Hi there,
My family and I just booked a trip for a February getaway in Costa Rica. I'm wondering if anyone has done any open water swimming on the Southern Caribbean cost, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. We are staying in a town called Colces (?) about two miles from there and I am hoping to swim every day.
I know there are many rip-tide warnings in that area and am wondering if anyone had any favorite swimming spots in that area?
At this point, and being a retailer heading into Christmastime, I'm just happy to have the idea in my head of gorgeous water, the prospect of snorkeling with my little one, and waking in the jungle to see monkeys in the trees overhead. Yippee!
I just looked it up and it's nowhere near where we are going. The area we're visiting is well know for surfing, snorkeling, and diving. The biggest issue seems to be rip-tides, but I think otherwise, it looks somewhat comparable to the water conditions we had when we were in Belize two years ago.
I am hoping someone might be able to recommend a favorite beach or two.
Yes. Near Jaco. We drove over a bridge and saw dozens of them sunning on a little island in the middle of the river. 15 to 20 feet long. They sometimes feed in salt water. This was near Jaco beach.. not sure if that's close to where you're going or not.
I would highly recommend doing some research before snorkeling or doing any open water swimming in Costa Rica. It's not like the US where signs are everywhere to protect people from their own ignorance. You need to know what you're getting into before you go in the rivers, ocean, jungle, etc.
jaco is on the pacific side. there is a bridge near jaco where the locals toss chickens to the cocodrillo's below (quite a busy tourist stop) and some of them are huge.
i think salt water incursion occurs only near where there is a fresh water outlet.
Was on that bridge a couple years back :)
www.awoosh.com/.../acq.jpg
I would second the research aspect, central america isn't the sort of place to go drifting, next stop Cuba :)
When I swam in Belize two years ago, there were these crazy silver fish that would attack while I swam. They butted their heads into you and nipped at your scars--apparently something the people who lived there were well aware of.
I never went farther than between two piers after the first day, when I realized that screaming when they attacked was probably scaring the folks on the beach. They never did damage, but damn was it scary.
Needless to say, I plan on doing a bit of research before swimming in Costa Rica--regardless of how far I am from crocodile bridge. The whole "research" idea was why I let all of you scare the bejeesus out of me in the first place. Thanks everyone! Sheesh....
