Golfito
Less tourism, more nature in the south of Costa Rica
The further south you go along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, the less touristy it gets. Charlie’s stay in Uvita was already a nice break from crowded places, Golfito was even better. There are two National Parks nearby: Corcovado and Piedras Blancas. Unfortunately, there are so few tourists in the area that there are no guided tours that solo travelers could join. For day trips to Corcovado, it is better to stay in Puerto Jimenez or Drake Bay. When Charlie found out, it was already too late. She had booked her accommodation in Golfito. The reason why she had chosen this place was that it was the pick-up point for the surf camp in Pavones where she was going to spend a week after her Yoga Teacher Training in Uvita.
It wasn’t a problem as there are some places that you can reach by foot from Golfito that provide plenty of nature, without even entering the national parks. Because there are fewer tourists, you can even see more animals. More than once, Charlie saw wild Macaws, multiple toucans and so many hummingbirds that it was almost boring to spot another one. She was also lucky to see a sloth climbing down a tree. She saw monkeys too which was not so special as she had seen them before in other parts of Costa Rica, for example on her walk to the viewpoint in Jacó, in Tamarindo, and in La Fortuna.
The town of Golfito
Golfito has its name from the bay it is built along, the Golfo Dulce. As such, fishing is the main commercial activity in this area and you will see plenty of small fish restaurants at the entrance to Golfito and near the marina. The town stretches along the road for multiple kilometres with one row of houses on either side of the road and some big gaps in between. If you look at the number of houses, it’s not a big town, but the walk from one end to the other takes more than an hour because it is all spread out along the bay. There is quite a spacious hospital and some university buildings towards the other end of town.
There is a regular bus going to Cuidad Neilly and you can also get a taxi easily. The official taxis are dark red and they’re safe to take anywhere in Golfito. At least Charlie never felt unsafe taking a taxi there. Charlie arrived to Golfito by bus from Uvita. The bus company is Tracopa. There is also a small airport in Golfito. It is really small, just one building and you can see the runway from a bar at the corner of the street. It looks more like a local helicopter airfield than an airport. There are 2-3 flights per day from and to San José by Sansa Airlines. Flying is a bit more expensive (USD 150-200, 1 hour), but takes a lot less time than the bus from the capital (USD 17, 9 hours).
You can see a few small guest houses and hotels, but there aren’t many and there is only one souvenir shop near the marina which looks more like a garage sale than a real shop. This authenticity combined with nature certainly makes the charm of Golfito.
Refugio Nacional de Fauna Silvestre Golfito
About half a mile behind the airport (you are passing by the runway) is a wildlife reserve with two round trails that you can easily do on your own. They can give you all the information at the ranger station by the entrance. There is an entrance fee of USD 11.50 to enter the reserve. Charlie was there entirely on her own which at times felt a bit scary because you can really see and hear the wildlife. She got scared by snakes on the trail multiple times. It is a beautiful circular walk that leads to a waterfall. So far, it was the only waterfall in Costa Rica that Charlie could easily touch and stand beneath. All the others were either surrounded by a fence to keep tourists away or formed a large swimming pool and were too strong to get really close.
The trail took Charlie about an hour with regular photo stops, and she was happy to have worn her hiking boots that day. There is an official path, but due to the heavy rain, it erodes easily, and you also cross the little river a few times during the trail. It was Charlie’s favourite nature walk in Costa Rica because it was really authentic and not touristy at all.
Charlie also enquired about other trails into the Piedras Blancas National Park, but the ranger was really reluctant to provide information because he was worried about Charlie’s safety. He emphasized multiple times to not do these alone.
Viewpoints near Golfito
On the opposite side of the main road in Golfito, away from the bay, are some hills that are covered in tropical rainforests. Google Maps revealed that there are two viewpoints, miradores, along the road that leads from Golfito through those hills. Let’s be clear though: the road is more like a wide path and you’re better off with an all-terrain vehicle if you want to drive up there. Charlie took a taxi to the entrance of Golfito, called “KM 3”, and walked from there up the mountain. It’s about 1.5 miles to the first viewpoint and it is a steady incline. Once again, proper hiking shoes are recommended, trainers would do too. The incline though in the tropical climate makes this walk a bit challenging. It is worth it though. Once up there, you can enjoy a magnificent view over the whole bay and the Osa peninsula. It was low tide when Charlie was up there, and she could even spot a few beaches that were gone at high tide, and she saw boats of all sizes crossing the bay.
There was a sign on one of the trees that mentioned drinks and snacks to be available at the next viewpoint, Mirador Las Torres Donde Jovita. That was the one Charlie was aiming for anyway and if they had snacks, it was even better. The sign also said that it would be 5km from there (around 3 miles). At least, there was no incline anymore. Charlie was there in April, at the beginning of the rainy season, and she would soon experience what a proper tropical rain felt like. It didn’t matter, the walk was worth it. And despite the rain, she saw lots of animals.
Animals in the Rainforest
First up were a few monkeys playing in the trees, then she heard the toucans and was able to spot them in the trees. It was very nice of the sloth that was about to climb down a tree to drop a few branches to the ground. Without those falling branches, Charlie would have not looked up and completely missed the show. The sloth climbed down one branch and up again on the other side of the same tree, very slowly. Rushing is not in its nature.
On her way back, Charlie saw a few more monkeys and they were even curious about her. That was a sign that they didn’t see tourists very often. One of the monkeys sat very still and stared at Charlie for a while. It would have been the perfect picture if Charlie’s camera hadn’t been broken.
The highest viewpoint
It took Charlie in total 2.5 hours from Golfito to the Mirador Las Torres donde Jovita. She had been alone on the path the whole time and only spotted a few non-inhabited farmhouses when suddenly she was greeted by chickens and barking dogs. There was an elderly couple and a sign “refreshments and snacks”. According to Google Maps, that was the viewpoint she was aiming for. She didn’t expect a private home there. The viewpoint was inside the property and built out of steel. There was a fee of 1000 colones (approximately GBP 1.50) if you wanted to enter the installation. The owner kindly offered to take photos of Charlie and even guided her into the right poses for a picture.
Charlie then entered the house and asked if they offered any food. The lady offered her a homecooked casado and Charlie took a seat at the terrace. She got a full plate of rice and beans, vegetables, fish and egg, and a freshly harvested banana for dessert for a total of 3000 colones (approximately GBP 4.50). With a filled belly, she was ready to start her way back towards Golfito.
She decided to walk along the bay and the marina instead of taking a taxi back to her hotel and for the second time that day, she got completely drenched in a tropical rain. She didn’t mind. It was warm and she enjoyed the walk.
Other activities in Golfito
If you’re in Golfito as a solo traveler, it is difficult to get onto any tours. Charlie saw a place that offered sport fishing and diving near the fishing marina and an offer to rent a bike, but that was it really.
From the marina, you can also do a boat trip out to the bay, but Charlie didn’t ask for the details of this as she knew she would do a boat trip with the surfcamp in Pavones the following week. One of the taxi drivers also mentioned a walk to a nearby beach. It must have been the one that Charlie saw from the viewpoint.
