Pto Jimenez, Costa Rica
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Golfo Dulce

There are a variety of delightful full service lodges along the Golfo Dulce from Golfito northwest, wrapping around the Gulf as far as Rincón.  Many of these are boat access only and therefore remote, though a couple are served by road access from the Chacarita-Carate highway.  The northeast side of the gulf is characterized by dense forest and very steep mountains rising from a rocky coastline.  There are sand beaches and rocky beaches.  Many of these destinations bound Piedras Blancas National Park, renowned for its spectacular botanical biodiversity.  The isolation of Golfo Dulce destinations makes them best suited for visitors looking for privacy and seclusion in paradise. 

The Golfo Dulce offers a spectacular variety of wildlife and is particularly well known for its botanical biodiversity.  The coast presents very steep shorelines rising through primary rain forest to mountain heights along the entire Golfo Dulce coastline from Río Esquinas to Golfito.  This area gets more rain than others and has an abundance of streams and rivers, waterfalls, and classic tropical montane habitat.  Your lodge will offer hiking tours, but the ambitious visitor is encouraged to recognize the streams as his or her personal highway to the highlands.  Beyond the boundaries of the resort of your choice lays untouched national parks there for you to explore. 

Golfo Dulce Motor Boat Tours:  The Golfo Dulce is the tenth deepest gulf in the world and encompasses shorelines ranging from nearly vertical on the northeastern coast to mangrove swamps in the Esquinas corner and near Rincon.  Humpback whales calve in the Gulf, and whale sharks make annual pilgrimages into the still gulf waters.  Porpoises are a dime a dozen and can be come across in pods of hundreds of individuals.  Motor boat tours up to six hours in duration provide a spectacular low-impact activity.  Enjoy snorkeling and swimming.  The signature experience is with Changing Tide Tours which offers six hour tours for $65.  Reserve

Casa Orquídea Botanical Garden.  Twenty-five years in the making, Casa Orquídea is the region´s botanical zheitgeist.  It is impossible to say whether it is the immaculate botanical diversity or the spectacular physiognomic setting, but Casa Orquídea keeps delivering.  $20 dollars project donation for visitors.  Boat access only.   Reserve

The northeastern Golfo Dulce presents a highly unique and unusual coastal geomorphology.  This naturally is a primordial factor governing the ecosystem, but it is the morphology of the land that is most striking.  Here we have highlands that plunge into the tenth deepest gulf on the planet.  Near the Esquinas, there are sand beaches, but most of the coastline is rocky with cobble beaches in coves and spectacular rock points and faces.  Self-guiding, mostly, and endlessly fascinating

The waters on the northeastern Golfo Dulce coast have minimal riverine disturbance and on average maintain high visibility below water.  The rocky shelves provide skin-divers a treasure trove of underwater adventure completely different from coral habitats.  Snag lobsters for dinner if you can do it as they are abundant along this coast along with a rainbow of marine wildlife, including whale sharks, humpback whales, porpoises, and a variety of rays.

PLAYA NICUESA RAINFOREST LODGE: A lush tropical setting and accessible by boat only, Nicuesa Lodge is a newly built all-inclusive lodge situated on Playa Nicuesa. Ten cabinas nestled into immaculate grounds in primary rain forest on the Golfo Dulce shoreline.  Get ready for gourmet cuisine, kilometers of trails, all virgin primary, beach, mountains, alternative-energy powered facilities.

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DOLPHIN QUEST  Located on 700 acres of private nature preserve and boasting one mile of beachfront, Dolphin Quest is also home to unspoiled primary tropical rain forest, waterfalls, and a bountiful variety of wildlife.  Lodging, home-cooked meals, snorkeling, sea kayaking standard, a full set of local tours also available.

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SUITAL LODGE Located on 60 acres of private nature preserve, this beach and rain forest lodge offers a full suite of tours, comfortable accommodations, and vehicular access.  The economic rates make Suital Lodge one of the best bargains in lodging in the Golfo Dulce region.  Rates are lodging only, but the meals prices are also reasonable 

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ESQUINAS RAINFOREST LODGE  Very comfortable destination located on the Golfo Dulce shores.  Vehicular access from Golfito.  Fourteen well-anointed cabins, ten miles of well-tended trails through the forest, chemical-free swimming pool, all-inclusive, electricity, hot water.  

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