Curu Wildlife Refuge – Great Wildlife Watching… But What a Terrible Night!

We had read about Curu Wildlife Refuge on a blog, and somehow it caught our attention. So we drove down the Nicoya Peninsula and even decided to stay there overnight to be able to also do a night walk, a morning walk and see the bioluminescence in the sea.

We arrived at the Wildlife Refuge in the beginning of the afternoon and went for a long walk through the forest (approx. 3 hours). And yes, even if we had no guide, the wildlife watching opportunities belong to the best we have experienced in Costa Rica altogether. We spot Howler Monkeys, Capucine Monkeys (from very close), Agoutis, Coatis, Dears, Kingfishers, not mentioning the numerous crabs and a few toads. That was quite spectacular!

When we inquired about the bioluminescence, the price turned us off: the boat trip was 200+ USD for the 5 of us, and the kids were already tired. That was a good decision, as it started raining cats and dogs. Consequently, we also had to forget about a night walk! Yes, we were already in the in rainy season and started to feel the consequences.

The really bad surprise was the accommodation. For a hefty 125 USD (plus 150 USD for diner + breakfast), you get a cabin that is actually a shag (ok, it was clean): very poor beds, fans that do not work, and a corrugated iron roof that echoes with the (heavy) rain. That was definitely our worst night (only bad night) in Costa Rica – Simply outrageous!