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Day-dreaming about Costa Rica? Get packing!

I’m sitting at my desk, meant to be working. What I’m really doing is daydreaming about snorkeling in the Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica.

I’m plotting how I can get back to Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge on Golfo Dulce. I’m remembering swimming in that calm sea and the feel of delicious water – not bath-water warm, but not cold either. I’m thinking about how clear the Golfo Dulce water is, and how vibrantly it changes color from deep jade green next to the shoreline where it reflects the jungle, to bright blue where it mirrors the immense sky. And I’m remembering the thrill at seeing wild dolphins splash and play nearby.

It takes a journey to get to the Costa Rica rainforest lodge of Playa Nicuesa, but most unique locations do. And it is worth it. The Costa Rica eco-lodge sits on the Golfo Dulce (“Sweet Gulf”) in southern Costa Rica, next to the Piedras Blancas National Park and across from the Osa Peninsula. It is an area of pristine tropical wilderness – something you don’t see every day.

When you get there, you have free use of kayaks, snorkeling and fishing equipment, and unlimited self-guided hikes in the rainforest included with your stay. Playa Nicuesa also has yoga classes, and guided half-day and full-day tours.

For snorkeling, water clarity is best during summer season (January to May), but is wonderful any time of year. During whale-watching season in August and September in the Gulf, you might see a migrating Humpback Whale mother and her calf, or a male whale looking for a mate. Almost always you will see dolphins. One year, a guest snorkeled right along with a massive (and gentle) whale shark.

Snorkeling activities at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge include:

Snorkeling right off the Playa Nicuesa boat dock or beach to see multitudes of reef fish.

A kayaking/snorkeling tour (2-3 hours) from Playa Nicuesa along the Golfo Dulce shoreline to a secluded beach with rocky reef housing fish, eels, urchins and starfish.

A boat tour of Golfo Dulce (2-4 hours) to look for dolphins and other marine life, and snorkel in protected sites with coral reef. Marine life you may see include reef fish, schools of fish, spotted rays, starfish, dolphins and sea turtles.