“The greatest gift of life on the mountain is time… to sit and stare at the shapes of the hills.” ~Phillip Connors:
¡Pura Vida!
“The Hills”
Likes & Dislikes – Punta Leona
LIKES
- Huge transitional forest as a private protected reserve with a large number of plant & animal species. I photographed 21 species of birds on my first visit in 2019, but with a lower energy level this trip and not as good a birding guide, I got only 11 species of birds, though I did also photograph 11 species of butterflies (more than last time), plus 8 species of other animals! They have correctly named it a “Nature Resort.” 🙂
- Great Beaches & Underwater Activities that include the safest and best two beaches for children in coves and absolutely no undertow and very tiny waves. For divers (wish I was one), the first Central American Underwater Museum and first “Restored Coral Reef” that add to the uniqueness of this resort. And of course many other water sports plus a huge array of landside activities and sports for the hyperactive.
- Punta Leona Hotel (Selvamar) has excellent rooms snuggled in among the tall trees with birds and monkeys, internet in your room, full breakfast, and all at what I consider a fair or good price.
Read on for my dislikes and a gallery of more hotel photos.
Continue reading “Likes & Dislikes – Punta Leona”Christmas Crowds
It doesn’t seem as crowded in these photos as it felt in person walking on the beach and the bulk of people were in the shade of the beachside forest trees that I did not photograph, feeling like I would be invading their privacy. Nor did I try to photograph the monkeys that usually hang out in those trees because of all the people and I’m guessing that is also where most of them went to the bathroom with no public baños or porta-potties. The week before Christmas through New Years Day are the busiest days on all of Costa Rica beaches and in public parks, etc. since more Ticos are on vacation those two weeks than any other one time.
Beach Pleasant Views
That title is because tomorrow I will show some “Crowded Views” (Not pleasant to me) of the beach as sort of a contrast and then the following day I will report on all my “Likes and Dislikes” of Punta Leona and why. And I know that one of these pix shows some of the crowds, but I included it here for the lush forest that Punta Leona has right up to the beach and the new maybe 15-20 story beachside hotel that is under construction on Mantas Beach as a part of Punta Leona Beach Club & Nature Resort.
Now some Mantas Beach views that I like . . .
Merry Christmas!
I’m on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica today and this photo was made on the opposite side of the country on the Caribbean Sea Coast in 2021 at sunrise. This greeting card photo was one of several I created that year and did not use, but I like it and decided to share today. Tonight maybe I will share a sunset photo IF the weather cooperates! 🙂 HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS DAY!
¡Feliz Navidad! or Merry Christmas!
¡Pura Vida!
In a Forest by the Sea
I got here in more time than usual because of heavy traffic, maybe the many San Jose residents who escape to the coast for Christmas. 🙂 And as always the coast is hotter than the mild climate of Atenas! Fortunately my room was ready ahead of the official check-in time and I went straight to it in what they call the “Selvamar” section of rooms with each pathway of rooms named after a Latin American country. I’m in the Cuba section and love the room with a small outside patio and everything here is surrounded by tall trees, thus tonight’s photo from my room.
I may share photos of my room and the Selvamar rooms area later which is all nestled into the forest surrounded by many tall trees. I think it is the best place to stay for a short visit to Punta Leona and I will tell about other lodging later.
I organized my room and then did a lot of walking and got hot and tired, so I utilized their free shuttle buses to get back to my room. 🙂
Tomorrow morning before breakfast, I take the morning bird walk and then after breakfast the butterfly tour! 🙂 My only other tour is a sloth walk on Thursday. The last time here I also went to Carara NP for birds but decided not to this time, nor the nearby Tarcoles River morning bird boat tour. Instead, I will explore the tidepools and the gigantic trees trail here instead. And later I will write an evaluation of Punta Leona (their website link) telling what I like and what I don’t like about it, but for now just sharing photos and maybe only one photo a day since the internet is a little slow here. 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Pacific Coast Beaches Today
I’m spending my Christmas or the next 5 days on the closest beach to where I live, Punta Leona, Jaco, Puntarenas Province in a protected transitional forest with lots of birds including the Scarlet Macaw, monkeys and other wildlife, plus two beautiful beaches for walking, birds, tidepools, sunsets, etc. I do not swim in the ocean anymore for multiple reasons.
My only other time at Punta Leona was in 2019 (trip gallery link) at a different time of year (March) and I’m hoping for better sunset photos in December than I got then. Plus I plan to explore the tide pools between the two beaches this time (new to me) and spend more time on the forest trail of “gigantes” or giant trees over 55 meters tall, enjoy the butterfly house and the Macaw nesting boxes. Punta Leona Posts will start tonight. Below this introductory photo is a gallery of my beach photos from 2019 . . .
Living in the Green
I live on a green hill that is surrounded by more green hills beyond the little Atenas Valley. And the housing development that I live in is called “Residencial Roca Verde” which in English is “Residential Green Rock.” And the second photo below is of some of the green rocks just inside our entrance gate that gave the place its name. 🙂 But mostly mossy green during rainy season and losing their color by the end of dry season or becoming brown rocks. 🙂 All possibly symbolic of “Living Green!”
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
That is what one man said about “living green.” Hopefully the world will learn to trade its greed for the green! I’m thankful that I live in a “green-thinking” country, even though Costa Rica has not “arrived” yet, it is headed in the right direction with such things as 99.9% of our electricity renewable (hydro, volcanic, solar & wind) plus 25-35% of our forests are protected as reserves or parks.
“Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.”
— Stewart Udall
¡Pura Vida!
Green Pastures
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23).
I thank God daily for allowing me to live in a peaceful place surrounded by nature and the great outdoors with unlimited aspects of nature to photograph. Praise God from who all blessings flow!
“How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures”. ~Psalm 104:24
And of course I have a Cows Gallery of my photos from all over Costa Rica. 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Rain Approaching!
As it does almost every afternoon! And this particular shot of rain on nearby hills was on May 22. A daily afternoon or night (my favorite) is what keeps tropical places like Costa Rica green, beautiful and full of so many species of plants and wildlife. I love it! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
My collection of such photo views from my terrace is growing! 🙂