Hello!

My fiance and I staying at Bosque (on Osa Peninsula) from March 31 through April 6 for our honeymoon (yay!) in a deluxe hardwood cabina. Just looking for any thoughts from people who have stayed there before.

How "dry" is it there at that time of year? Is the vegetation still green and are there still streams and waterfalls to explore, or is it pretty much dead? What are the best trails to explore? My fiance and I bought Columbia trail shoes...kinda like sneakers with better treads. Should those work for us? Also, I was reading some postings from people who had to move around to different rooms during their stay or stay in "garden" cabinas. I thought all the cabins had an ocean view...Just looking for any thoughts, suggestions, etc! Sorry for all the questions!

Looking forward to hearing from someone!

You will fall in love with Bosque just like the rest of us I am sure. Regarding the garden cabins, yes they are further back in a pretty open area with lots of flowers, fruits and veggies. I am sure your cabina will have a view, they would have told you otherwise. As far as people having to move around, you would know that now also. Bosque is small in terms of the amount of guests that can visit at any one time and over the last year or so has seen a huge increase in guests. So much so that they are booking up fast. We are not the only people who have traveled there several times and like some we like to request a favorite cabina.

The Columbia shoes should be fine. That is about all I ever use down there for hiking.

That area always seems green to me although I hear it gets even greener during the rainy season. It will still be pretty. Every trail they have is a little different from the others. I would take the tour with Philip on the Zapatero trail. He is a sweet guy and knows so much. The Pacific trail is the one that you go down to get to the waterfall for just the waterfall or to go rapelling with Joel. It is a tough hike back up. The Gulfo Dulce trail is just that, it takes you down to the beaches there. You can arrange with Bosque to have someone pick you up down on the beach. Always, always take more water than you think you will need. It does get hot there. They will even pack you a lunch if you want to spend the day down on the beach or elsewhere for that matter. I have done all the trails several times and never get tired of them. There is always something a little different going on with the wildlife. There is an excellent chance that you will see all 4 monkey species that live in CR as well as other critters. The amazing birds that fly around the grounds. It will be a place you will always remember.

You will be given a cabina name when you arrive. When you order drinks at the bar you just tell them your cabina name and they will keep track until you check in. The pool is not huge but very nice. There are towels right there for you to use.

Thanks, Jessie_! Your advice on Bosque has been great, it's so nice to hear "Second opinions" from what the websites say!

Another question for you or anyone else...The last two nights after Bosque we are staying at La Paz waterfall gardens. Is it much cooler there than Bosque, and if so, what clothes should we bring to stay comfortable?

Hi kyster,
Yes, La Paz will be cooler because of higher altitude. But you won't need a dramatically different wardrobe. Just throw in a light jacket, sweater, long sleeved shirt, or sweatshirt for evenings--and a pair of long pants. The nylon zip-offs work great for both the Osa and central valley. Daytime temps will be close to 80F. Nighttime lows can be around 60--and usually are!

I usually wear on the plane a lightweight zip-front cotton knit hoodie. It has worked for me everywhere we've been in Costa Rica. If it ever got really wet, it wouldn't be so great, but that hasn't happened yet--knock on wood!

I tend to chill very easily but didn't find it too uncomfortably cool at La Paz. I wore a pair of long pants and a 3/4 length sleeved shirt and was comfortable. It can get pretty cloudy and foggy up there so just a light rain jacket will help if it does. It also came in handy while hiking to the waterfalls because of the spray. We enjoyed our last couple of nights there. It is not our usual type of place but fun for a change.

Last year in Feb, I seemed to have gotten wet everytime I left the room at Peace Lodge. Actually they even provide you with umbrellas.

As already mentioned you will get damp on the waterfall trails. But also, there was low cloud coverage most of the time we were there. So lots of moisture in the air.

So a must is a rain jacket. But they do sell ponchos in the gift shop. (on an off note, the gift shop at La Paz is a Cafe Britt gift shop, which disappointed me. It was the same as anything that can be bought in their gift shop at the airport). Now back to the subject!

I did have a sweatshirt with me, which I was pleased to have.

There were ladies in the dining room during dinner in dresses! At first I felt just a bit out of place, in my khaki pants or jeans, but soon there were more to arrive dressed just like me! I mean we are in Costa Rica, Right?

Anyway I will vote for something long sleeve, long pant and a light weight rain jacket.

We leave for Bosque soon, as well as many more on this board.

Jessie thanks, I know you have answered a trillion questions for me, but I don't remember your summation of the trails at Bosque.

Kyster007 - Best wishes on your upcoming wedding.

d when were you at Peace last Feb? We were there then also. Will describe trails again.

dfarmer

My goodness I am having a senior moment I think. I really must start writing things down. Most of my info is just from memory from having been to the places and my memory is suffering from a lack of sunshine right now I think. Bear with me and I hope I remember everything. Knowing me, I would get so excited about seeing stuff that I would forget to write it down anyway.

The trails at Bosque to me are quite different. The Pacific Trail...the one your husband needs to go on to get to the waterfall, is very steep. Not bad going down but I always know who has just gotten back up when I see them. Fortunately there are little streams that go by the trail that you can splash water from to cool off. It is interesting to see all the plastic hosing. This is the water that Phil uses for the hydroelectric power as well as some irrigation. The beach at the bottom is pretty rocky and the sand is HOT. During high tide there are areas you can not get to if I remember correctly.

The Gulfo Dulce trail is pretty long and not too bad for the most part. You walk through some of the garden area first. Gets a little rough in a couple of spots further down. Just long enough that you might want to think about arranging for a ride back up before you head down. It takes about 1 1/2hr to get down and obviously longer to get back up because of the steepness in some parts slowing you down. This trail changes every time we go on it. This past year we ran into a huge army ant column. It was just fascinating to watch. Sometimes we couldn't see them because of the leaves but we could hear them loud and clear. There were all kinds of birds hoping around eating the ants and the bugs they scared up. We almost always see howlers along here.

The Zapatero (shoemaker) trail is very interesting and if you are thinking about going with Philip on a guided hike this is where you will go. You can go alone but he showed us so much stuff. We learned an incredible amount just about the leaf cutter ants. I would like to go out with him again.

The trogon trail runs pretty much between the garden area and the main restaurant/pool area. Not as long as some of the others but very nice. We have seen tons and tons of monkeys on this trail. It runs behind Casa Teca and we heard all kinds of things on it at night (I don't know what they were and I don't want to). It drops down into a ravine with a stream running through it. You also get some very pretty views of the Gulfo Dulce. This is where the small zip line is (save your money and don't bother with this one). The massage area is also off of this trail. Have heard some wonderful things about her massages.

There is another trail that runs off the driveway up near the entrance. I forget what the name is. We have done it a couple of times and except for some spider monkeys and a couple of interesting birds we have never seen too much along here. After batting out twice we will probably skip this one unless someone has seen something special recently.

That is pretty much it in a nutshell. The grounds are very pretty and just sitting around you will see so much stuff. An early morning walk around the grounds with Eduardo, after a cup or two, will show you lots of birds. Always remember to bring a little more water than you think you will need. It does get hot down there.

Wow, you guys have been so helpful! Thank you so much! I'll definitely bring a long sleeve shirt, light rain jacket and long pants to La Paz. We're going to do the zip line tour they offer there, so hopefully that's decent.

At Bosque, does getting a ride back from the Gulf beach cost anything? Also, can you take a swim in any of the streams/freshwater pools along the trails?

Also, just re: the cabinas there...I find it odd that the website says all of them are have a view of the ocean, but you all are saying there are ones that don't. Do they just not advertise the "garden cabinas?" I hope Jessie_ is right and our deluxe cabina has got a view!

Just one more quick note...I can't wait to visit Costa Rica! The trails sound fabulous, and the wildlife fascinating! You are all getting me even more excited!

Kyster,
Rest assured, your deluxe will have a view. And what a view! You are in for such a treat! If it hasn't already been mentioned, Phillip does a night hike as well. It was fascinating! We were amazed--there's a whole different world going on in the dark of which we humans are rarely aware!
Regarding the Golfo Dulce trail: We arrived at our pick up point about 20 minutes before the scheduled time. Not sure what the glitch was, but we weren't picked up. We hiked a short distance up the road (hoping like heck we didn't have to go the entire way) and were picked up by a taxi who kindly delivered us--for about $10. We weren't reimbursed, but it wasn't a big deal. I'm sure it doesn't happen often. There seemed to be plenty of taxis available so not to worry. We were glad we took our lunch with us. They packed a delicious meal for us. That was our first experience with Chiky cookies. We always make a point of bringing as many as we can home with us since then!

The Titi Trail is the one we were told gave us the best chance of seeing the Spider Monkeys--we didn't (others did), but it was a nice wide, even trail which we enjoyed hiking--about 45 minutes.

Guests were advised not to do the Pacific Trail at high tide when we were there in early July. This coastline, however, is quite beautiful and very wild. There are many tidepools to enjoy.

And, BTW, congratulations and best wishes!

What fabulous information!

Thanks for the very desciptive info of the trails at Bosque.

I better tell my husband to start running our stairs to get in shape. HA! bet that will happen!

Jessie, we were at Peace Lodge the nights of Feb 10 and 11, 2004. I believe you were just behind us a few days.

That's right. I remember that now. I think I need a personal secretary rather than a notebook to keep track of things. I even forget to write things down. I think I am in the CR zone and thinking about my new adventures rather than the old. Pulled out the zip offs yesterday. It's a miracle!!! They fit.

We were there for Valentines day as well as the day before.

TO THE MEN OUT THERE.....they bring pretty roses to the rooms on valentines day. Wine, roses, fireplace, music, and a jacuzzi!!!!! Your mantra for the day is....she is special and deserves it all.

Thank you, everyone (esp. Jessie_ and shillmac)! Yeah, my fiance and I will definitely have to get in serious shape for the trip. I'm counting down the days with eager anticipation!