. . . is finished and ready for visits! Just click the gallery image or go to this web address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2025-12-23-27-Punta-Leona
Punta Leona Trip Gallery . . .
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 . . .
Pompeius Skipper
This little brown skipper with a historic-sounding name was at Punta Leona Nature Resort as he sometimes is in my garden. See my gallery Pompeius Skipper – Pompeius pompeius for more photos of this “brown is beautiful” little butterfly. 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
My 2025 Punta Leona GALLERY is now finished!
The “Trail of Giants”
“Sendero de Gigantes” is the unofficial nickname for the main forest trail at Punta Leona Nature Resort because of some really large trees on the trail. It took me two tries (2 days) to get the 100+ meters uphill from my room to the trail entrance on the main entrance road and then I didn’t even hike it because after a rain it was a muddy, slippery mountainous trail with lots of steep climbs and I tend to fall on wet surfaces, especially on wet steep inclines like this trail had. In fact I nearly fell going downhill into the trail entrance, so I decided not to hike it for my own safety. The occasional disappointments of being old! 🙂
After this introductory photo, there is a gallery of 4 more shots at the entrance. For younger people who love forest trails, this would be a good one! Especially for the big trees! And maybe some wildlife! 🙂
Poems in the Sky
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”
– Kahlil Gibran
A slideshow of poems in the sky . . .
Continue reading “Poems in the Sky”Tidepool Exploration
One of my plans for this second visit to Punta Leona was to photograph lots of interesting sea creatures in the Tidepools of Playa Mantas at low tide. Well, the low tide time I could go out for was cloudy and misty rain, but that is okay if there are sea creatures! 🙂 But I was disappointed with no starfish, seahorses, blowfish, crabs, etc! Only a couple of minnow-like fish, lots of broken up coral and shells and some fossils and lichen. But below this introductory photo are photos of what I did find and it was interesting, even if not what I was expecting. I will try tidepools again in September when I’m on the Caribbean Coast and see if my luck is any better there. 🙂
Rocky Tidepools circled in RED where most photos were made.
Red-crowned Woodpecker
This Red-crowned Woodpecker female (my gallery link) at Punta Leona is using whatever source of insects she can find in her environment. 🙂 And for what it is worth, this is my first sighting of this particular woodpecker and will be a “lifer” on eBird for me. It is not as common as the very similar Hoffman’s Woodpecker.
¡Pura Vida!
Dirce Beauty
A butterfly that I don’t see very often, though in 5 locations now, is the Dirce Beauty, Colobura dirce (my gallery link) was one of the 11 species that I photographed at Punta Leona. B&W butterflies don’t have a lot of fans, but it is one more of the many species found here!
¡Pura Vida!