The Golfo Dulce

One of only three tropical fjords in the world, the Golfo Dulce has 180-meter-deep (600-foot-deep) waters in the center of a usually placid gulf where visitors can get out on boats or kayaks to watch dolphins swim and humpback whales feed. At Chacarita, 33 km (20 mi) south of Palmar Sur, the southern coast assumes a split personality. Heading west, you reach the Osa Peninsula and, eventually, the Pacific Ocean and the wildest region of Costa Rica. Continuing due south is the Golfo Dulce, which means "Sweet Gulf," reflecting the usually tranquil waters. This gulf creates two shorelines: an eastern shore that is accessible only by boat above Golfito, and a western shore, which is the eastern side of the Osa Peninsula. South of Golfito the coast fronts the Pacific Ocean once again (rather than the calm gulf), with wilder beaches that beckon surfers and nature lovers.