Costa Rica, going to Jaco

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Kris Cunningham

I was in Quepos under orders to take a rest day. I spent the evening there doing pretty much nothing, but woke up early the next morning feeling much better. By 7AM it was clear that I wasn’t getting back to sleep, and I could not see spending a day lounging around. I was anxious to get back on the bike and figured if I really did need a day off, I could rest at the next destination.

Leaving the beach of Quepos behind
there was some beautiful scenery. I love the green rice fields.
not only was this a beautiful spot, there was a mango tree next door so I had a lunch of excellent mangoes.

It wasn’t long before I found myself peddling past miles and miles of palm trees.

A palm oil processing plant
there were roads leading into the palm trees that looked like they led back into the depths of the shady palm plantations. From the bus stops and signs, there are homes and whole town back in the palms
cool bird on a wire. I don’t want to say he is a kingfisher without my bird book
Eventually the palm plantations were mostly behind me and the terrain changed to a more untouched look.
but also, there was an occasional mansion, mostly as I got closer to Jaco.
there were tons of cyclists on the road. They went past me in one direction, then another, back and forth until one decided he had seen me enough times to ask where I was going. He said they were out training for competition. There were also tons of motorcycles, many large, noisy Harley’s, and a few going at very high rates of speed.
I had been hearing the surf for a while and knew I was close to the ocean, and soon I got a glimpse of it.
coming in to Jaco was so pretty, excellent road and really nice scenery.

I was getting tired and thirsty, so I was happy to see this ahead. When I got close though, I could see there was a lot going on! There were horses outside and tied up across the street, some of them with guys on them, women were arriving in their best cowgirl outfits, live music was inside, and the place was packed!

imageThere is a Playa Hermosa just before Jaco, another tourist oriented beach area. Do you see the sign in the middle for the Katlin Hotel? Right above that you can see two bird silhouetted against the sky. They are scarlet macaws! They are hard to photograph because they are fast in flight and hidden trees when still, but you sure can hear them. They are very noisy, and very spectacular if you can see their colors! I will keep working on catching them with my camera.

image

I left the macaws behind and peddled on, climbing higher and higher. Once I saw the views from up there I was happy to have done the work. It was gorgeous with a number of different lookout points!

What is there to say about a view like this?
looking back was beautiful too
the road comes back down through rocky hillsides.
so pretty
my zoom caught a guy fishing down there
The town of Jaco comes in to view

I like this area a lot, and I liked the town of Jaco. I need to go fetch photos from the camera and put something together about it, so stand by for more.

 

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About Kris Cunningham

We live in David, Chiriqui Provence, Republic of Panama! This blog is about some of our experiences in our new country.
This entry was posted in Costa Rica, travel and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

24 Responses to Costa Rica, going to Jaco

  1. Carole says:
    June 30, 2015 at 7:26 pm

    Glad you rested a little, seems like you are seeing a lot of interesting sights. Drive safe.

    Like

  2. Latitude Adjustment: Two Wanderers in Panama says:
    June 30, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    We anchored our sailboat off Quepos for almost 2 weeks. ( Waiting on another part for the engine) We got to explore the area and really enjoyed it. It is very scenic in a jungle sense.
    If you can take it slow the best is yet to come, scenery wise!

    Like

  3. oldsalt1942 says:
    June 30, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    Very nice post. Love the pics. And YES, that IS a kingfisher. I have them sitting on tree limbs here by the house over the pools in the river all the time.

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  4. Anonymous says:
    June 30, 2015 at 8:36 pm

    You are doing so great! I love the photos, the stories, and that was most likely a cabalgata you happened upon.. those cowboys and cowgirls love a cabalgata, often held under the influence of a full moon.

    Like

  5. Tomas Beard says:
    June 30, 2015 at 9:40 pm

    Love your blog. Always interesting and great photos! We are planning to retire to Volcan in the near future.

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    • Kris Cunningham says:
      July 1, 2015 at 6:23 am

      Thanks so much, glad you enjoy the blog. Volcan? How exciting!! That is such a beautiful area. If I was going to live in the mountains that is where I would be.

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  6. Sunni Morris says:
    June 30, 2015 at 10:57 pm

    Great photos. Glad you rested some. Don’t push yourself too hard.

    Sunni

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    • Kris Cunningham says:
      July 1, 2015 at 6:25 am

      Thanks :). I’m doing OK, biking some, bussing over the hardest parts, and when I land today I have a great invite from some blog followers to rest at their place for a bit.

      Like

  7. Rewired and Retired in Nicaragua says:
    July 1, 2015 at 10:55 am

    Glad to hear that you listen to your body and you know when to move on and when to rest. Fantastic photos. See you soon.

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  8. Barbara Schutt says:
    July 1, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Incredible views! Yes, it is very good you relaxed and took it easy before the next leg of your journey. Looking forward to more 🙂

    Like

  9. Anonymous says:
    July 4, 2015 at 2:46 pm

    Lovely scenery! When I read and watch the pictures I feel s though I am on the trip too. Take care of yourself.

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