Category: Sea kayaking

We have available spaces on one of our 3-day overnight sea kayak trips in August:

3-5 of August

If you would like to join on any of this 3 day kayak adventure please let us know.

Read more about the overnight sea kayak adventure here:

http://www.bahiarica.com/sea-kayaking/3-day-sea-kayak-adventure/

From our Sea kayaking journal – 2.- 4. April 2013
3-day kayak tour with camping

Julie from Scotland and Mike from USA are not experienced kayakers, but were looking very much forward to this overnight kayaking adventure. The first day we let the current take us out to Isla Tortuga. The second day we did some snorkeling and visited the Spider monkeys before camping at Isla Cedros. Mike and Julie were quite tired the last day so they were happy that the day’s route was short with several long stops. We returned to Bahia Rica after 3 beautiful days of kayaking and could log about 33 km.

Day 1 (15 km)
After packing the kayaks and a quick kayak instruction at the beach we could start our 3 day kayak adventure. The current was strong and we could float like in a slow moving river the first part of the day. We stopped at the “tunnel beach” at Isla Nancital, but the swell was quite big, so it was only Vigdis that kayaked through the tunnel. The paddle over to Isla Quesera in Curu Wildlife Refuge was very calm and relaxing. However Mike and Julie were very happy to reach land as their arms were starting to get sore. It did not take them many seconds to get out of the kayaks and into the blue water to cool off. We had planned to have a longer stop with lunch here, but plans were changed as the restrictions in the park have become much stricter and you are only allowed to enter through the main gate or main beach.

Fortunately it was still early so we got in the kayaks again and kayaked over to Isla Alcatraz to have lunch there. We got a pretty strong head wind on our way over, so Julie and Mike got to feel the kayaking can be hard work too.

For the rest of the afternoon we relaxed at our private beach at Isla Alcatraz. Well almost private, we shared it with millions of hermit crabs. At last we made it over to Isla Tortuga and were exited to set up our hammock camp. We had dinner at the workers quarters and had the liberty of exploring a bit to see all the birds and animals they have on the island.

Day 2 (11 km)
All of us slept really well in our Hennessy Expedition hammocks and were well rested apart from the sun burn that both Julie and Mike had gotten, so it was time for long sleeve shirts for them. We went straight out the rock in front of Isla Tortuga where Julie could rest on the floating dock while Mike and I went snorkeling. It is always nice to be at the snorkeling spot before anyone else gets there. The water was still murky, but there is so much fish around this rock that it is still really nice.

Half way over to Isla Nancital the water got quite choppy and as we stopped to make a kayak float to have a rest and some snacks Julie started to get sea sick. She had a very though time the last kilometers and I gave her some towing assistance. We kayaked through Boca the Tiburon (the passage between the two Negritos Islands) so that we could stop for lunch at the beautiful little white sand beach at Isla Nancital. After 2 good hours of rest we got into the kayaks to go looking for the Spider Monkeys, and we did not have to go far before we found them. It was a group of 4 females and one pregnant one came all the way down to the kayaks.

The water was calm and nice on the inside of the island and the last leg of the day’s kayaking was pleasant. We set up camp at Playa Langosta at Isla Cedros. Julie and Mike soon found some hammocks the local fishermen had made of old fishing nets and where in heaven. We had a relaxed dinner before Mike and I went out for a little evening kayak tour to see the bioluminescence. It was a dark night and the algae lit up the water around our kayaks. It is just an amazing phenomena and we agreed that Disney must have gotten the idea of Tinkerbell’s star dust from the bioluminescence.

Day 3 (7 km)

We woke up to the most stunning sunrise, and the beauty of sleeping in a Hammock on the beach is that you don’t even have to get out of “bed” to see it. We had a very relaxed morning treating sore muscles and sunburn and Julie and Mike were pleased that the day’s route was short. The lack of kayaking experience was felt in their shoulders and arms, but that is only normal and they did great and enjoyed the kayaking adventure a lot.

We looped around the small bird islands at the east side of Isla Cedros. It has still not rained this year so they are all covered in white from the bird shit. It looks like a thin layer of snow and frost.

We stopped for a rest at Gonzalos beach where we walked through the “hole in the wall” with water up to our waist. It is amazing to feel the power of the water just from the surge of the ocean swell through the hole. We also had to go up to the view point and look back at where we had come from.

From there we slowly made our way along the north shore of Isla Cedros looking at birds, crabs, iguanas and jumping rays. We stopped for lunch at Isla Jesucita. It was very nice to relax in the shade at Alex’s beach and again meet some of the local people living on these Pacific Islands.

At last we just had a short paddle home to Bahia Rica after lunch, which was good as the wind from south came up a bit and made us work harder.

All in all we had 3 great days, some hard work paddling, some smooth easy paddling and a lot of relaxing and exploring. Mike and Julie could proudly log about 33 km on their first real kayaking adventure.

See more pictures from this trip here.

Sea kayaking journal – 24.- 26. February 2013

3-day kayak tour with camping

On this overnight kayaking tour we had a very different route than in the last one since the tide was the total opposite.  We had a nice and varied group with Bente and John Arild from Norway, Ann-Elin and Aldo from Norway and Costa Rica and at last Thomas and Anya from Switzerland.

Day 1 (20 km):
After a good breakfast and an hour of prepping and packing 5 of us were ready to set out on the beautiful calm gulf water. Thomas and Anya would join us later as they could not leave work so early in the morning. The stretch over to Playa Hacienda Vieja at Isla San Lucas was spent getting to know one another and just taking in the scenery of the Gulf of Nicoya. Just before we reached the island the northern wind came up so we decided to take little longer break there and have lunch on the beach instead of kayaking around the island to where the prison ruins are. Just as soon as it came the wind died down again and we could continue up to the fascinating small island in the channel between Isla San Lucas and the main land. These are bird islands with lots of nice caves and cactus.

We continued south again along shore and beached at Playa Blanca for another nice swim and could enjoy the beach party they had there for some minutes before we continued to the calmness on Isla Gitana (or Isla Muertos as it was previously named as it was a cemetery island for the villagers on the main land). Here we were met by the caretaker Edgar. He immediately advised us not to set up our hammock under certain palm trees due to some birds that came there to overnight. As this was the spot we thought was nicest we ignored his advise… thinking a little bit of bird song in the morning won’t harm us. Lesson learned: always listen to the locals! As it got dark a bunch of Great-tailed Grackles came flying in and as Edgar predicted landed in those particular palm trees and yes they are noisy.

At last we Thomas and Anya did not join us as they had an emergency with the water situation at the hotel Thomas owns and they had to stay behind to sort that out.

After enjoying a good barbeque meal Aldo, Ann-Elin and I went out for a little night kayaking tour. The light from the full moon gave the surroundings a beautiful silver shade. In some parts the biolumencese was quite strong as well and we started splashing around to move the water in order to see it.

Day 2 (15 km)

We started the day with a typical Norwegian breakfast before we explored the coast line across from Isla Gitana. The tide was nice and low so we could go ashore on the little tidal beach at Islas Pajaros when we got there. The morning was very calm and nice so it was nice with a refreshing dip in the water. We continued south to Playa Lorenzo where we split up with Ann-Elin and Aldo. They had to continue back to Bahia Rica as they had to catch the 2pm ferry back. Unfortunately Aldo could not get more time off from work.

Bente, John Arild and I continued into the Paquera mangroves and had lunch at the beach there before we floated up and down Rio Grande. Today the birds were numerous and floating down the river was like being in a bird zoo.

After a day filled with impressions and nice kayaking moments we beached at Isla Jesucita and set up our camp for the night. Alex and his wife made a nice Tico dinner for us and they even had some cold beer.

Day 3 (17 km)

We woke up to a nice and calm day and followed the current out to Isla San Pedro. We beached on the small tidal beach and got out our snorkeling gear. We swam in dense schools of sardines, and we spotted a big lobster, a moray eel and a lot of other fish.

We of course also had to visit Isla Nacital and the Spider Monkeys. We found them quite soon and as we continued kayaking along shore they followed us. Suddenly we realized that it was not them following us, but we them. They had discovered something up ahead and were moving very fast through the branches and over the steep cliff. It is amazing to watch these acrobatic animals.

At last we left the monkey and headed over to Isla Cedros and had lunch at Playa Langosta. The tide was coming in fast so we had to pull the kayaks up higher and higher on the beach.

On the way back to Bahia Rica in the afternoon we made a detour out to the small birdislands Islas Carretos.

We landed on the Bahia Rica beach after 3 days packed with impression and experiences. All in all we logged a bit more than 50 km.

To see more pictures from the 3-day kayak tour check our photo album on Facebook