Jungle Activities in Costa Rica

A jungle is a jungle, nevertheless biodiversity, terrain, and even climate vary depending on the region. Therefore, activities visitors can enjoy in each jungle may be somewhat different.

My favorite activities in Costa Rican rainforests include:

● Trekking　

Trekking paths may not be well maintained, so they become slippery during the rainy season.

● Night jungle tours　　

This is what "pitch black" means.
I hardly feel lonely or scared in the jungle at night, because there is life all around me.

● Bird watching (Wildlife observation)

This is a Scarlet Macaw. Their feathers are decorated with vivid colors.
Unfortunately, some species of Macaw are on the brink of extinction due to deforestation and illegal pet trade.

● Canopy walk
(Observation suspension bridge hanging over the canopy of trees)

If you are lucky, some canopy animals may be spotted.

● A dip in the river or lake

At this beautiful emerald green river, I had lunch with locals from the lodge and took a nice dip. I was impressed by their manners - they took every single piece of garbage back home.

● A stroll through nearby villages

Where there is a village, there are cattle, roaming freely on the grass.

● Relax at the beach or in the woods　

zzz...


Trekking through the jungle reveals the depth of its character as time passes throughout the day. What is most startling to me is that the sound of rainforest is indeed different between day and night.

During the day, the jungle is teeming with the sound of diurnal animals such as birds and monkeys. At night, on the other hand, the jungle is dominated by nocturnal animals.

If I am lucky, I may be able to encounter some rare animals. When I find footprints or droppings of animals, my mind wanders about in imagining the mysterious creatures that must have passed by before me.

One night when I was sleeping at a lodge adjacent to Corcovado National Park, I was woken up by roaring voice of some animal. As I rushed out of the room in astonishment, Carlos, the owner of the lodge, had already been on the veranda, carefully watching the moment.

It was a jaguar.



Souce: Wikipedia

Carlos told me that jaguars occasionally came to his lodge, aiming at his dogs.
It was dark outside, and I was disappointed that I could not catch the jaguar in my sight. In any case, the roaring voice of the jaguar made me tremble with excitement.

Normally we humans are not the target of jaguars, hence the chance of being attacked is slim. They would rather prefer not to come across humans, making it even harder for us to spot them. However, we should never attempt to approach parenting animals. Even if they are known not to attack humans, they may pounce on a threat in order to protect their cubs.

As a little aside...
When I was a child, I brought food right to my pet dog's mouth while she was nursing her pups.
And she bit my hand!
Ever since my sour experience, I use caution near parenting animals.

Besides what I mentioned above, a variety of fun activities are available in Costa Rica, including rafting, canoeing, diving, snorkeling, horseback-riding, bungee-jumping, volcano exploration, hot springs, and turtle sighting.

These activities are enjoyable only in the pristine wilderness.
It would be quite preposterous if eco-tourism fueled destruction of the natural environment. That is why the practice of sustainable tourism plays an important role.

I will talk about it in detail another time.

　
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