Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [408]
ASTOP (2798-2220; www.parisminaturtles.org; r per person incl 3 meals US$25) Volunteers get first choice of accommodations, but if the village isn’t full ASTOP can arrange homestays, including meals, with a local family. All lodging is in private rooms with locking doors, mosquito nets and shared bathroom facilities. Vegetarians can be accommodated with advance notice, though it might be worthwhile to bring produce from Cariari; fruits and veggies are scarce in Parismina.
Don Alex at the hardware store, about 300m north of the dock, has camping (high season only) – with sheltered tent sites and access to showers and bathrooms.
For package sportfishing expeditions to the area organized from the USA, check out the following two companies:
Caribbean Tarpon Lodge (2798-0964, in USA 888-341-5525; www.caribbeantarponlodge.com) A midrange canal-side hotel with five simple rooms and a private dock. The cost of 4-day/5-night packages including transfers, meals and guided fishing is from US$1700.
Río Parismina Lodge (2229-7597, in USA 800-338-5688, 210-824-4442; www.riop.com; ) A top-of-the line spot across the river from Parismina has swimming pool, Jacuzzi and English-speaking guides. The cost of 4-day/5-night packages including meals and guided fishing is from US$1950.
For meals, hit Soda Las Palmas (casados ₡2800; 6am-7pm Mon-Sat) right next to the dock. Here, no-nonsense doña Amelia serves up fresh and tasty casados. She also keeps the small plaster statue of the Virgin that is paraded during the annual boat procession in July.
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Getting There & Away
Parismina is only accessible by boat, and the only regular service is to Caño Blanco (for transfer to Siquirres). For directions on how to get here from Siquirres, Click here.
To get to Caño Blanco, take one of the water taxis (₡1000) that leave from the Parismina dock at 5:30am, 1:30pm and 4:30pm Monday through Friday, and at 9am and 1:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. Buses will be waiting at the dock to continue the journey to Siquirres (₡900), where you can find onward transport.
If you want to travel to Puerto Limón or Tortuguero, it is simple enough to secure a seat on one of the tourist boats that travel between the two destinations – provided you reserve in advance. Doña Amelia at Soda Las Palmas (above) can book a seat for you. Likewise, you can call one of the boat companies in Moín directly to see if any are making the trip. Depending on the company, expect the rate to Tortuguero to be between US$20 to US$25 per person. Note that it may take 24 to 48 hours to secure transport.
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PARQUE NACIONAL TORTUGUERO
‘Humid’ is the driest word that could truthfully be used to describe Tortuguero, a 311-sq-km coastal park that serves as the most important breeding ground of the green sea turtle. With an annual rainfall of up to 6000mm in the northern part of the park, it is one of the wettest areas in the country. In addition, the protected area extends into the Caribbean Sea, covering about 5200 sq km of marine habitat. In other words, plan on spending quality time in a boat.
The famed Canales de Tortuguero are the introduction to this important park. A north–south waterway created to connect a series of lazy lagoons and meandering rivers in 1974, this engineering marvel allowed inland navigation between Limón and coastal villages in something sturdier than a dugout canoe. There are regular flights to the village of Tortuguero – but if you fly, you’ll be missing half the fun. The leisurely taxi-boat