Santa Rosa National Park

Hi again! Sorry about the delay in the blog, we have had to change plans lately, so I am just now getting everything transferred to the laptop. The following entries were made between May 23rd and May 26th. Also, due to a lost journal, I'm having to remember details and write them in.

After leaving Corcovado and making the crazy long bus ride to Santa Cruz, Guanacaste in the Northwest region of Costa Rica, we got to rest one night at my friend's place, Nayu. Nayu went to Berry with us and her family is very friendly and was happy to put us up for the night. We stayed one night, got everything organized and ready, then headed out the next morning for Santa Rosa National Park. First, we took the bus to Liberia, then from Liberia we boarded a bus to La Cruz, which is just before the Nicaragua - Costa Rica border. Instead of going all the way to the La Cruz, we got off about half way, leaving us right in front of the park entrance. As we walked into the information center, we were relieved to find the process very, very easy. The park rangers were nice and accommodating, the fees and regulations were clearly stated, we were given a map and also pointers on what to see, and staying three nights would only cost $16 ($10 entrance fee and $2 a night).

Santa Rosa National Park is notable for a couple of reason. First, an important battle in Costa Rica history was fought here in 1856.Costa Rica remembers the Battle of Santa Rosa won by their army over the forces of filibuster William Walker. On March 20, 1856, when the Costa Rican forces reached this point, the filibusters were housed in the main farm building, La Casona. The ensuing battle lasted all of 14 minutes with the national militia victorious in ousting the invaders. The farm however kept for years its strategic significance. This place was the location of two more battles of Costa Rican forces against invading forces from Nicaragua. In 1919, there was an attempt from the invaders to overthrow the dictatorship of General Federico Tinoco Granados; and in the 1955, Costa Ricans fought intruders supporting a coup attempt against the government of José Figueres ^[1].  - Wikipedia

Secondly, Santa Rosa National Park is one of the famous filming sites for the Endless Summer movies, which were surf films highlighting some of the best surfing in the world. Witches Rock sits just off of Playa Naranjo and creates what many refer to as a perfect tube. Surfers from all over the world take boats in to Santa Rosa just to get a day of surfing in at this famous location. Finally, Santa Rosa is a major site for sea turtle coming to lay their eggs. Every year, during the end of the summer, thousands of Sea Turtles come to Santa Rosa and lay eggs. Because of that, Santa Rosa is also a heavily studied area.

Ok, so we left the information booth at the entrance to the park. It was about 9am. It would be an 18km walk to get to the beach we were wanting to stay at, so we got our packs ready and started walking. After 7kms, we arrived at a small area featuring cottages, classrooms, and a small general store. This place is usually for researchers and large groups coming in to study the park. We bought a 6 liter bottle of water at this store, knowing that there would be no drinking water where we were staying. The road was well shaded in most parts, so the walk wasn't too bad. At one point, we stopped to hike down a small side trail leading to an overlook of the beach where we would be staying. The site was phenomenal. The mountains meeting the beaches, the white sand beach below, and witches rock all in one site made for a beautiful view (see the pictures below). We continued on. As we got closer to the beach, thousands of crabs would scurry out of the road as we walked through. These brightly colored crabs could actually get pretty large, and are everywhere! However, they are not a source of food because of a poison in their body.

We arrived at the beach around 3pm, just on time to set everything up and get dinner. We were stopped by a park ranger named Jose Pablo who checked our permits and sent us on our way. We found a great spot just along the beach, with a small firepit and picnic table not far away. We setup our hammocks, got some wood, and made a nice dinner. We walked along the beach a little ways, getting a feel for our surroundings. Less than a kilometer north of us, just up the beach, was Witch’s Rock, jutting hundreds of feet straight out of the water. To our left, due South, was a huge lagoon containing some very large crocodiles, which we would definitely try to see later. In the distance, we could see Tamarindo, lit up at all hours of the night. At around 6:30, we had to call it a night because after the sun goes down, flashlights are all you’ve got.
The next morning, we ate breakfast, packed a lunch, and headed up the beach to spend the day at Witch’s Rock. As we walked up the beach, Annalee spots something in the distance and points it out. As we get closer, we realize it’s a surfboard, just sitting on the edge of the water with a broken leash. Other than the leash, it is in perfectly fine condition. We look around, but no one is in sight. For the next couple of minutes, we are thinking, wow, a free surfboard. Then, out of nowhere, this guy just comes swimming through the waves, waving at me. I meet him in the surf and hand him the board, thinking in the back of my mind, “darn”. Good deed of the day done, we headed into some shade just off the beach and ate lunch. It was a great place to eat, as it had some nice logs to sit on and plenty of shade. After lunch, we explored the lagoon just behind the beach, but we weren’t able to spot any crocs. We did some bodysurfing in the consistent surf in front of Witch’s Rock, then we headed back to camp. Later that night, we took another walk along to beach and witnessed a great show. For as far as the eye could see, thousands of lightning bugs lit up the beach, creating an amazing natural sight. Also, Annalee pointed out that with every step, the sand below us would glow green. This was because of the bioluminescent algae that had recently washed to shore. The algae is motion activated, and our steps cause it to glow. After the walked, we checked out around 7pm, later than usual.
The next day, our last full day at Santa Rosa, we decided to do some heavy hiking. We packed the basics, and headed south this time. We walked by the lagoon, and then hit a trail that supposedly would take us to the top of the point at the end of Playa Naranjo. Instead, the trail led back to the beach, making a “U” pattern. Confused, we retraced our steps, looking for the trail. After about half an hour, we found a really nice area on the beach, put some logs together, and took a nap. Ha. We got up about half an hour later, and decided that instead of taking the trail to the point (the trail we would later find out does not exist), we would walk the blistering hot beach. Normally this wouldn’t sound too bad, but instead of sand, the rest of the beach was a series of huge rocks and debris that had been washed up. So, we started jumping from rock to rock, working our way out to the point. An hour and a half later, we reached the point, and we could see the beaches to the south and also our beach to the north. We explored the point and tried to climb up to the ridge for some pictures. The climb was awful, and the thorns didn’t make things any easier. We did get some good pictures, though. By the time we made it back to camp, we were both cooked, dehydrated, and in desperate need of a shower. Well, the shower came. Around 4pm the sky let loose and we were stuck in a huge downpour. Luckily all of our stuff was safely stowed away under our rainfly, so the only hard part was staying warm in the rain and wind. To solve our problem, we jumped in the ocean. Because of the high winds and hard rain, the ocean now felt like a hot tub. We spent the next hour playing in the waves, waiting for the rain to stop. After it finally stopped, we were able to dry off and start a fire for dinner (we had covered some wood before it rained). We moved our hammocks closer to the ocean for this last night, and from our hammocks we watched the sunset over the water.

The next morning, we packed up and actually got a ride out with some surfers who had spent the morning surfing Witch’s Rock. They were a great group of guys, all from Costa Rica, and they also gave us their number in case we ever wanted to go out surfing with them sometime. Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Santa Rosa. We had a great campsite, the rangers were some of the welcoming people we’ve met, and the ocean and view was nothing short of spectacular. Besides the trail that didn’t exist, navigating the park was easy, and everything was well marked. Oh, and we actually got some pictures this time! And we did finally see a crocodile on our last night there, sitting in the lagoon.

The sign pointing to Playa Naranjo, starting our third hammocking trip (the first being in N.C.).

The viewpoint overlooking Playa Naranjo and Witch’s Rock, where we would be staying.

This is Annalee “Planking” on a fallen tree in the jungle. This is dedicated to our friend, Scott, from Sydney, Australia.

Us at the overlook of Playa Naranjo.

The view down the beach toward Witch’s Rock.

Annalee, cooking dinner on our grill.

A view of Witch's Rock.

Jay, the bird. He would join us for meals and make sure to eat any leftovers that fell.

The cloud cover in the evening makes for some great views.

This is the spot we found and ended up sleeping before our long hike out to the point.

 This was what we walked on for hours, trying to reach the point.

A picture of the beaches after climbing the ridge at the point.

: I found this and tied it around my neck to avoid some serious sunburn after the sunblock had worn off. Not so stylish, I know.

The crocodile in the lagoon.

best way to dry out wet boots, oh, and the sunset.

Our hammocks. And Annalee sleeping.

A view from under our rainfly.

This is what I would see while sitting in my hammock behind the mosquito net. It doesn’t look as blurry as the camera makes it out to look.

We had a change of plans just after Santa Rosa, so we weren’t able to make it to some of the parks on the Atlantic side and we won’t be visiting Panama. However, we went back to Nayu’s, where we spent the weekend with her family. We visited Playa Avellanas, which was a ton of fun, and we also met their friends from Boston, who have a very nice house right on the beach. We spent the evening eating pasta and talking about music and careers. We are Tamarindo right now, spending the days surfing. We’re doing pretty well, and we are definitely having a blast. We found a place here that has apartments, fully furnished, kitchen and all, for just $30 a night. So we’ve got the whole week here to just relax. When we first got here, there was a huge swell coming in, and our first day out, the waves were reaching the 12ft – 15ft marks. It had been a while for both of us, and at the end of the day we came out a bit beat up. Lately, however, the waves have been around 6ft, which makes for a nice relaxing ride, and a good learning environment for us less experienced surfers.

At this time we aren’t sure where we will be next, but I know I’ll be heading up to San Salvador, El Salvador to visit some friends shortly. I’ll try to keep everyone posted as plans come along. Sadly, however, we won’t be doing anymore hammocking this trip, so as far as crazy wilderness stories, they will have to be put on hold until the next time we get a chance to hammock again. Thanks for reading!