Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
breakfast US$14)
is owned by Guatuzo's original crocodile man and nature-guide-ex-
traordinaire Armando Gomez. It has two comfortable wooden rooms and serves tasty
meals. Directly across the river, the
Centro Ecológico Los Guatuzos
(
8877-5096,
2270-3561;
www.losguatuzos.com
;
Río Papaturro; r per person with/without bathroom US$13/11)
is a professionally run research station that welcomes tourists. It offers guided hikes and
moonlight alligator tours (US$45 per person). Kayaks are also available to rent.
There are slow collective boats from San Carlos to Río Papaturro (US$4, four hours) at
9am Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, returning to San Carlos from Río Papaturro at 8am
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. It costs around US$130/240 one way/round-trip from
San Carlos in a private
panga
. It's cheaper to rent a boat (round-trip boat/
panga
US$70/
100) in Solentiname.
Nestled on the Río Frio,
Reserva Esperanza Verde
( 2583-0459; Río Frio; r per person incl
3 meals US$50)
is a 5000-hectare humid tropical forest reserve. You can do it in a day trip
from San Carlos (US$30 per person, two-person minimum), including private
panga
transport, guide and trail access, or spend the night in one of its simple, solar-powered
rooms. Arrange visits through Hotel-Cabinas Leyko (
Click here
)
in San Carlos.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Río San Juan
You simply must see this river. It surges purposefully through rolling green hills, thick
jungle and wetlands on its irrepressible march to the Caribbean.
Not that you'll be sitting around all day admiring its beauty. This river demands action.
After all, it was once the domain of indigenous traders, Spanish conquistadors, British pir-
ates, gold hunting travelers and even Mark Twain. Follow their example and visit the
small towns of Boca de Sábalos and El Castillo, penetrate the vine-hung wilderness of
jaguars and macaws that is the Reserva Biológica Indio-Maíz, troll for tarpon, search for
alligators in the moonlight and dine on plump lobsteresque giant shrimp while overlook-
ing the remains of a 16th-century Spanish fort. All of which will cost you. But it's worth it
to fully experience this spectacular and unforgettable waterway.
