One of our last great adventures through Costa Rica was to Jeff’s family’s absolute favorite hidden paradise two weekends ago, Esterillos Oeste. The car trip down to Esterillos was probably one of my favorite experiences of this trip. There is nothing like learning to drive like a Tico (or be a passenger to one). An example of one of the many experiences driving through Central America are the commuter buses and trucks. When I say buses, I actually mean school buses that are packed so full we actually saw one guy jump from the back of the bus at his stop and the trucks are tiny trucks with as people squished together in the bed of the truck, one truck we passed I think we counted 10 people in the back. (Also can’t tell you how many iguanas almost lost their tails because they decided to cross the road a little too slowly.)
About 45 minutes outside of Esterillos is a little spot called Rio Tarcolas, commonly known as crocodile bridge. You can park your car and walk down the bridge on a little sidewalk about as wide as a person and cars whizzing past on the bridge just to look over the side of the bridge to the river below where the giant crocodiles are basking in the sun. Now mind you the bridge we were standing on was about 100 ft high so you can imagine just how big these guys were. Before continued on to Esterillos we noticed that they were selling the biggest pipas I had ever seen, so of course we had to get our fix of coconut water and take it to go.
One thing you need to know is that Esterillos Oeste is small, there are roughly 300 people living in town and it is a little piece of paradise. The southern part of Costa Rica becomes three times as humid as the northern parts and is covered by thick lush jungle that stretches out to the sandy beaches. The water is crystal blue with waves that can reach up to 20 ft in some parts along the coast like Playa Hermosa just a couple of minutes out of town and known for their epic surfing. The most mind blowing aspect of this beautiful destination is that you can walk out on the beach, look up and down the coast as far as you can see and you will be one of the only people standing out there. When we first arrived, I just stood on the beach listening to the waves roaring and crashing into each other, trying to soak in the peacefulness of it all.
It is so peaceful and beautiful at anytime of day, though the best times to go out are right around sunrise and walk the beaches. There are thousands of sand crabs creating little pictures in sand with their tiny feet and if you’re lucky you may even see some wild horses roaming the beach. Sadly we were only in Esterillos for a couple of days so I didn’t get to see any wild horses, but we did walk the beach a little after sunrise and saw a few crabs. The low tide allows you to walk out to La Sirena, a mermaid statue that guards the coast line.
If you ever choose to visit Costa Rica I highly recommend you make Esterillos Oeste a destination on your trip. You won’t be disappointed by the people, food, warm clear water and breathtaking sunsets. Thanks to the fishermen for letting me use their boats as props for my photos. These boats bring in loads of seafood every morning, you can meet the fishermen on the beach and buy from them right there. Talk about fresh!
Before we came back to Tamarindo at the end of our trip in Esterillos we made our way down to Manuel Antonio where the water is even bluer and warmer than you can imagine, you could look down and see the fish swimming around your ankles. There is so much to see in Manuel Antonio and unfortunately we were only there for a few hours, but we spent the morning swimming and playing in the water. We got to see a few Capuchin monkeys in Manuel Antonio before heading back to Tamarindo.
Both Esterillos Oeste and Manuel Antonio are little glimpses at just how big our world is and even though there are large amounts of people living in highly populated areas you can still find hidden gems like these. My heart is so full after getting to experience all the nature and beauty of Costa Rica.
lovellie
