Katie
The smoking rim of Masaya Volcano
Bit of a dramatic one this, taken at the summit of Masaya volcano in Nicaragua. That cloud isn’t a handy prop to set the mood, it’s actually smoke rising from the crater itself – the sky was a clear blue behind me.
Even without the spectral presence of the cross looming over the crater, the knowledge that you are standing right next to the gaping mouth of an active volcano does add a certain frisson to proceedings.
Despite being one of the country’s shortest volcanoes at a little over 630 metres, Masaya is also one of the most active. Back in 1993, a lava lake filled the base of the central caldera and it is still possible to glimpse the orange glow between the billowing clouds of smoke.
Occasional eruptions aside, Masaya’s history is also steeped in drama of a different kind. The Spanish, never shy of an evocative turn-of-phrase, believed it to be a place of evil and dubbed it “La Boca del Infierno”, or “The Mouth of Hell”.
They were responsible for erecting the first cross on the lip of the crater where the current one stands, to exorcise the Devil from the fiery depths below.
Indigenous people before them were a little more creative, dropping unfortunate virgin girls into the volcano to appease the evil spirits within.
Years later, this method also proved popular with President Somoza, who – according to my guide – used it less as a form of religious mollification and more as a convenient way of disposing of political nuisances.
With all this mythology it is easy to forget what Masaya actually is: an awesome natural phenomenon. Peering into the smoky depths is undeniably eerie, but also incredibly thrilling.
Some of the locals at least have made peace with the demonic volcano: arrive in the late afternoon and you can see pairs of small green parrots returning to their nests inside the caldera. Thousands of these tiny creatures, known as chocoyos, have made their home here, impervious to the noxious fumes and inhospitable terrain. And, it seems, the evil spirits.
Find out more about Pura Aventura’s holidays to Nicaragua
Scarlet Macaw on the Osa Peninsula
I’m afraid my photography skills don’t really do this scene justice. What you can’t see is that there are around thirteen pairs of Scarlet Macaw dotted among these almond trees, squawking and squabbling over the nuts.
This must be the macaw equivalent of a coffee morning. Apparently this event is no novelty along this stretch of coast, where almond trees fringe the beach. The sand below is scattered with discarded nutshells, like the floor after a late night poker game.
Playa Carbonera, host to this incredible display, remains a little-visited gem on the very tip of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. It’s a good hour away from the tiny airport at Puerto Jimenez and the nearest building is an ecolodge, which has been showered with awards for sustainable practices.
Even that is a good twenty-minute walk down an almost vertical slope, which is actually easier to negotiate on your derriere than by foot in places. Some unfortunate members of my group didn’t really get the choice.
This means the beach itself is usually deserted, as it was on the day I visited. The macaws certainly make their presence felt, however, and a ruckus of beating wings, cackles and splintering nuts fills the air.
After making short work of the granite-hard shells, each bird carelessly flings the remnants to one side, interspersing the frippery with occasional thuds as the ravaged nut hits the sand below.
Only fifty years ago Scarlet Macaws occupied over 80% of the territory in Costa Rica, but due to changes in farming, most notably banana production, and poaching, their numbers have dwindled considerably. Most colonies are now confined to the Carara National Park, on the Central Pacific coast, and the Osa Peninsula in the south.
Even here, it is rare to see such a large group altogether, especially at 11 o’clock in the morning.
This knowledge aside, standing with your ankles in the balmy shallows of the Pacific, watching these majestic birds nattering over their mid-morning snacks, it is clear you are witnessing something quite special.
Our Costa Rica Uncovered Holiday visits lesser known gems of the country such as Corcovado and the Osa Peninsula.
See all of our Costa Rica holidays.
Read our guide to Costa Rica.
A canopy walkway peeking through the trees at Arenal
To me, this photo epitomizes real Costa Rica. I say “real” because in the last few years there has been an influx of both tourists and ex-pats who have undeniably left their mark on both the landscape and culture. There is no escaping the fact that in the large tourist areas, it’s as easy to get a Big Mac now as a traditional gallo pinto.
With an established infrastructure, friendly locals, some very chi-chi hotels and an array of adventurous pastimes, Costa Rica’s popularity is, of course, understandable. Being able to hop into a hire car and head off on a whim is obviously very tempting. Supping a rum-laced cocktail in your own private Jacuzzi, watching incandescent lava trails snake down Arenal volcano, is positively irresistible.
And that’s even before you’ve had your fourth drenching of the week on the way to work, umbrella akimbo, rushing for the number 28 bus.
But in spite of all that, the frills and creature comfort are not really what Costa Rica is about, at its heart. Head off the tourist trail and you are in a world of wildlife-rich jungle, rolling hillsides dotted with bubbling mud pots and cloudforests straight from a Peter Jackson film.
Even at Arenal, where the famous volcano has prompted a smattering of new hotels to cope with rising visitor numbers, it is possible to find some peace. This photo was taken from the Hanging Bridges, a series of discreet canopy walkways hidden between the trees.
Behind me was an equally stunning view across the valley to the mighty volcano, smoking moodily in the afternoon light. The only noise was the occasional squawk of a toucan, or a belch from the volcano itself.
So, perhaps one of the best things about Costa Rica is that you can have both. Spend the day rafting down a jungle river, then enjoy a freshly prepared, three-course meal by candlelight at a remote lodge huddled between the trees.
Or explore the forested trails of Corcovado – the “most biologically intense place on earth” according to National Geographic, before picking up a pot of freshly caught shrimp from a beachside soda in Dominical and settling down on the golden sands.
Even if you do get caught in a downpour (Costa Rica is green for a reason, you know), it will certainly be more palatable with that rum cocktail to hand.
You can experience both sides of Costa Rica on our Costa Rica Self drive holiday.
Read about our Costa Rica holidays or read our guide to Costa Rica.