128Canopy Blog

Anyone who has been to Costa Rica or is planning a trip in the near future has most likely come across hundreds of tours options and activities to carry out in the country.

One of the favorite nature tours and yet one of the least widely known is the Canoe Trip in Costa Rica’s Northern Region, specifically in La Fortuna.  The region of La Fortuna, near the Arenal Volcano, offers a variety in wildlife and rich vegetation which most of time go unnoticed by local and foreign tourists.

When in the Arenal area, the impressive volcano steals the show with its perfect conical shape and revitalizing hot springs.  But for those who prefer to wander off the beaten path and come face to face with nature, there is no better option than to do so by peacefully drifting down river in a canoe.

The tour allows tourist to access areas that are only possible by canoe in a tranquil and non intrusive manner.  The smoothness of the trip makes it possible to see shy and withdrawn species in their natural habitat.  Monkeys, crocodiles, sloths and countless bird species are just a few of the animals tourists will undoubtedly encounter.

The rivers around the Arenal Volcano will take you through dense rainforest while exposing century old trees and exotic plant species.  Specialized tour operators in the area offer the Canoe or Raft trip which normally include a bilingual naturalist guide, canoe or raft and all necessary equipment as well as transportation to and from hotels in the Arenal area.

Canoe and Rafting trips are half day trips and are under $50 per person.

If you are the type who prefers not to get all stressed in traffic and rather rides a bus while reading a good book, there might be some good news for you.

The recent set back regarding the inter-sector bus route due to a permit and miscommunication mishap will soon be resolved.  Government representatives have mentioned that due to the growing need of a public transportation alternative, they will press forward with the implementation of the inter-sector bus service.

The inter-sector bus service was scheduled to start operating about a couple of months ago before it was halted by transportation authorities due to the lack of permission.  However, government officials are seeking a way to go around the restriction and speed up its service.

The Vice Minister of Transportation, Viviana Martin, mentioned that the government must provide citizens with an economical form of transportation that will compensate for the constant raise of fuel prices as well as the devaluation of the country’s legal currency of the colon.

The government has also mentioned that its current vehicle restriction within the downtown area for certain license plates on certain dates has also left many citizens with very few transportation options.

The inter-sector bus service has been designed to transport people between major neighboring towns without having to go into downtown San Jose as has been the way for years.  Not only will people cut back on time, but will save on two and even three bus fares each way.

The recent celebration of Costa Rica’s National Park Day not only allowed for the parks to be in the spotlight, but also the park rangers.

The rangers took this opportunity to cry out for help as their efforts can only accomplish a fraction of what is truly required for protection and maintenance.  Costa Rica currently has 28 National Parks and over 150 protected areas which make up thousands of kilometers that need to be watched.

The Ministry of Energy and Environment (Minae) and the National System for Area Perseverance (Sinac) as well as other related institutions have come up with a volunteer membership program which will help strengthen the feeble park ranger budget.

The membership program estimates it will gather at least an extra 1 million dollars to help train and professionalize the current park ranger staff as well as give them all necessary tools and facilities to carry out their job.

Funds will be distributed among training, new and more modern equipment as well as a better park infrastructure.  The voluntary membership will be launched in two categories which include individual donations as well as collective or institutional donations.