Our second visit to Costa Rica offered everything we were hoping for – and more than we expected.
It was a wild, 12-hour ride from Nicaragua to Costa Rica; confusing waves and winds speeding up to 32 knots made for a sporty yet safe passage to our next destination. It was 5:00 am when we dropped anchor at Playas del Coco and although tired, our excitement exceeded our fatigue. While I prepared a quick breakfast, Torsten got the dinghy ready to get onshore for our check-in procedure. One taxi ride and three stops later, we were officially welcomed, had purchased a Claro phone card, and enjoyed a well-deserved local beer at one of the many bars in Coco where Happy Hour is offered daily from 11 am – 11 pm.
After anchoring out for a few days, we made Marina Papagayo our “home base” for the coming month.
Marina Papagayo
Dinghy ride
Monteverde (Green Mountain) is one of the world’s first and finest ecotourism destinations and its marvelous mist-shrouded Cloud Forest Biological Reserve makes a rewarding visit. You don’t have to be an avid bird watcher to appreciate the bountiful biodiversity of the area. The constant level of moisture in the air is just interrupted by treacherous rainfall, which then leads to more humidity. We very much enjoyed our visit and never missed an opportunity to watch the rain from the safety of one of Santa Elena’s many eateries.
Monteverde
Arenal Volcano
Cloud Forest
We passed Lake Arenal en route to our next destination, La Fortuna. We had visited the area 14 years earlier and were excited to return and explore “The Northern Zone” during the rainy season. In addition to the natural wonders, the region also provides an abundance of opportunities for thrill seekers; from zip-lining to river rafting, we took it easy, indulging in a Hot Spring Resort at the foot of Arenal Volcano and hiking through sloth forest.
Quetzal
Sloth
Tropical Buckeye
After being landlocked for a month, it was time to say goodbye to Papagayo and continue our journey. Two weeks of beautiful anchorages allowed us to discover Costa Rica from a different perspective.
Bahia Ballena, normally a favourite spot amongst cruisers but abundant during rainy season, featured scenery and serenity combined with welcoming daily rain showers in the evening. The thunderstorms however are a different story. As fascinating as they are to watch, being surrounded by lightning with no way out is a different experience. It was here where we encountered a nearby lightning strike and the massive EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) fried most of our systems.
This was certainly more excitement than we had asked for. A first inspection the next morning showed the extent of the damage: Starlink down, autopilot crashed, battery charger and monitor not functioning, Watermaker defect, engine control panel and wind instruments broken, antenna shot off the mast, solar panels destroyed.
Our laptops, Mobiles, and handheld VHF survived in the oven, functioning as a Faraday Cage.
Stranded in Tamarindo
My Kind of Beach Bar
Yellowfin Tuna for Dinner
We decided to limp our way to Golfito, a three-day journey, taking hourly turns on the helm, and using Banana Bay Marina as our waiting point to have the regulator and alternator shipped from the US to the Costa Rica/Panama border town of Paso Canoas.
Three weeks later, filled with researching for parts and in constant communication with our insurance company, we were ready to limp our way to Panama: wounded but not defeated!
