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Gandoca Manzanillo Photos

Gandoca Manzanillo wildlife refuge has two distinct parts.  The beaches of Manzanillo, Uva, Chiquita  and Cocles are dotted with hotels, lodges, B&Bs, restaurants, bars and small businesses but south towards Gandoca after the end of the road is a whole other world.  Accessible only on foot the tropical lowland coastal rainforest here is one of the last tiny patches undisturbed on the southern Caribbean (Cahuita National Park protects the other).

The relatively flat terrain means the huge amounts of rain that fall collect into marshes and Jollio swamps that couldn’t readily be converted to pasture.  Mile Creek on the south east border spends as much time outside its banks as in and while the trails can be challenging when it’s wet (most of the time) the rewards are worth it.

The Refuge can also be accessed from the south east by heading 10 km inland to Bribri then 20 km south towards Sixalola before cutting 12 km back to the coast on a 4WD road that fords a couple of small rivers to reach Gandoca.

Spectacled Caiman
Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis, like in Florida) DO NOT live in Costa Rica. The Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) DOES live in Costa Rica. The American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) DOES live in Costa Rica. The easiest way to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile is that alligators have a U-shaped jaw (flat snout) and crocodiles have a V-shaped jaw (pointed snout) with teeth that protrude when their mouth is closed as seen here.
Gandoca Manzanillo
The start of the trail looking back at the end of the road in Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Playa Manzanillo
Playa Manzanillo
Eyelash viper
Eyelash viper Gandoca Manzanillo (Bothriechis schlegelii, Spanish-Oropel or Toboba de Pestaña). There are several color variations and we’ve seen the bright green and pink as well as the yellow in Gandoca too
Gandoca Manzanillo map
Gandoca Manzanillo reserve office at the north end of Playa Manzanillo Costa Rica has a nice map up showing amenities in the region.
Siproeta stelenes
A Malachite butterfly Siproeta stelenes named after the green rock. If you look thru its wings its like looking through stained glass. Malachites are often confused with Philaethria dido. They have similar coloration, but their wing shapes are different (little sword tail) . A book by Carrol Henderson “Butterflies, Moths … of Costa Rica made this common mistake.
Manzanillo
Un-named beach Manzanillo
Beetles
Beetles
Sunset Playa Manzanillo, southern Caribbean Costa Rica
Sunset Palms Playa Manzanillo, southern Caribbean Costa Rica
Yellow Eyelash Viper
Yellow Eyelash Viper (also called Palm Viper or Pit Viper – Bothriechis schlegelii – Spanish Toboba de Pestaña, Bocaracá o Oropel) Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Looking back at Punta Manzanillo from the Punta Mona side
Looking back at Punta Manzanillo from the Punta Mona side
Painted turtle
Painted turtle
The infamous rubber boots
The infamous rubber boots (usually available to borrow from eco lodges) are ideal for this muddy trail in Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge. Just be careful or they will get pulled right off your feet by the suction of the mud
Day trippers unload
Day trippers unload at Playa Manzanillo Costa Rica – wekend buses transport Josefinos to the coast for a few hours of fun in the sun. It’s a long haul (4 – 6 hours each way depending on traffic) for a quick visit.
Playa Manzanillo
Playa Manzanillo
Caballito del Diablo
Caballito del Diablo – the devil’s little horse. There is a common myth that beacuse of the way thier legs are attached dragonflies cannot walk – in fact they can walk, but only backwards!
Dead pufferfish
Dead pufferfish that washed up on the beach
Campground at Playa Manzanillo
Campground at Playa Manzanillo Costa Rica – there are no facilities but you can pitch a tent in the shade
Fruit truck
Fruit truck
Sunset Playa Manzanillo Costa Rica
Sunset
The moon and venus Playa Manzanillo Costa Rica
Moon and venus
One of the tiny beaches you can have all to yourself in the Gandoca Manzanillo wildlife refuge, southern Caribbean coast looking towards Punta Mona
One of the tiny beaches you can have all to yourself in the Gandoca Manzanillo wildlife refuge, southern Caribbean coast looking towards Punta Mona
There are a few bridges
There are a few bridges over the muck and little creeks at the start of the trail on the north end but within about a km hikers are on their own at crossings – Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Male and female golden orb weaver spiders
Male and female golden orb weaver spiders
Katydid, Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Katydid
Punta Manzanillo
Punta Manzanillo from the Punta Mona side. Many of the Caribbean beaches are very narrow and flat. Tides are only a few inches so there’s rarely more than a few yards of sand between the trees and the water – Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Mano de Tigre
Mano de Tigre – Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Butterfly - Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Butterfly
Katydid, Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Katydid
Beach through the trees
Every time you glance down from the trail there’s another little strip of sand
Green- Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Green
Big fig tree
Big fig tree- Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge
Northeast end of Playa Manzanillo
Northeast end

Ray & Sue

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Wildlife Refuges & Reserves
  • Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve
  • Portalón Estero Rey National Wildlife Refuge
  • Hacienda Barú National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Rainmaker Biological Reserve Photos
  • Hills of Portalón Wildlife Refuge
  • Bahía Junquillal National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala National Wildlife Refuge Photos
  • Transition Dry to Rain Forest
  • Caño Negro Photos
  • Gandoca Manzanillo Photos



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