When visitors think about Things to Do in this area they don’t often think of a trip to Gandoca Lagoon. Of course there are loads of different trips and activities on this coast and so this one often remains in the background — but it shouldn’t because an afternoon spent at Gandoca Lagoon could be the highlight of your trip. It is certainly one of my favourites.
Easy to arrange, an interesting drive from Puerto Viejo and off the tourist track, this trip can hold all sorts of nature and wildlife surprises such as watching pelicans fishing at the end of the lagoon, egrets in mangrove swamps or even a manatee…
If you feel like spending a lazy afternoon in gorgeous natural surroundings, spotting wildlife whilst being rowed quietly along this pretty lagoon, then this is the trip for you.
Apart from enjoying spectacular beaches and gorgeous rainforest, there are plenty of other Things to Do on this coast, such as visiting The Ara Project in Manzanillo.
The Ara Project is an organization dedicated to the reproduction and release of the Great Green Macaw. The Great Green Macaw is classified as a species in danger if extinction. Without help, these magnificent birds will disappear.
Currently there are less than 300 Green Macaws in Costa Rica and less than 1000 in the world. The Ara Project, Manzanillo is the only such project in the world!
So if you want to see these beautiful birds and you’re here on holiday, don’t miss this on your Things to Do list!
So what are these wonderful birds like? Well, Great Green Macaws are the second biggest bird of the family of parrots, with incredibly strong beaks that can crack the hardest nuts. You would need a hammer to crack a wild almond nut (their main food source) but they crack it just like that! Great Green Macaws are not just green — in flight they are spectacular and show their rainbow colours. They live in humid rainforest and so Manzanillo is their perfect habitat.
We decided to go and visit them the other day and what a thrill it was! We pulled into the little car park, which incidentally must be one of the more beautiful car parks ever, with views of great tracts of rainforest. Getting out of the car, we were met with raucous screeching and calling — the Great Green Macaws were announcing our arrival.
Immediately 7 or 8 Macaws came swooping overhead, alighting on nearby branches and curiously checking us out — as we checked them out.
A volunteer arrived with nuts and pieces of coconut which she put on a wooden tray and then hoisted up into a tree. It was Tea time for the Macaws.
We climbed a small hill and listened to volunteer Heike explain about the project, their work, their fun with the birds and all about the birds themselves.
At the same time as hearing about The Ara Project we were treated to stunning flights by the Macaws against a ‘Lost Eden’ backdrop of rainforest.
Several Macaws came to listen to Heike too and perched on branches within a few feet of us we could admire their gorgeous plumage close up.
It was one of those afternoons when you simply feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to see such natural beauty.
If you would like to know more about The Ara Project, Manzanillo, take a look at their website:
http://thearaproject.org
And when you visit this coast, go there — You will not forget the Great Green Macaws!
Agnes the Agouti at Geckoes Lodge is in love — I think. She is a regular visitor but usually alone. Then suddenly the other day whilst washing up I spotted her running and leaping with a friend.
Agnes the Agouti is one of my favourite residents at Geckoes. She has been around for years but is hard to photograph because she is not just fast — she is supersonic.
Our two Rhodesian Ridgebacks can go from being completely prone with four paws in the air to the garden within a couple of seconds. They are speedy. But they still cannot catch Agnes the Agouti. One second she is eating palm fruits or a piece of papaya out the back of the kitchen and the next moment she is 100 metres away with Ridgebacks Fred & Charlie in hot pursuit. Often seen early in the morning or at dusk Agnes the Agouti just laughs in the face of such efforts by Fred & Charlie. She knows she can outrun them easily.
Agoutis are classed as rodents but they are so much cuter than any rodent I’ve seen. Watching Agnes the Agouti pick up a mango stone in her paws and give it a good chew is still a thrill after all these years.
Wiki has the low-down on them of course:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_American_agouti
Since Agoutis are monogamous maybe Agnes the Agouti has found her mate and with luck, we can expect a baby Agouti or two around Geckoes Lodge. I hope the babies will be as cool as Agnes — walking up to the entrance the other afternoon she was sitting with a nut on our road. She definitely saw me plus Fred & Charlie, but she didn’t run. Of course this confused the hell out of Fred & Charlie who just stood looking at her. Slowly, Agnes the Agouti sauntered into the forest. She’s got them sussed.
Thanks to Hacienda Baru for this fun clip of a busy Agouti.
http://www.haciendabaru.comLiving surrounded by rainforest is beautiful of course, but what really makes it fun is all the wildlife we get to see and Agnes the Agouti is certainly a star of Geckoes Lodge.
Need to put some Wild in your Life?
When you’re planning your next holiday or vacation have a think about a Wildlife Week or two at Geckoes Lodge!
When we first arrived in Puerto Viejo, one of the greatest pleasures was the variety and amount of wildlife around us. That remains a daily joy and every morning I breakfast with the toucans in Geckoes garden. I laugh at the Howler monkeys who pelt me with miniature figs and Agnes, our resident Agouti hangs around near the kitchen eating fruit scraps.
Caribbean Costa Rica is not only famous for spectacular beaches and great tracts of rainforest but also for loads of wildlife. Think Howler Monkeys, Sloths, Agoutis, Night Monkeys, Armadillos and of course a plethora of birds and butterflies.
The Caribbean coast is simply the best place in Costa Rica to see a variety of wildlife without giving up comfortable places to stay, great restaurants and jaw-droppingly beautiful beaches.
Imagine a week or two where you can live a different Caribbean wildlife adventure each day and every day see something new and fascinating. We’ve put together a Wildlife Week Menu with choices to suit every age and inclination. There’s more than enough to see and do on this coast — if you want a different wildlife experience per day, no problem! In fact a Wildlife Week may not be long enough — you could fill a couple of weeks and still not see it all.
Have a look at our Wildlife Week Menu:
http://www.geckoeslodge.com/wildlife-week/
Of course anyone even thinking of coming to this coast are wildlife enthusiasts but kids universally love it! In today’s world where daily life is full of technology, a Family Wildlife Week gives you all the chance to unplug and have fun together in amazing rainforest and on incredible beaches.
Staying a Geckoes Lodge you are surrounded by wildlife and our rainforest villas are designed to make viewing easy and luxurious… you can simply wildlife spot from your plunge pool, hammocks, living area, kitchen and even your bathroom or bed!
A Wildlife Week can be just the antidote to the concrete jungle and you’ll return home with not only thousands of photos but great memories. Make your life a little more Wild today — plan a Wildlife Week at Geckoes Lodge and get back to nature 🙂