Curu Wildlife Reserve, Costa Rica
The entrance to Curu is 6 km after Paquera and 16 km before Tambor.
Open hours: every day 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Cost: $ 10 per person per day
From the entrance you drive 2 km through the farmland to the administration office at the beach. Here you can already see groups of capuchin and howler monkeys who linger around the premises. Restrain from giving food to the monkeys. It spoils their natural behaviour and they can become obnoxious.
Each trail presents different sights and habitats. They are classified from very easy to difficult. Some hikes are very demanding and should only be tried during dry season.
The most easy to walk are the trails called Laguna, Toledo, Finca los Monos and Ceiba. They are very well maintained and lead through different habitats where you can spot animals.
View to Playa Quesera and Posa Colorado
Following each trail described in detail:
Quesera is a road which can be driven in dry season with a 4WD. By foot the hike takes around 2 hours. The small bay of Quesera with its white-sand beach offers a castaway's feel. You can pitch up a tent and stay overnight.
Posa Colorado is easy to walk on the first 500 metres until the view point, from where you can overlook the whole bay of Curu with the Tortuga Islands in front. After the view point the trail becomes more difficult. After an arduous hike of 1.5 km hike along the steep-sided hill you arrive at the secluded bay of Posa Colorado.
Laguna is an easy walk which skirts a small lagoon at the edge of pasture land.
Ceiba goes along the scenic Rio Curu which is a magnet for many animals. At the end you get to the big cage with the squirrel monkeys.
The Finca de Monos Trail leads over the Rio Curu
Killer is only for the adventurous sportsmen: it's a bushwhacking hike over a steep hill and down to the cliffs.
Avispero, the extension of the Killer trail, is a treacherous cliff-hugging trail. These hikes are only possible in dry season. Ask the rangers for trail conditions.
Finca de Monos again is easy to walk passing through mangroves and coastal habitats.
It leads to the next trail:
Toledo, a short and easy stroll along the coast near the headland of the Curu bay.
To discourage insects don't use perfumes or fragrant shampoos. Better take a repellent.
The Bay of Curu offers luxurious bathing
If you are fond of bathing, don't forget to bring your swimming suit. The bay of Curu is a picture perfect tropical beach with white coral sand and calm waters.
Curu also offers the possibility to stay overnight in the reserve's cabins.
For reservations
call ahead: (506) 641 0100 or visit the official website of Curu:
http://www.curuwildliferefuge.com
which has also a lot of information for researchers, students and volunteers.
At the side of the Administration on the beach is
Island Tour Adventure owned and run by Luis Schutt.
It's a certified PADI dive center which besides diving also offers snorkeling tours to the Tortuga Islands,
which are only a 10 min boat drive away from the bay of Curu. They also rent kayaks, arrange fishing tours or
boat trips, and make tours by horse through Curu.
You can contact Luis in English or Spanish at: turismocuru@hotmail.com.