Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [195]
The park’s Sector Murciélago (Bat Sector) encompasses the wild northern coastline of the Península Santa Elena, and is not accessible from the main body of the park. From the Interamericana, continue north past the entrance to the Santa Rosa sector for 10km and then turn left once you pass through the police checkpoint. Continue on this road for a few more kilometers until you reach the village of Cuajiniquíl and then bear left. Continue on this road for another 15km, which will bring you past such historic sights as the former hacienda of the Somoza family (it’s currently a training ground for the Costa Rican police) and the old airstrip that was used by Oliver North to ‘secretly’ smuggle goods to the Nicaraguan Contras in the 1980s. Just after the airstrip is the Murciélago Sector park entrance (admission US$10; camping per person US$2; 8am-4pm), which is in the village of Murciélago. From here, it’s another 16km to the isolated white-sand beach of Playa Blanca and the trailhead for the Poza el General watering hole, which attracts birds and animals year-round.
Ollie’s Point in Playa Portero Grande is in this sector of the park and can only be reached by boat from Playa del Coco or Tamarindo. Or you can do as Patrick and Wingnut did in Endless Summer II and crash-land your chartered plane on the beach (not actually recommended).
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Sights
The historic La Casona, the main building of the old Hacienda Santa Rosa, is near the park headquarters in the Santa Rosa sector. Unfortunately, the original building was burnt to the ground by arsonists in May 2001, but was rebuilt in 2002 using historic photos and local timber. The battle of 1856 was fought around this building, and the military action, as well as the region’s natural history, is described with the help of documents, paintings, maps and other displays (mostly in Spanish). If you remember your dictionary, this will be an inspiring (and perhaps humbling) history lesson in how not to invade a country.
The arson was set by a local father-son team of poachers who were disgruntled at being banned from hunting here by park rangers. They were caught and sentenced to 20 years in prison for torching a building of national cultural and historical value. Unfortunately, poaching continues in the park since it’s difficult for rangers to effectively patrol such a large area.
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Activities
WILDLIFE-WATCHING
The wildlife is certainly both varied and prolific, especially during the dry season when animals congregate around the remaining water sources and the trees lose their leaves. More than 250 bird species have been recorded, including the raucous white-throated magpie jay, unmistakable with its long crest of maniacally curled feathers. The forests contain parrot and parakeet, trogon and tanager, and as you head down to the coast, you will be rewarded by sightings of a variety of coastal birds.
Bats are also very common; about 50 or 60 different species have been identified in Santa Rosa. Other mammals you have a reasonable chance of seeing include deer, coati, peccary, armadillo, coyote, raccoon, three kinds of monkey, and a variety of other species – about 115 in all. There are also many thousands of insect species, including about 4000 moths and butterflies (just bring insect repellent).
Reptile species include lizards, iguanas, snakes, crocodiles and four species of sea turtle. The olive ridley sea turtle is the most numerous, and during the July to December nesting season tens of thousands of turtles make their nests on Santa Rosa’s beaches. The most popular beach is Playa Nancite, where, during September and October especially, it is possible to see as many as 8000 of these 40kg turtles on the beach at the same time. The turtles