Page 31 - Off The Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 2 of 2)

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FORGET BEACHES
MONTEZUMA?

THE BUILD-UP A favorite of budget travelers,
this laid-back village is an idyll for those who
love paradise on a budget. The once sleepy
fishing hamlet fronts a rocky cove and has a
gorgeous wave-washed beach to the east.
Visitors can choose from a variety of activities,
from ATV rides to waterfall rappels. Cabo
Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve is nearby.
Manzanillo ABOVE Idyllic, palm-fringed Punta Uva beach, located between Puerto THE LETDOWN With so many backpackers,

Montezuma has a bit of a “hippy” aura, and
Viejo and Manzanillo, Talamanca province, Costa Rica
Beach among at least 350 bird species here. And you’re much of the budget lodging leaves a lot to be
desired. Swimming in the ocean is dangerous
sure to see coatis, sloths, and monkeys galore. The due to riptides. Much of Cabo Blanco Absolute
Nature Reserve is off-limits, and if you miss the
vs Montezuma Beach refuge extends out to sea, protecting coral reefs bus, it’s a long walk.
teeming with colorful fish, a treat for snorkelers
Manzanillo, with its youthful edge, is replacing and divers. The watery world is also a breeding GOING ANYWAY? Carry sturdy footwear for
Montezuma as a hotspot for offbeat travel ground for tarpons and snooks – feisty gamefish hiking the trails in Cabo Blanco Absolute
that give anglers a rod-bending thrill to remember. Nature Reserve and come prepared for rain. Do
There’s even a fishing lodge in the heart of the not clamber up La Cascada, the waterfall west
refuge. A local cooperative offers guided hikes and of Montezuma, as several people have slipped
NEED TO KNOW
horse-riding along well-marked trails, as well as and died doing so.
LOCATION Manzanillo /*$"3"(6" canoe trips through the snakelike creeks.
is located on Costa Rica’s
Caribbean coast, close to -JCFSJB Although accommodations in Manzanillo are
the Panama border $BSJCCFBO budget-focused, the access road from Puerto Viejo
$045" 3*$" 4F B
POPULATION 1,000
4BO +PTÏ is lined with several diverse options, from safari-
VISITORS PER YEAR style tent camps to deluxe modernist eco-lodges
35,000 .POUF[VNB ."/;"/*--0
#&"$)
DAYTIME with spas and fine-dining restaurants. Surfers are
1 BDJmD 1VFSUP
TEMPERATURES Jan: 0 D FBO &TDPOEJEP 1"/"." drawn to the challenge of nearby Salsa Brava,
77°F (25°C); Apr: 79°F (26°C); where massive waves can reach heights of up
Jul: 79°F (26°C); Oct: 79°F (26°C)
to 33 ft (10 m). And the Crazy Monkey Canopy
Ride is guaranteed to give you an adrenaline
The fishing hamlets of Montezuma, on the Pacific boost as you whizz through the forest along a ABOVE Backpackers on a colorful street in the village
Coast, and Manzanillo, on the Caribbean, are zipline slung between trees. of Montezuma
gateways to two of Costa Rica’s premier wildlife Unlike on the Pacific Coast, local inhabitants
reserves. Montezuma has been the nation’s include Afro-Caribbeans, descendants of Jamaican
unofficial offbeat travel capital for more than two immigrants who have infused local culture with
decades. But Manzanillo now has the more reggae music and spicy cuisine, and the local
youthful edge, and its taupe, palm-shaded beach dialect with a lilting patois. Uniquely, Manzanillo is PRACTICAL INFORMATION
backed by forested mountains is more than equal also a base for exploring the indigenous reserves of
Getting There and Around Tent Camp (tel. +506 759
in beauty to the legendary sands of Montezuma. the Bribrí and Cabecar native people.
Juan Santamaría International 9056), with safari-style luxury
Manzanillo was virtually unknown until barely a Airport is 12 miles (20 km) west huts on stilts in the forest
decade ago, when a road finally linked this sleepy of San José. From here, regular behind the beach.
village to the outside world. The pavement peters buses connect to Puerto Viejo de When to Go
Talamanca on the Caribbean
out here, close to the border with Panama and Rain is a possibility at any time
coast. Buses depart Puerto Viejo
abutting the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, of the year, but September to
for Manzanillo four times daily.
a tropical fantasia protecting a precious rain forest, Jeep taxis can also be hired. November and February to
mangroves, and swamps. Where to Eat April are the best times to pay a
Four species of marine turtles crawl ashore to The beachfront Restaurante-Bar visit, when the chances of
lay their eggs in the soft sands of the beach. The Maxi (tel. +506 759 9086) rainfall are less.
lagoons and estuaries are a habitat for endangered serves seafood and típico (Costa Budget per Day for Two
Rican) dishes on the sands. US$140 includes food, travel,
manatees, and a rare dolphin species – the tucuxí –
Where to Stay and accommodations.
cavorts in these waters. Tapirs often wallow in the
The best accommodations in Website
swampy pools, where crocodiles and caimans Manzanillo is Almonds & Coral www.visitcostarica.com
slosh about in the mud. Toucans and parrots are ABOVE A cluster of green turtles on the soft sands of Manzanillo

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