Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [346]
West of Santa María de Pittier, in the village of El Carmen, Soda y Cabinas La Amistad (2743-1080; r per person US$8) has simple cabins with cold-water showers. The cabins are useful if you want one last night’s rest before heading in or out of the park.
La Amistad Lodge (2200-5037, in San José 2289-7667; www.laamistad.com; s/d US$100/175; ) is about 3km by poor dirt road from the village of Las Mellizas, and sits on 100 sq km of wilderness and organic farmland that constitutes Costa Rica’s third-largest reserve. Since 1940, the congenial Montero family has operated this organic coffee farm, and has long worked to balance the needs of development with protecting the environment. The main lodge has tropical hardwood cabins with hot water and electricity provided by a low-impact hydroelectric plant. Four additional jungle camps have been built at different altitudes and habitats, allowing visitors to do a multiday trek around the area without leaving the comforts of a solid bed and good cooking. The staff will transport your belongings from one site to another and provide meals at each camp, which have full-sized walk-in tents, toilets and running water. The extensive network of trails (40km) is excellent for bird-watching and horseback riding. Guests are also invited to participate in the harvesting and processing (and drinking) of the homegrown coffee. Rates include three meals a day (and lots of fresh-brewed coffee), as well as the entry fee into the park. Buses to Las Mellizas can get you close to the lodge, but the owners will come get you if you call ahead.
THE MOTHER OF ALL EAGLES
The harpy eagle, Central America’s most striking raptor, is considered by many to be the most powerful bird of prey in the world. Unfortunately, opportunities to see the bird in the wild are limited as they are rare throughout most of their range and are hard to spot in the canopy even when they are present. Fortunately you’re in La Amistad, which is home to a healthy nesting population. Although the chances of spotting one are still low, your chances are better here than anywhere else in Costa Rica.
Harpy eagles are enormous birds with a wingspan of 2m and a height of 1.5m – they are immediately recognizable. Adults tend to have white breasts with a broad black chest band and faint leg barring as well as gray upperparts. They also have piercing yellow eyes that can be seen from the forest floor, as well as powerful yellow talons and a hooked bill.
Anyone who has had the privilege to watch a harpy eagle hunt will tell you that it is simply awesome. For instance, a harpy seen with a large male howler writhing in her grip will shift her talons with a resounding ‘pop’ in order to crush the monkey’s skull and carry it back to the nest unhindered. With massive claws as big as a grizzly bear’s and legs as big as man’s wrist, the harpy is an undeniable killing machine.
A female harpy can weigh up to 9kg, and such a large predator obviously has high energy requirements. As a result, harpies hunt all but the largest forest mammals, as well as other large birds and a whole slew of snakes and lizards. As an apex predator (like the jaguar), the harpy eagle probably never occurred in high densities, though deforestation has removed much of its prey base and its habitat. Furthermore, its habit of perching for long spells, even when people approach, makes it vulnerable to poachers.
Harpies rarely soar above the treetops and usually hunt by rapidly attacking prey through the canopy. Monkeys are plucked from the foliage, unwary birds are taken from tree limbs and snakes are swept off the forest floor. However, the majority of the harpy’s diet consists of sloths, which are extremely vulnerable in the morning when they are basking in the sun. A harpy will sit nearby – sometimes for days – until it is hungry, and then snatch the sloth at its leisure.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
To reach Altamira, you can take any