COSTA RICAN SOJOURN
A CRUSIING COUPLE EXPLORES THE PRISTINE WATERS AND RICH CULTURE OF COASTA RICA’S THREE WESTERN GULFS
A cruising couple discovers there’s a lot to like about this pristine stretch of Central American coastline
My husband, Neil, and I had left Mexico in March on board Distant Drummer, our Liberty 458 sloop, with a plan to spend the rest of the year on a leisurely cruise down the west coast of Central America. It was in this way that, after enjoying the delights of El Salvador and Nicaragua, we arrived in Costa Rica in mid-May where we were looking forward to exploring the coast and visiting several of the national parks.
The west coast of Costa Rica can be split into three parts. Golfo de Papagallo in the north is exposed to the Pacific swell, but the rocky coastline has several sheltered anchorages and some great surf spots. Golfo de Nicoya in Central Costa Rica is an excellent cruising ground with a myriad of beautiful bays and islands protected behind the Nicoya Peninsula. The southern region of Golfo Dulce has only a handful of anchorages, but is wild and remote, with amazing wildlife in several outstanding national parks.
The three months we spent cruising on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast seeing the beauty of its shoreline and the fantastic diversity of its flora and fauna was a remarkable and memorable experience.
GOLFO DE PAPAGALLO
During the winter the Golfo de Papagallo is prone to strong northeasterly “Papagallo” winds caused by the easterly trades from the Caribbean funnelling through low points in the Central America mountains. These offshore winds create rough conditions off the coast and picking a gap between them is a primary consideration when transiting this area. When we left Nicaragua bound for Playas del Coco in Costa Rica, no papagallos were forecast, and we enjoyed an easy reach across Bahia Salinas in a light easterly breeze. As we rounded the ragged rocky point of Cabo Santa Elena the wind then dropped in the lee of the cape, and we motorsailed past the jagged teeth of the Murcielagos Islands.
The horseshoe-shaped bay of Playas del Coco is a sheltered anchorage guarded by a reef to the west and by Punta Cacique and the Islas Pelonas to the north. It is the northern port of entry for Costa Rica, so we went ashore to complete the customs and immigration formalities, stopping first at the office of the port captain in a faded blue building near the beach to register our arrival. Then we went to the immigration office, which was close by, then back to the port captain for more paper shuffling before taking a bus ride to the customs office located at Liberia airport. By mid-afternoon we were back in Playas del Coco, passports stamped and clutching our three month cruising permit, the maximum length of stay permitted in Costa Rica.
The Golfo de Papagallo, also known as the Gold Coast, is a popular spot for tourists. The towns, therefore, have well-stocked supermarkets, ATMs and casinos (the best place to get good Wi-Fi). Away from the gringo beaches there are plenty of remote islands and empty bays, which we promptly set about exploring.
The nearby Bahia Culebra, for example, has half a dozen tranquil coves, each rimmed with an arc of golden sand fringed with rainforest and dotted with the occasional coconut palm. Under Costa Rican law, no buildings of any kind can be constructed within 50 meters of the high tide mark, with the resulting space designated as public land. As a result the coastline is uncluttered, preserving the unspoiled beauty of the natural shore, were we enjoyed many balmy evenings listening to howler monkeys high in the canopy inland. At dusk the gruff bark of the alpha males echoes across the bay, sounding primal and exotic.
Northwest of Playas del Coco, the Murcielagos (or “Bat”) Islands are part of the Santa Rosa National Park and completely undeveloped. We anchored in a truly idyllic bay at the eastern end of the island chain in super-clear aquamarine water, warmed to a pleasant 84 degrees by the brilliant sunshine, and had great fun snorkelling on the rocky reef with colorful and inquisitive fish darting all around us. There is a ranger station in the bay and boats are required to pay a fee to anchor; however in the three days we were there we waved to the rangers, but they did not approach the boat.
With strong offshore winds and a rolling southern swell the Gold Coast is a natural draw for surfers, but the anchorages can be uncomfortable, as the rollers tend to drive straight in. Fortunately, we found a reprieve when we dropped the pick for a night behind Ollie’s Point
so that Neil could surf Ollie’s, a well known point break on the other side of the bay. Just north of the bay is the airstrip from which Oliver North supported the Nicaraguan Contras via illegal arms sales to Iran in 1986—the surf break was named after him.
Back in Playas del Coco, we provisioned for the passage south to Golfo de Nicoya. This should have been made easier by the fact that water in Costa Rica is potable and was readily available at taps behind the beach. However, with a breaking surf and 9ft tides, getting the water on board was a bit of a workout. We chose high water to avoid a long haul across the beach, and while I held the dinghy out beyond the surf line Neil lugged jerry cans through the waves and heaved them on board. Repeat eight times and bingo—our water tanks were full!
Stretching away to the south and east, the Nicoya Peninsula is open to the Pacific swell and the few bays along western shore where it is possible to anchor on the 100-mile passage round to the Golfo de Nicoya are often rolly and uncomfortable. Nonetheless we decided to make the voyage in day hops rather than sail at night and run the risk of getting entangled in any fishing nets.
At the end of our first day out, we motorsailed to Tamarindo (or “Tamagringo,” as the locals sometimes call it) in a drizzle and light northwesterly. The rain continued the next day, but the breeze picked up and we had a soggy starboard reach down to Samara. The bay at Samara is protected by reefs that extend from both sides almost closing off the entrance. We entered cautiously at low tide and found a spot deep enough to drop the pick. At high tide, though, as the swell pounded in across the reef it proved rolly.
Lightning is a constant fear in the wet season in the tropics, and in Samara we experienced a terrific storm. As the first drops of rain splat