses miles and miles of African oil-palm plantation, with identical-looking settlements along the way. A similar landscape can be noticed on the road from Parrita to Quepos with the only difference that road conditions are a lot better.
Past Savegre and Matapalo, Dominical is the larges village in the area. If you are driving from San José your best choice is to head for Cartago and then take the Interamericana to San Isidro el General and then south to Dominical. Knowns as a surfer’s Mecca the beach at Dominical offers big waves with strong riptides and plenty of space for campers with facilities available.
Dominical, South of Costa Rica also offers a variety of tourism services and shops and represent an ideal departure point for tours and excursions to the hills above Dominical, to the majestic Nauyaca, falls, to Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Refuge or to the Ballena Marine National Park. South of Dominical lies Punta Dominical and Dominicalito, South of Costa Rica, a laid-back beach ideal for swimming and other sports activities.
Manuel Antonio
Quepos has become an important commercial center thanks to the stunning beauty of Manuel Antonio's hills beaches. There is a 7 km (approx. 4 miles) long winding road that joins Quepos with Manuel Antonio offering picturesque views of the ocean.
Manuel Antonio, South of Costa Rica is among one of the most publicized destinations in Costa Rica. The fast increasing number of tourists and visitors has created an escalation in hotel prices that tend to be much higher here than in the rest of the country.
Nonetheless, Manuel Antonio and its neighboring area are well worth a visit; squirrel monkeys, sloths, and colorful birds can easily be spotted in the lush vegetation that surrounds you. Be active, hire a bike, a horse, a kayak, fill yourself with adrenaline by touring the canopy or relax. you can always find a tranquil and secluded spot on the beach.
Manuel Antonio, South of Costa Rica will make your holiday an unforgettable one. The most visited attraction in this town and a must-see is the famous Manuel Antonio, National Park.
Many hotels, cabins, restaurants, and homes are built along this picturesque road. In the last 20 or so years despite such “invasion” Manuel Antonio has kept its charm and beauty. The area is in fact so rich in vegetation that most buildings are not visible from the main road nor from the beach.
Quepos
The town and the area surrounding Quepos were once inhabited by a sub-tribe of the Borucas Indians called Quepoa (or Quepo). The “grand conquistador” Jiuan Vasquez de Coronado once described the Quepoa as “the most beautiful people seen in these Indies”.
These people were not only handsome but also strong warriors who possessed gold taken partly from the rivers but mostly from Caribbean tribes against whom they waged relentless wars.
They lived in homes called Palenques: a large circular cane and thatch huts, in the foothills between the Paquita and the Savegre River and along the Naranjo River. They were known to be excellent divers who collected pearl-producing mollusk and for their swimming and diving abilities they were sought after by pirates and corsairs who needed to download their merchandise or hide their treasures.
As with many indigenous populations, the Quepoa declined due to warfare, diseases, and slavery brought by the European “conquistadores”. Infact by the end of the 19th century, no pure-blood Indians were left.
In 1920 Quepos, South of Costa Rica came to prominence as an important banana exporting port thanks to its huge banana plantations. A railway connecting this 14,000 hectares of the plantation to the port was built by the United Fruit Company who had made strong investments in the area.
But the banana crop had soon to be replaced by oil palms in response to a diseased that killed almost all the plants. The African oil palm plantations have since then represented for many inhabitants of the area the only available mean of income and because the finished product is much less bulky than bananas, Quepos declined as a major shipping port.
Instead, it has become important as a sportfishing center and as the gateway to the Manuel Antonio National Park.
In the 80´s a colony of North Americans and later Europeans lured by the beauty of Manuel Antonio hillside and beaches built their homes and started to do business in the area. From this moment to the present day Quepos, South of Costa Rica has rapidly transformed into a busy town.
The number of banks, shops, hotels, restaurants, and tourism-related activities is infact the proof that the Quepos, South of Costa Rica economy is rising at an incredible pace.
Quepos largest attraction is its sport fishing. Charter boats can be seen in the early morning loading tourists for some of the best “bill fishing” around. During the high season, the waters of the Pacific Coast are abundant with Marlin, Sailfish, and Dorado.
Charters can be booked from the many tour operators in Quepos with a day's notice. All fishing catches and release so bring your camera for this exciting sport.
Restaurants in Quepos, South of Costa Rica are plentiful. The Gran Escape is a favorite for many tourists. Located on the main street it has a nice open-air atmosphere.
The menu serves up a lot of the fresh catch of the day with lots of fresh varieties to choose from. An unforgettable menu item for dessert is their “macadamia nut pie” served up with Costa Rica’s famous “Dos Pinos” ice cream.
