Tag: El Camino de Costa Rica

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El Camino de Costa Rica – New Info

A Hiker Guide

One of my blog readers, Patrick, who is thinking about beginning his retirement in Costa Rica (like I should have!) shared with me the just-released new hiking guide available on hiking coast to coast across Costa Rica. It’s first on his agenda here! Are you interested in such a hike?

Available on Amazon as paperback or Kindle edition: El Camino de Costa Rica Hiker Guide

There’s also a newer video of the trail than the one I showed earlier plus more new info on the website and I found a good “Make the Leap” story I’m also linking! 🙂 . . .

Continue reading “El Camino de Costa Rica – New Info”
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Tour company offers trip on El Camino de Costa Rica!

Here is a map of the coast to coast hiking trail and an offer I received by email for a tour company’s two-day, 42 km hike on the west coast near Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. There are also “Meetup” type groups offering free hikes nearly every weekend. This will someday be as well known and popular as the Appalachian Trail. I did a one full day hike earlier near the center of the trail, west of Cartago, and it nearly killed me because of the steep mountain climbs. See altitude chart on map below to realize you are nearly always on a hill. And see the simple little YouTube video on El Camino with bird photos they got from me!  🙂  My contribution!

Si no puede visualizar este correo puede Ver la versión on-line
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EL CAMINO DE COSTA RICA
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El camino de Costa Rica 
El camino de Costa Rica es una ruta promovida por la asociación Mar y Mar, la cual pretente incentivar el turismo rural a travez de una ruta que inicia en mar del Caribe en la zona de Barra de Parismina y termina en el mar del Pacífico en la zona de Quepos.

Si esta ruta se realizara de forma continua, tiene una duración aproximada de 14 días, con más de 280 kiiómetros de recorrido en donde se pasaría y dormiría en pueblos pueblos como: Canales de Barra de Parismina, Cimarrones en Siquirres, Pacayitas en Turrialba, Parque Nacional Tapanti, Cerro Alto en Cartago, Nápoles, Naranjillo y Londres de Quepos.

El pasado 23 de Febrero el gobierno del Sr. Presidente don Luis Guillermo Solís Riverapor medio de un decreto ejecutivo, declaró esta ruta como de “interés público”
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Ruta de Nápoles Naranjillo-Londres de Quepos
Nuestra aventura iniciará el próximo sábado 26 de Mayo con un delicioso desayuno en un restaurante carretera a San Marcos de Tarrazú, para posteriormente dirigirnos a la entrada del pueblo de Nápoles para iniciar en primer día de caminata, donde vamos a caminar por alrededor de 18 kilómetros por caminos vecinales de lastre, con unas hermosas vistas hacia los cerros de la zona de los santos las cuales están rodeadas de fincas cafetaleras.

Llegaremos alrededor de la 1:00 pm al pueblo de Náranjillo donde nos van a esperar con un delicioso almuerzo y un cafecito por la tarde, donde iremos a conocer el proceso del cultivo y elaboración del Achiote (esta es una pasta de color roja la cual es muy utilizada para darle color al arroz). Esa noche vamos a dormir en tiendas de campaña, las cuales están acondicionadas con colchones inflables y cobijas, suminstrados por la asociación.

Para el día domingo nos vamos a levantar muy temprano, para desayunar e iniciar el segundodía de caminata, con unas hermosas vistas hacia la costa de Quepos y Parque  Nacional Manuel Anonio,  donde caminaremos por aproximadamente 24 km pasando por los pueblos de Esquipulas y Villanueva,  hasta llegar al pueblo de Londres en Quepos, donde nos esperará la microbús.

Esta caminata es recomendada para personas que tengan una excelente condición fisica y estado de salud, ya que en dos días vamos a caminar por aproximadamente 42 km, a parte de llevar el peso de la mochila.

Para esta caminata el cupo máximo es de 12 personas.
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Nuestro paquete incluye:
  • Transporte en Microbús (recogemos en Heredia, Alajuela y San José). 
  • Desayuno, almuerzo, café en la tarde y cena del día Sábado.
  • Hospedaje en el pueblo de Naranjillo en tiendas de campaña, acondicionadas con colchones inflables y cobijas
  • Desayuno fuerte y merienda (para llevar) el día domingo.
  • Guía de Ticos A Pata capacitado en PAB y en RCP.
  • Póliza de responsabilidad civil emitida por el INS.
  • Somos un operador turísitico afiliado a:
  • MEIC (Ministerio de Economía Industria y Comercio)
  • CANATUR (Cámara Nacional de Turismo).
  • Tributación Directa, emitimos facturas timbradas.
Precio del paquete por persona es de ¢64.000, puede pagar directamente en nuestro sitio web con sus tarjetas de crédito o débito  VISA o MasterCard o bien puede reservar por medio de transferencia electrónica a alguna de nuestras cuentas bancarias del BAC San José o del Banco  Nacional cancelando el 50% y la diferencia cancelarla a más tardar el miércoles 23 de Mayo.
Acomapaña a Ticos A Pata a conocer esta hermosa ruta y a apoyar a las comunidades rurales de Costa Rica.
¡Definitivamente el Camino de Costa Rica se conocer mejor a “Pata”!
Ticos A Pata
Heredia, Santo Domingo, 8722-5100/8841-8076/2573-3434, email info@ticosapata.com
Website: www.ticosapata.com

    ¡Pura Vida!
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El Camino de Costa Rica HIKE

Earth Day 2017

Today I joined a group of supporters of the new coast to coast trail called
El Camino de Costa Rica
Hiking an 11 km section, with 8 km uphill! Very difficult.

One of many vistas along the trail
El Camino de Costa Rica

It was all on roads, mostly gravel
El Camino de Costa Rica

One of the many very steep uphill climbs (2 dropped out early)
El Camino de Costa Rica

We cossed and followed several streams
El Camino de Costa Rica

Passed a continous flow of small, poor farm houses
El Camino de Costa Rica

Had breakfast in a little rural Soda
El Camino de Costa Rica

And our after-hike lunch at a rural trout farm restaurant
El Camino de Costa Rica

Enough participated to fill a tourist bus!
El Camino de Costa Rica

One more vista, this near end of the hike
El Camino de Costa Rica

We did just one small section of a 263 or so km trail coast to coast and as the project proposes, walked through small farms in rural Costa Rica, this one in the Talamanca Mountains west of Cartago, but going through no town. See the video introducing the trail which uses some of my bird photos:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7euE5oQPC8


And if you would like to donate to the development of this trail through “crowd sourcing,” go to the website: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/el-camino-de-costa-rica–3#/
BACK IT!
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El Camino de Costa Rica – Coast to Coast Hiking Trail

Video including Charlie Doggett bird photos

Some of my bird photos appear in this first promotional video promoting a coast to coast hiking trail across Costa Rica through the rural areas and small towns where most tourists don’t go. When in Costa Rica hike this to get to know the poor working people of this great little country!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7euE5oQPC8


OVERVIEW

Contribute to building a trail from the Atlantic to the Pacific, bring prosperity to villages while exploring the ecosystems of Costa Rica. Asociación Mar a Mar aims to open a new international tourism opportunity that will offer an unparalleled hiking challenge and experience of the natural and cultural attractions of Costa Rica. This new 250 km trail, El Camino de Costa Rica: del Atlántico al Pacífico, will run from coast to coast, yet visitors can walk it in 15 days.

Summary

Our aim is to have every hiker in the world want to walk El Camino de Costa Rica, or part of it, at least once in their lifetime.  As travellers pass through rural towns along the Trail, they will stop for food, supplies, lodging, and to enjoy restaurants and cafes.  These towns and villages will grow economically in response to the establishment of the trail. This slow, socially inclusive economic development of rural towns is the fundamental objective of the effort.
Mar a Mar, with 23 Associates, including business leaders, tourism operators, local leaders and hikers, was established as a nonprofit association in Costa Rica in November of 2016 and has a strong volunteer Board representing varied expertise and a committed Executive Director. Six team leaders implement various aspects of the organization: Route Development; Community Engagement; Institutional Engagement; Communications and Public Relations; Fundraising; and Legal and Fiscal matters. With this disciplined and committed Board and volunteer team leaders, Mar a Mar has been able to accomplish a great deal in one year.
Mar a Mar has succeeded in becoming known in the world of hiking in Costa Rica, has presented its work to several gubernatorial entities where the ideas were well received and has established relationships with several lodges, community leaders and cooperatives such as Coopearruco in Orosi.   We have a digital version of the route available for guides to take groups. El Camino de Costa Rica travels through public roads as well as through the indigenous people’s lands. Of the 15 towns where hikers would sleep, all but 5 already have capacity for at least 20 tourists.  One of our accomplishments in 2016 was to establish the capacity to take day hikers on the route and to date we have walked seven of the fifteen sections with groups. A major accomplishment has been the establishment of relationships with experienced tour operators who plan to start leading hikers along the route in 2017. In fact, the first hiker completed walking the Trail in February!  We have a Board treasurer and a CPA on retainer.

What We Need

These are some key milestones that still need to be achieved. We can’t accomplish them without your generous support!
In order to fund our initiative, we seek seed money of  $50,000. Under the strong leadership of the Mar a Mar Board, the seed money would contract with program managers who would work on priority projects which will include:
  • Work with local associations to improve and maintain the trail.
  • Work with local associations to mark the trail.
  • Implement the Mar a Mar marketing plan which includes audience identification, developing content for advertising and publicity and the best media for the various publicity messages, and developing orientation and guide materials for hikers (maps, trip preparation information, lodging and dining guides, identifying nearby attractions along the trail, safety and first aid information, etc.)
  • Continue to engage with tour operators to take tourists along the route.

The Impact

Costa Rica’s GNP is driven by tourism, but rural towns do not benefit from this economic gold mine as tourists are commonly frequenting the coastal areas of Costa Rica, and neglecting the rural and indigenous areas of the country.  This trail will promote carbon neutral tourism, which is sustainable, affordable, and most importantly respects Costa Rica’s natural environment and cultural traditions.
Our strategy is that these projects would establish a flow of hikers and thus create a demand that would further engage the communities along the Trail.

Risks & Challenges

Some of the challenges that Mar a Mar faces in establishing El Camino de Costa Rica include unfavorable route conditions.  Some of the zones through which the trail passes have high levels of rain and flooding that impact the trail and bridges. Your contribution will assist in improving and maintaining safety along the route.

Ways You Can Help

A small amount of dollars will go a long way in this project to trigger entrepreneurial opportunities in rural villages
  • $10.00 would go towards developing materials for hikers
  • $20.00 would go towards engaging local entrepreneurs
  • $30.00 would go towards marking the trail
  • $50.00 would improve infrastructure on the trial
Even if you can’t contribute financially, you can certainly contribute in other ways:
  • Share our video and link with your friends
  • Come and hike the trail!
If you want to back it, go to this website and click the “Back It” button. They are in a campaign now to raise $50,000 by this summer. Go here: