The transition from rainy season to summer season in Costa Rica is a time of abundant wildlife. Rivers, streams, lakes and ponds are full of water, vegetation is lush, and settings are ideal for capturing Costa Rica’s exotic wildlife on camera.
This is especially true on a river trip. In the Nosara Costa Rica area on the Nicoya Peninsula, the Nosara River Safari gives visitors a really close look at animal and plant life while cruising on the Nosara and Montana rivers onboard a quiet electric-motor boat.
More than 270 species of birds can be observed along the Nosara River and the Montana River, which flow through the Nosara Biological Reserve. You can see herons, egrets, kingfishers, parrots, roseate spoonbills, trogons, motmots, anhingas, and many coastal birds since the river estuary is right near the coast. This time of year also coincides with autumn bird migration season from North America, so you may see northern visitors as they pass through Costa Rica for the winter.
In addition to birds, you may see howler or white-faced monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas, basilisks, and beautiful trees from the dry tropical forest indigenous to the region.
The Nosara River Safari uses a stable, flat-bottomed catamaran boat specially-outfitted with a nonpolluting, soundless and powerful electric motor. There is seating for 10 persons on cushioned benches. Led by a naturalist guide, the tour begins by the river mouth and cruises up the wide, open Nosara River, and then into the tangled mangrove estuary of the Montana River.
There are two tours daily (weather permitting), in the early morning and afternoon; each tour lasts two hours.
L’acqua Viva Resort & Spa at Playa Guiones in Nosara can arrange tours with Nosara River Safari and all of the top adventure and nature tours in Nosara. Close by is the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, famous for the hundreds of thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles that come to the beaches to lay their eggs from July to December.
Playa Guiones at Nosara is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Guanacaste Coast. Renowned for some of the best surfing in Costa Rica and on the national surfing circuit, the uncrowded white sand beach was recommended as one of the best places to go in 2014 by CNN and National Geographic. Playa Guiones is also home to the famous Nosara Yoga Institute.
Article by Shannon Farley
