Banana Azul this Week

Hotel Banana Azul on Playa Negra in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limon Province has been my South Caribbean getaway for years now and one of my best places for butterflies along with the Caribbean birds, Sloths, monkeys and other wildlife that I photograph at the hotel and the nearby Cahuita National Park and Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge every year with other visits to three different Indigenous Bribri villages, the Endangered Green Macaw Sanctuary, Sloth Rescue Center, Jaguar Wildlife Rescue and even an organic farm!

Two or three years ago the hotel changed owners with the overall atmosphere not seeming the same, so last year I chose instead Tortuguero in the North Caribbean of Costa Rica. Both are on the Atlantic Coast of what is officially the Caribbean Sea and in Limon Province. I guess I will decide after this trip if Banana Azul still has its “magic” for me or if I will let Tortuguero be my Caribbean spot now and this trip will help me see if my age (86) still allows this adventure to continue the good memories from the last 11 years (see links below to my previous 7 trips to Banana Azul + 2 others to South Caribe.)

My Photo Books on Caribe South (with free online viewing)

These are solely about Caribe South, with other books of mine having some photos from the Caribe South.

My Photo Galleries on Caribe South Trips

• 2024 October 1-6 — Hotel Banana Azul, Caribe Sur
• 2023 September 18-24 – South Caribbean Costa Rica
• 2022 September 19-25 – Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón
• 2021 September 13-20 – Banana Azul, Caribe South
• 2019-August–Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo
• 2018-Sept-6-11–Caribe South, Puerto Viejo
• 2017 Sept 4-8 — Caribe Banana Azul Puerto Viejo
• 2016 September 16-20 – Manzanillo Tent Hotel Almonds & Corals
• 2015 Aug 21-24 – Bribri Yorkin Reserve
• 2015 Aug 20-21 – Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Pre-Yorkin @ Cariblue)

Because this is the least developed area for tourists (no chain hotels), the poorest and blackest province of Costa Rica, with the fewest roads (all 2 lanes); it just doesn’t have the visitors or the expat residents or the money that is developing other parts of Costa Rica, BUT, I think it has some of the best nature and cultural experiences of the country and I’m the only expat I know that comes here regularly. But at 86 I’m getting older and slower and probably will limit all of my future travel, so yes, this could be my last trip to the South Caribbean of Costa Rica, but I hope not! 🙂 It is just one of many places that make me glad I moved to Costa Rica back in 2014!

And what about the North Caribbean? Well, it is pretty much totally a wilderness in the Tortuguero National Park, with no roads, making access only by boat or small plane. The many lodges have excellent guides and boat captains that help immerse you into the wilderness sometimes called “The Amazon of Costa Rica.” It is a different world with many choices of lodges having similar activities from birding and wildlife watching to seeing sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach as I did last year or watch the baby turtles go to the ocean at other times of the year. It doesn’t have the Caribbean/Jamaican culture/feel of South Caribe, but plenty of nature which is my main thing! 🙂 As I get older, I will undoubtably travel less to anywhere, but when a do, I will probably continue to divide my time between two mountain areas, the South Pacific Coast and the two areas of the Caribbean Coast. Who knows? I may still be making these trips at age 100! 🙂

AND THIS WEEK I WILL ENJOY THE SOUTH CARIBBEAN WITH ITS JAMAICAN CULTURE, DIFFERENT WILDLIFE, AND BEAUTIFUL SUNRISES! 🙂 Banana Azul!

¡Pura Vida!

And with so much nostalgia of my previous visits, I just had to add a few more photos as a slideshow here . . .