On one of the last days of our trip we visited the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve located on the southernmost tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. This is one of the oldest reserves in Costa Rica and is inhabited by a large variety of plants and animals. The reserve was declared a protected area in 1963 and at that time around 85% of it was pasture and farmland. Currently that land is recovering and has grown into a dense secondary forest.
We woke up early to catch the 8am local bus to the reserve. We were hardly there for five minutes when we spotted a troop of howler monkeys high up in the trees around us. After stopping for pictures, we made our way to the reception center to sign in. Here we came across some white faced monkeys playing in the trees. After signing in we split into small groups for the hike through the reserve. It took us two hours to make our way to the remote beach located at the back of the reserve. During our hike we were lucky enough to spot several Slender Anoles and even a Central American Whiptail. We also encountered several butterflies down in a little valley like the Great Owl, Monarch, and Blue Morpho. When we finally made it to the beach we had it all to ourselves. The hike to get there was hard but worth it.
Stefanie Williams
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