Ecotourism: What is it?

Ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to natural places which conserves the enviroment and sustains the well-being of the local people.

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Jungle Walking Tour-Preparation

Preparing for your tour

All guided tours in the Lapa Rios Reserve help support the ongoing maintenance and land preservation. Choosing to hike and learn with a knowledgeable local guide gives the community continuing economic support and demonstrates that this diverse lowland tropical rain forest left standing is more valuable than one cut down.

Our reception staff and guides are happy to answer questions, make arrangements and help you select appropriate tours. An experienced guide will accompany you on all the tours in the Lapa Rios Reserve. Lapa Rios tries to keep the maximum number of participants to 6-10 people. Because of this limited number we encourage guests to register their names at the front desk for tours. Please accommodate those leaving Lapa Rios before you. The longer tours generally leave after breakfast or lunch; the night walk returns by 8PM for a late dinner. Unless prepaid, the cost of all tours will be charged to your account, payable at checkout.

Non-guided walks are encouraged only on the trail closest to the lodge, or along the beach and main road. There is a self-guided tour pamphlet for the trail near the main lodge. If going into the forest without a guide please advise the staff of your anticipated route and approximate time of return. The forest is dark, as early as 4:30 P.M. on cloudy days! There are NO TRAIL SIGNS within the reserve.

Please note that all forest trails follow mountainous terrain and require a certain amount of exertion. NOT ALL TOURS ARE MEANT FOR EVERYONE. Some are difficult, some easier. Use the walking sticks. Keep your eyes down when walking. When you want to look at something, stop moving! Look before touching. Use footwear with good treads - rubber boots are available; the boots are more comfortable with high top socks. Snacks are provided for longer tours. Long sleeves and long pants are not necessary; shorts and a T-shirt are adequate for all hikes. Insect repellent usually is not necessary, neither are hats nor sunglasses. Always have a big drink of water before leaving on a hike - you will perspire and the extra fluid will help lessen your fatigue. Take a bottle of water when going on ANY tour.

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Corcovado National Park Tour

GUIDED TOURS

COST: INCLUDES: GUIDE, TAXI & AIRPLANE TRANSFERS, PARK ENTRANCE FEES AND LUNCH, MINIMUM 4 PERSONS.

ITINERARY:

6:00 AM Light breakfast at Lapa Rios.
6:45 AM Leave Lapa Rios by taxi to Puerto Jimenez
7:15 AM Leave Puerto Jimenez by plane to fly to Sirena Station.
7:30 AM Arrive Sirena Station. 4 hour walk on circular route
returning to Sirena approximately 11:30.
11:30 AM Relax and have lunch packed and prepared by Lapa Rios.
1:30 PM 3 hour walk in the forest to Río Claro, optional
swimming in Río Claro. Tour continues and returns to Sirena
Station.
4:30 PM Return to Puerto Jimenez by plane and return by taxi to
Lapa Rios.

Highlights:

Excellent chances of seeing white-lipped peccary, tapir, spider monkeys, white faced cappuchins, squirrel monkeys and howler monkeys. Agoutis, coati-mundi, fresh tracks of jaguars, ocelot, marguay and mountain lion. Toucans, scarlet macaws, great curassow, crested guan, trogons, fierey-billed aracaris, honeycreepers, hummingbirds, herons, egrets, tinamous, parrots, woodpeckers, woodcreepers, antbirds, manakins, tanagers, caciques, euphonias, thrushes, hawks and vultures.

This is the real JUNGLE. 100,000 acre Corcovado National Park has approximately 375 species of birds, 125 mammals, 50 bats, 131 reptiles and amphipians, 850 trees, 1500 plants and ferns, and more than 6000 insects, bugs and creepy crawlers.

What to Bring:

Bicoculars, bird book, hiking boots, camera, hat, insect repellant and a waterproof pouch.

Have a great trip !

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Personal Account of a Jungle Tour

The Rain Forest Ridge Walk Experience

The rain forest ridge walk is one of the tours I offer here at Lapa Rios. The terrain is mountainous with the ridges separated by clear running streams. As you walk along the top of a ridge, you can look directly into the mid-canopy of many trees growing down slope. The path along the ridge and the forest floor are fairly open. Saplings and shade-tolerant shrubs are everywhere, but walking between them is easy. Almost no direct sunlight reaches the forest floor, and the path is littered with decomposing leaves. The ambience is hued in shades of green, gray, and brown. The humidity is high, but the temperature is a pleasant 25 degrees Celsius.

The beginning of the trail passes through some previously cut second growth. Quick- growing sun-loving plant species grow here, like Balsa and Heliconia. Heliconia has large broad leaves and stupendous birds-of-paradise-like flowers. Three species of hummingbirds buzz around fighting for position, all eager to sip the heliconia's rich nectar. A young heliconia is not yet in flower, and is still unfurling its 50 cm. long leaves. The rain forest contains the greatest number of plant and animal species in the world, but almost everything is uncommon. This is because each organism is a specialist. Numerous insects, including rolled-up-leaf beetles and rolled-up-leaf beetle predating spiders, live in the furled heliconia leaves. As I bend the leaf down for all to peer at the insects inside, six disc-winged bats explode out of the funnel. A rare phenomenon, these little bats roost during the day stacked up one on top of another inside the furled leaves. The slightest movement alerts them, as they are subject to predation by omnivorous Squirrel Monkeys. Everyone on the tour, including the guide, is startled and thrilled at what we have experienced.

Further up the trail, a completely camouflaged brown snake slithers across the path and stops alongside. Its head is narrow indicating it is nonvenomous. Its coloration is exactly the same as the dead leaf litter it inhabits. It is one meter long and has an orange underbelly. It hunts for small lizards, frogs, and invertebrates. All of us crowd around as it "freezes". After we have enjoyed this forest denizen, I approach the snake, and it rapidly and stealthily moves out of sight.

Our next stop is a huge 40 m tree with enormous buttress roots. Buttress roots are what support the tree in the thin rain forest soils. This one has 2m. high plank roots holding up the base, like a pedestal with feet. Knowing the tree, I search the fallen leaf litter for some "semillas adorable", or adorable seeds. Within a minute, I have gathered a palm full of tiny scarlet red and black seeds, as rain forest souvenirs for the guests. Everyone, of course, is enchanted. I can only reason that the seeds are colored brilliantly, in order to advertise the toxic compounds contained within. An unpalatable taste will prevent their being masticated by rodent seed predators.

We walk quietly now enjoying the lushness, the immensity, and the tranquility of the forest. A flowering vine here, a large woody liana there, a giant termite nest, and a whistled bird call complete the scene. Suddenly, a movement is detected beside the path. "A snake!" someone shouts. The guests step aside, as I move forward to identify the serpent. A three meter long Boa Constrictor, thicker than your calf, lays coiled inside the buttress roots of a tree. There is an iridescence to its scales that shimmers when a patch of sunlight reaches its huge bulk. It is disturbed by our scrutiny, and moves slowly to a more sheltered location beneath a fallen tree. A nonvenomous predator, the boa is still a formidable foe. It has a large powerful jaw, with which it bites its prey and lifts it off the ground. It then wraps its coils around and continues to constrict, until its victim finally suffocates. It neither preys upon, nor fears humans. It is merely cautious and wary. Two of the tour participants approach with fascination. Two others keep a comfortable distance away. All are duly impressed.

We walk still further. The forest is ominously quiet. Only the sound of our footsteps disturbs the silence. It is late afternoon and the sky is darkening. The cloud cover builds and a light rain begins to fall. Overhead a crashing of branches is heard. Monkeys! We proceed forward looking ever upwards for the source. A moving branch is sighted, and a dark body is seen flying through the air. We search for a window through the vegetation, and spot four Howler Monkeys feeding in the canopy. They are strict herbivores, and we watch as they selectively munch leaves and walk about the branches. At last we are noticed, and a huge din erupts from the dominant male. Hoo - Hoo - Hoo - Hoo - Hoo -Hooah - Hooah - Hooah - HOOOAH !! Like a cross between a howling dog and a roaring lion, the alarm call of a Howler Monkey is a never-to-be-forgotten sound. One of the monkeys creeps to the end of a limb and then leaps to an adjacent tree out of view. Two others clamor up a hanging vine into the very densest portion of the tree top. The male remains in a guarded, but provocative posture inflating his cheek pouches like Louis Armstrong - howling for all he's worth. Within minutes, other unseen members join the chorus.

We continue on, and almost immediately encounter a group of birds. Warning cries are sounded, and several scatter upon our arrival. I quickly assess the remainder of the flock with my binoculars. Two ant-tanagers "chak" from the under story. Three ant-birds are "cheering" above the forest floor. Two wood-creepers hang from the trunk of a large tree. And a chicken-like ant thrush high steps away through the leaf litter. All these birds together can only mean one thing - an army ant swarm!

I scan to locate the swarm. Thousands of ants have just crossed the path and are foraging around a tree fall. The carnivorous ants dislodge all animals in their path, and the birds are quick to take advantage of this plethora of easy prey. We watch as various birds dart in and out amongst the ants capturing insects trying to escape. Together the tour group approaches the scene of carnage. Behind the attacking swarm are columns of ants crossing the path to and fro. Those returning to the nest are carrying the body parts of the insects and soft-bodied invertebrates that they've caught, stung, and dismembered. Those coming from the nest are non-sexual female soldiers arriving to reinforce the advancing swarm. Sub-majors patrol back and forth along the columns to protect the workers, and ensure that the "booty" is not filched by robbers. I warn the guests that these ants are very aggressive and pack a horrific bite. We walk through the swarm hastily, and kick the ants off our boots when we reach the other side. Everyone escapes unscathed. Thank heavens for tall rubber boots!

The drizzle continues, and eventually increases into a steady rain. Binoculars and cameras are stowed away into backpacks, and we walk on. Ponchos are virtually useless, as the humidity that builds up from within is as wet as the rain that falls from above. I proclaim to everyone that no one has ever melted or frozen to death in a tropical rainstorm. Reassured, we resume in silence.

Tromping through the mud, we listen to the pounding of the raindrops on the forest floor. Ahead I discover a rainfall bonus. Preferring wetter conditions, numerous poison-dart frogs now begin to appear along the trail. 5-6 cm. long, these black terrestrial amphibians are streaked with bright lime green. They hop conspicuously about searching for small insects. It is a dangerous method of feeding for a diurnal animal in a forest full of predators. It is thought that poison-dart frogs first evolved skin toxins to make themselves unpalatable, and then bright colors to better educate their enemies. Dangerous only when eaten, I deftly grab one so all can "ooh" and "aah" at this gorgeous forest inhabitance. We finally arrive at the lodge - wet, tired, and full of wonder and enchantment. Just another day in paradise...

Darrel Hutchinson, former guide at Lapa Rios, 1993

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Fishing

Deep Sea Fishing (FAQ Fishing)
The waters off Lapa Rios are famous for bill fish, tuna, dorado, rooster fish and snapper. Off shore or in-shore fishing available. Taxi to Pto. JimÚnez for a full day (8 hrs) of excitement. Lunch is provided.

"Kinembe", Capt. Mike, 1-3 pax, See Tour Page for Price.

Half Day Fishing
Taxi to town and fish with a neighbor-boat captain who will take you along the Gulfo Dulce, Cabo Matapalo and the Pacific coast to catch snappers (all world records recorded at the Cape), rooster fish, tuna, dorado, jack, sierra, etc. 4+ hours trip. 1-4 people,$365

Shore Fishing
Our experienced neighbor - fisherman will take you along the rocky points in front of Lapa Rios for snapper, rooster fish, jack, sierra, who knows? The bait fish must be near shore or you don't go. Tackle provided. Bring back dinner! Tide and swell dependent. 3 hrs. per person, $35

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Animals to be Seen in 3 Days

Usually seen in 3 days at Lapa Rios

• Various mammals:
  monkeys:  howlers, squirrel, spider, white face monkey, kinkajou (night monkey), coati mundi
  3 toed sloth
  bats - insect and fruit eating, tent making
   
• Birds - over 300 species sighted at Lapa Rios:
  scarlet macaw
  chestnut mandible toucan and aracaris
  black-cheeked ant-tanager (only in Osa)
  See List of Birds

• Lizards
  basilisk (Jesus Christ)
   green iguana
   anoli
   ameba (macroteniid)
   garrobo (Ctenosaur)
   gecos
   skink
   
• Frogs 
  poison dart frogs (black with orange and green with black)
  tink
  tree
  nocturnals
  smoky frog

• Insects - beetles
  wasps and bees
   forest cockroaches
   butterflies - morphos, heliconias, swallow tails, "owl" butterflies (moths)
   grasshoppers
   "sundown" cicada
   giant walking stick
   leaf cutter and army ants
   bush katydid
   
• Spiders, tarantula, amblipigidas

Marine species - 4 land crab species
 blue crayfish - river
 star fish
 blue fish
 barnacles
 snail
 sea slug
 clams

Occasionally seen at Lapa Rios

• Various mammals:
   southern 2 toed sloth
   cats - puma, jaguarundi, ocelot and margay, jaguar
   weasel - tayra and long tailed weasel
   armadillo
   opossums - 3 types
   southern river otter
   mice and rats
   agouti and paca
   skunk
   bats - vampire, fishing
   collared peccary
   squirrel
   northern raccoon
   collared anteater

• Birds - over 300 species sighted at Lapa Rios
  See List of Birds
   
• Crocodiles

• Frogs
  gaudy eyed leaf frog
  poison dart frogs (red and black, black)
   
• Snakes
  boas
  coral
  vine snake
  vipers

• Insects
  butterflies and moths, numerous
  wasps, bumblebees
  rhinoceros  beetles
  scorpions
   
• Spiders
  
• Marine species
  green sea turtles, dolphins,
  whales - pilot and humpbacks

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Surfing

We have world class surfing right in front our our resort. The area is generally known as "Matapalo" and is composed of 3 point breaks. They are called "Matapalo", "Backwash" and "Pan Dulce". They are all long right waves of varying difficulty, increasing as one gets closer to Cabo (point) Matapalo where the Golfo Dulce meets the Pacific Ocean.

There is a community of about 35 surfers and their families who have bought property in front of these locations and come to visit their land and surf during the year. According to these hardy souls the location is incredible though not large. For this reason it is felt that it needs to be kept a secret for those who own land in front of these precious spots.

Transporting boards can be a problem since the 2 daily scheduled air carriers Travelair and Sansa and the local bus company will not accept reservations for boards and will accommodate them only when space allows and then, sometimes, only when they feel like taking them. Usually they will carry a short board (up to 8 feet ) without much discussion. The longer the board the more difficult it is to convince them to take it. The surest way for long boards is to send or bring them in a rental car or a chauffered van. This can be expensive.

We are a luxury rain forest preservation and ecotourism destination and have nothing designed especially with surfers in mind. We have lots of them come and stay with us and they are very welcome and have a wonderful time. The greatest numbers seem to come from July to November. The best surf seems to occur from August to December.

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Beach & Swimming

The bungalows are about 300 feet above the ocean and it is about a 7 minute walk to the beach and the ocean. The return walk is uphill and steep and takes about 15 min. The beach is normally deserted and offers good walking and exploring. There are very few shells but it is very scenic and serene. There are no rip tides or undercurrents and it is good for swimming. While swimming at the beach is good and safe the main attraction for most of our guests is the rainforest and the wildlife, not the ocean. It is a "Pacific" beach and not the white sand or crystal clear waters of, for example, Jamaica.

There is shade at the high tide mark but no lawn chairs or umbrellas. You will probably encounter more hermit crabs crawling along the beach sand than you have ever seen in any one place before. There are small and harmless but nevertheless quite numerous. Sometimes there are sand fleas and "no-see-ems" but usually they are no real problem. Mosquitos are rare here both at the main lodge and along the beach.

There is some fairly good snorkeling but it is across the gulf and you would have to go by boat.

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Electricity and Hair Dryers

Due to our goals of minimal environmental impact we have limited capacity 24-hour generator supplied electricity for all of our bungalows. Our generators cannot handle hair dryers. They demand huge amounts of current that surges when turned on. We ask guests not to bring them or if they do not to use them while at Lapa Rios. They can shut down the electricity for the whole lodge and plunge everyone into the dark in the middle of dinner. Electric razors, battery chargers, computers and most other appliances that do not operate on resistive heating do not affect the system and can be used without problems. Thank you for your understanding.

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Location and Address

LOCATION:( Do not send mail here)
Lapa Rios , Puerto Jimenez, Peninsula de Osa, Costa Rica, Central America
(506) 735-5130 Fax (506) 735-5179

MAIL DROP:
Lapa Rios
P.O. Box 025216, SJO - 706
Miami, Fl 33102 - 5216

View the World and Costa Rica Map

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Our 'Shaman' (Medicine Man) - What can he show you ?

Our 'Shaman' (Medicine Man) - What can he show you ?

Augusto, the Shaman of the Osa Peninsula, may show you these plants on the Medicine Walk

Nicaraho (Rubiaceae nicaraho)
Used locally to treat skin cancer. This plant is identified by the "eye-like" membranes on the backside of the leaf, which differentiates it from "imitator" plants that are poisonous. Boil 7 ounces of leaves in one quart of water. Drink one glass of tea per day, apply excess liquid topically to affected areas until symptoms subside.

Monkey Comb Tree (Appeiba tiburbo f. tilialceae)
1. Bark: Used locally as a vaginal suppository to assist in birthing. Smash a small piece of bark and add a small amount of water, apply topically as a "slippery" suppository .
2. Fine roots: Used in combination with the berbena or "scorpion tail" plant (Berbenacaceae Acuminatum) to treat leukemia.
Boil 7 ounces of fine roots of monkey comb tree and berbena in two quarts of water. Drink one glass, 3 times per day until symptoms subside.

Calamine Tree (Calamine anacardiaceae)
Used locally to treat skin rashes caused by contact with poisonous plants or insect bites. There are 4 types of calamine trees at Lapa Rios; all can be used equally. The "sap " of the tree ,when the bark is cut ,is a white liquid that can be applied directly to skin and/or mixed with magnesium first. When the sap dries on the tree it can be collected as dust and mixed with water later.

Jino Cuabe, the "Naked Indian" or "Burnt Gringo" tree(Boursera simaruba)
It's said this tree is being used by native groups in N. Panam½ to purify the blood, specifically in curing "el sida" or AIDS. Augusto heard that the bark is mixed with the flower of the uöa de gato (cat's claw) and then a special "oraci÷n" (blessing) is given to the treatment. "But," Augusto says, "this Indian doesn't share his secrets."

Monkey Ladder (Himenea bauhinea f. pyridium)
Used to treat kidney stones. This is a common modern medical treatment. Piridium, which can be taken naturally from this tree, is synthesized with Cal sulfur and can be taken in the form of pills, capsules, or injections to treat kidney stones.

Olive Tree (Simaruba amara)
Oil is used locally to treat constipation in children. Seeds are fried, then oil is extracted and 2-3 drops can be given to children as a mild treatment for constipation.

Iodine Tree (Vissmia ferruginea)
Used locally to treat sirosis. Boil a 4 -inch square of bark in 1 cup of water. Drink 1 cup of tea 3 times daily Apply ice topically to the liver, using sawdust as an insulator so not to damage the skin.

Jino Cuabe Negro (Boursera simaruba)
Used locally to kill intestinal parasites Boil 4 ounces of bark in one quart of water. Drink one cup daily until symptoms are gone

Gabilana Capitana (Neurolaena lobata)
Bitter quinine, historically used locally to treat malaria. Dry 7 ounces of leaves and put in some type of liquor. Take 3 spoonfuls 3 times daily.

Melastoma (Melastomaceae de clorophilum)
Used to treat gastrointestinal problems for children. Boil two ounces in one cup of water. Give two spoonfuls mixed with Coca-cola!

Dorada Fruit (Virola cokshney)
Contains vitamin K and is used here to treat hemophilia Apply "flesh side" of bark directly to wound to assist in coagulation

Balsam Tree (Appocinaceae)
Extracts from the balsam are used locally in alcohol as a topical treatment for skin rashes, insect bites, colds and headaches.

Bitter Jagua (Asspidosperma megalocarpuns)
Used locally to treat yeast infections Leaves are put in alcohol and mixture is applied topically to affected area

Sorocâ (Momordica charantial)
One type of quinine, used locally to treat high blood pressure. Boil four ounces in two quarts of water, then cool. Drink one cup of "tea" 3 times daily to treat high blood pressure.

Elephant Tree (Bignonealeae toccia)
Used locally to treat elephantitis. Boil 8 to 9 ounces of this root in one gallon of water. Apply topically to affected areas when the tide is at 3/4, as the swelling, like the tide, is affected by the moon. This plant contains strichtnine and is toxic to consume orally. Must be used with extreme precaution.

Cow Tree (Brosimum utily f. moraceae)
Used to treat ulcers. Milk" from the cow tree (sap) contains magnesium and can be taken directly from the tree. 1-2 spoonfuls, three times per day.

Cocolmeca (Diosicoceaceae aff. belizensis)
Used to treat whooping cough and high cholesterol. Mash root yam with honey and alcohol to make a syrup. Take 1 spoonful, 3 times daily .

Compiled by Carolyn Pyles, student intern, University of Minnesota.

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