Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Regular boat transportation is limited to quick shuttles across the Nicaraguan border
(US$10 to US$12). Boats across the border leave daily at 12:30pm and 3:30pm, but get
here early because space is limited and immigration lines are long. In addition to the boat
fees, you'll need to pay a US$1.10 departure tax.
All buses arrive and leave from the terminal behind Soda Pamela, near the intersection
of Hwy 35. Timetables are flexible, so play it safe and inquire locally.
Ciudad Quesada
US$2.25, two hours, departs 12 times daily from 4:30am to 6pm. For
transfer to La Fortuna.
San José
US$6, five hours, departs 5am and 3pm.
Upala via Caño Negro
US$4, 2½ hours, departs 5am, noon and 4:30pm.
Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Caño Negro
8am-4pm)
has long lured anglers seeking that elusive 18kg snook, and birders hoping to
glimpse rare waterfowl. During the dry season water levels drop, concentrating the birds
(and fish) in photogenically close quarters. From January to March, when migratory birds
land in large numbers, avian density is most definitely world class.
The Río Frío defines the landscape - south of the main Caño Negro dock it's a table-flat,
swampy expanse of marsh and lagoon that is similar in appearance, if not size, to other
famous wetlands such as the Florida Everglades or the Mekong Delta. North of town, it's a
slender river that carves looming forest. During the wet season, the river breaks its banks
to form one immense 800-hectare lake, then contracts during the dry months from January
through April, when water levels drop to the point where the river is barely navigable. By
April it has almost completely disappeared - until the May rains begin. This cycle has pro-
ceeded without fail for millennia, and the small fishing communities that live around the
edges of the reserve have adapted to each seasonal nuance.
Thanks to improved roads, tour operators are now able to offer relatively inexpensive
trips to Caño Negro from all over the country. However, you don't need them to explore
the river. It's much more intriguing and rewarding to rent some wheels (or hop on a bus),
navigate the rutted road into the rural flat lands and hire a local guide through the cooper-
ative right in the center of Caño Negro village. It's also a lot cheaper, and it puts money