Manzanillo, Costa Rica
Beach scenery north of Manzanillo
The area north of Manzanillo is one of the last long uninterrupted stretches of pristine beach wilderness on the Nicoya Peninsula.
Birds breed in the thickets by the river estuaries and sea turtles come to lay their eggs
in the sand. The area is considered as one of the most important nesting sites for the
endangered leatherback seaturtles in the Eastern
Pacific Ocean.
The beaches are part of a huge hacienda whose owner, thankfully, doesn't allow any development on his property.
The majestic Rio Bongo with heaps of driftwood
A day-long hiking tour takes you to the estuary of the Rio Bongo, 7 km from Manzanillo.
Before leaving Manzanillo pack enough water, take sun protection, and check on the tides because you have to ford two rivers.
Shortly after Manzanillo is the Rio Manzanillo and 2 km further is another, smaller river to cross.
On your trip you will rarely encounter any humans; instead, you find seclusion on lonely beaches littered with driftwood and shells.
The landspit near the Bongo estuary
The Rio Bongo is one of the biggest rivers on the Nicoya Peninsula. It forms the border between
the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas.
Before you arrive at the river mouth you wander along an
extended spit of land which the river has formed over the years. Here you have the pounding ocean on the one side,
while on the other side is the serene and calm life of the majestic river.
You can cross the Rio Bongo at low tide by wading through waist-high water at the outer edge of the river mouth. Watch out for crocodiles however, who live in the river.
From the estuary you can still continue along beautiful, undeveloped beaches until you reach Playa Coyote which is another 8 km from the Rio Bongo.