Costa Rica Excursions - isla del cano or Corcovado

[ckcruise]

We are on the Wind Star in Costa Rica beginning the week of Feb. 21. I am trying to decide between the tour of Corcovado National Park and the snorkeling tour to Isla del Cano. Just wondered if anyone had done either of these and could provide feedback. Also, we are doing a tour of Manuel Antonio National Park and wondered if the tour of Corcovado National Park would be similar? Thanks.

[whatnot]

We wanted to do Corcovado, but did not book ahead. It really is the premier park in Costa Rica (and only easily accesible by water or air). We tried to book after we got on ship and were on a waiting list and did not get to go. I think it is totally different from Manuel Antonio. I did that tour but the people who went to Corcovado saw much more wildlife, birds, etc than we did. I also did not talk to anyone who went on the snorkel trip. Snorkeling in that part of the world can be suspect. It's not like the Caribbean. If you think you want to do Corcovado, book it NOW! You can always cancel and there will always be someone to take your spot!

 

Windstar Costa Rica is a fabulous trip! Have a great time!

[Len3]

We're on the Feb. 14th sailing and have booked for Feb. 16th - Granada, Masaya Volcano and Craft Market and for Feb. 19th - Corcovado National Park. From other CC posts it doesn't sound as if snorkeling is really good on the west coast so we probably won't even bother to take our equipment.

[cruisingsfun]

Just a quick comment on the prior post about not bringing snorkel equipment. On prior windstar cruises, they gave out snorkel equipment that you could just keep for the week. No charge for this.

[ckcruise]

Thanks for the replies - I had almost given up on getting any! After doing some research on my own, we have decided that snorkelling would likely be a disappointment after some of the other places we have been. So, we will leave our gear at home and use the ship's gear if we want to try it out.

I have also booked the full day Nicaragua tour and the tour of Corcocovado National Park so we are covered for that but thanks for the head's up on booking as soon as possible whatnot!

Really looking forward to this trip - it sounds wonderful!

[whatnot]

I'm glad to see that you all have also booked the Granada day trip. It is a long day with a long bus trip both ways, but we found it to be one of the highlights of our trip! The poverty is astounding but it is a good lesson in appreciating what we have. The Spanish Colonial Architecture is beautiful and it is a good place to buy local items. Much cheaper at the market than in Costa Rica. These people need your money! The local Rum made in Nicaraugua is VERY good and cheap here.

 

Best wishes for a great trip!

[CruisingChics]

former staff on board WindStar costa rica.

corcovado is a long day but well worth it, amazing and beautiful surroundings.

manuel antonio park is totally different, similar in what you *see* around you but different. hard to explain.

you can google the two and read about it.

good option to leave your snorkel gear at home; many who did bring it regretted the extra *lugging around* of it.

enjoy~!!

[ckcruise]

Thanks for the replies. We are excited about this trip and I'm sure we are going to have a wonderful time.

[CruisingChics]

also good choice to not book the snorkeling, disappointments will include cancellation due to weather (rough seas) or other unpredictables.... i.e. murky water.... this is definitely not an area or *choice* snorkeling~!!

 

good choice on the other bookings you made...

enjoy~!

[ckcruise]

Does anyone know what kind of footwear is best for walking the trails? Cruising chics do you know what Windstar recommends?

[CruisingChics]

Does anyone know what kind of footwear is best for walking the trails? Cruising chics do you know what Windstar recommends?

 

i think you are referring to the trails of... Manuel Antonio, or the Curu Reserve, or the Tortuga Island, or the.... Corcovado.... yes?

 

Windstar recommends (or did when I was there) a shoe that covers the toe and heel.

The interpretation of that is different to everyone. Most people found that a sturdy waterproof *active* shoe, like what Keen makes, was perfect. A comfortable and light-weight sneaker with a decent toe-cover (perhaps a rubber toe but the body of the shoe is mesh-material) is fine too, but I spoke to many guests who reveal that they brought an "old but sturdy" pair for the *dirty* activities, and then these shoes were left behind (on purpose) after the cruise.... *ewwwww~!*

 

Windstar requests that you wear footwear getting INTO and While Riding the zodiac.(and while riding the tender.)

 

Others, of the hiking inclination, wore either true hiking shoes (which varied between the true *heavyweight* hiking shoes and a *summer-weight* version) or they wore the popular Keen-style or other outdoor-wear-brand type of hiking/waterproof shoe - - but most definitely make sure it covers your heels and toes... and Crocs would not be a good choice, for sure. Some wore "watershoes" - they looked like the type you would wear actually swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving, but I would not pick or recommend that as there is no support inthem and some of the hike (at Corcovado) can be strenuous or over rocks or fallen trees, and without any support or structure in a "watershoe", that would not be a wise choice of footwear.

 

If you are allergic to bug bites or poison ivy,etc, wear a hiking sneaker or if you dare, wear a sock with your Keens~!!

 

Regarding the Wet Landing: When the boat calls on a particular port and you have to go ashore on a "wet landing" meaning the zodiac takes you to a *beach landing*, understand that you will board the zodiac from the ship's lower deck, but when you get to the beach you will be walking through water.....

Many guests wore their Keen shoes going TO the beach, but carried their hiking sneakers, and in most cases, there was a plastic chair or bench to sit on so you could change shoes... Also, in some beaches, you could just leave your "wet shoes" with the "zodiac"-catchers (the local boys who "catch" the zodiac when it arrives)...... Just don't forget them~!

 

Let me see if i can recall best each port and the situation..........

 

in playa del coco, you have a wet landing. The sand is very soft but very *dirty* and by this I mean, it will turn your feet black. But there are plenty of chairs and feet-washing places to clean up before you go on a tour. The zip-line in Playa does recommend and prefer that you wear closed footwear, so while Keen-type shoes are convenient for the zipline AND for getting in and out of your zodiac, flip flops would not be good for the zipline, so you would need to bring sneakers if you did not own Keens.

 

in Nicaragua, you go by tender, and you arrive at a concrete dock.

in Quepos, the do take the zodiac but you arrive at a concrete dock.(or, you may go by tender, but they still use the concrete dock)...

The paths at Manuel Antonio are dirt paths/sandy/full of vegetation/overgrowth but they are clearly defined paths.... some rocky area at the end....

 

in Bahia Paraiso, or if they call this Marenco, it is a full-on beach landing. The sand here is VERY pebble-y so I do recommend wearing some type of wet shoe upon landing, definitely landing with barefeet if your soles are sensitive. There is a gathering of picnic tables to sit at before your horsebackriding tour on the beach... I wore some junky sneakers or maybe i wore my Keens.

 

For those of you taking the Corcovado tour, THEIR boats actually pull up to the side of the Windstar ship and you board THEIR boats... they do not use zodiacs but they are hard-side boats (they look like fishing boats)..... you then go to the site to prepare for the hike and at that location, you DO have a wet landing, but you could do some shoe-changing in the boat on the journey to it.......

 

at the Curu Wildlife Reserve, it is definitely a wet landing but the sand is VERY soft and not even knee-high. The walking and hiking paths here are VERY sandy.... there are some *prickly* things, those little round ball-things that get stuck in our socks... and of course bugs and small pebbles...

 

All-around, Keen-type shoes worked very well for me, but I also had some Crocs with a back-strap. I did not wear those hiking, for sure, just for my landings on the beaches.

 

Final note to all:

if you have never ridden a zodiac before, just imagine an inflatable boat with a hard metal bottom. The sides are inflated like giant tires, but they are hard enough to sit on (in fact that is what you sit on) but they are also soft enough to *give* a little underneath your footsteps... so, before you get into the boat, please PLEASE please, hold the hand of someone who is in the boat already (like the driver) and please PLEASE PLEASE rid your hands of all your bags/towels/hats/canes/purses/etc, and keep your hands totally available for balance~!!!

 

Did i leave anything out??

[ckcruise]

Thank you cruising chics for the very informative reply. You have been most helpful with all the information you have posted on this forum.

I have one more question regarding the float trip on the Corobici River in Playa del Coco. Have you ever done this and if so did you see lots of wildlife? I have read mixed reviews on wildlife viewing in this area. Thanks again for all your help.