Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [470]
Soda La Palmera (2471-1045; mains ₡1700-5800; 6am-9pm) Right at the entrance to the refuge, this pleasant soda serves Tico standards and fresh fish, including your personal catch of the day. The staff can also arrange local guides for fishing and naturalist trips (US$45, two hours, up to three people). Advance reservations are recommended in the high season.
El Caiman Bar & Restaurante (8399-4164; mains ₡2320-5800; 10am-10pm Tue-Sun) At the bridge over the Río Frío just outside the village is this pleasant riverside eatery run by Canoa Aventura, a tour operator based in La Fortuna. Sit among the bamboo groves and feast on fresh sea bass or tilapia while you watch the caimans drift idly by, or rent a canoe and paddle into their territory.
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Getting There & Away
The village of Caño Negro and the entrance to the park lie on the rough road connecting Upala and Los Chiles, which is passable to all cars during the dry season. However, this road is frequently washed out during the rainy season, when a 4WD is usually required.
There are three buses per day to Los Chiles (₡1000) and Upala (₡1200). Both buses pass through town and circle the village square at approximately 7am, 12:30pm and 6pm; ask around as this schedule changes frequently.
During the rainy season and much of the dry season, you can also catch a boat (₡8500) here from Los Chiles. This is becoming increasingly popular, especially as more travelers are crossing into and out of Nicaragua on the Río Frío (see boxed text).
TOP WATERWAYS FOR WILDLIFE-WATCHERS
Head to some of the following waterways for an up-close glimpse of the local wildlife.
Whether you’re resting between rapids or traveling up to Trinidad, keep your eyes peeled for somnolent sloths or mud-covered caimans as you float up the Río Sarapiquí (Click here).
Wake up early to savor a quiet view of breakfasting birds on the lagoons of Caño Negro (Click here).
Not only is the Río Frío the kinder, gentler border crossing into Nicaragua (see boxed text), but you’ll see trees filled with howler monkeys, and caimans on the riverbanks along the way.
Lodges in the Boca Tapada area (Click here) can get you on the Río San Carlos, where the slow flow near the Río San Juan affords good opportunities for bird-watching.
Float on the Río Medio Queso, an off-the-beaten-track tributary that runs parallel to Río Frío (Click here), with much better opportunities for viewing birds and other wildlife.
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UPALA
Just 9km south of the Nicaraguan border in the northwestern corner of the northern lowlands, Upala is a small but thriving town that serves a widespread community of some 15,000 people. A center for the area’s cattle and rice industries, Upala enjoys some apparent affluence. Most visitors are Costa Rican businesspeople, who arrive in town to negotiate for a few dozen calves or a truckload of grain, but travelers who need to stop for the night between Caño Negro and the northwestern coast will find it nice enough.
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Sleeping
Hotel Buena Vista (2470-0186; r with/without air-con US$19/14; ) This cute yellow compound is a steal, with clean but unremarkable rooms that come with hot-water bathroom and TV. There’s a shaded courtyard and secure parking at this family-run spot. Find it 150m south of the metal bridge.
Hotel Upala (2470-0169; s/d US$14/20; ) The most established hotel in town is always a good choice as all rooms are spotless and bright, and you can watch the soccer