EAT IN ASIA / Destinations / Other destinations / Central america / Costa rica
What to pack for a trekking in National Parks in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is a great place for trekking. With a huge number of national parks and protected areas, it is a country for everyone who loves wild and natural places.
The 20th century was marked by a big development in Costa Rica. That resulted in a deforestation and changing the landscape. Unfortunately, a lot of beautiful and naturally diverse areas were lost. A lot of forests were cut and replaced by big farms, plantations and leaving areas. Local people were pressed to leave their original regions and move to some other destinations.
Finally, and luckily, the Government realized that it would be good to start forestation and put more stress on protecting areas and nature. Thanks to that, a big plan was introduced, and in consequence, the number of wild and protected areas is still growing.
Corcovado National Park
Corcovado NP is one of the biggest and wildest national parks. Located in the southern part of Costa Rica, on the Pacific side, this park is known for its biodiversity and wilderness. It is located in the Osa Peninsula and has three available entrances at the moment – La Sirena, La Leona and San Pedrillo. We decided to make a one-way trekking, what means that we started in one place and ended in another. Our starting point was Drake Bay – Bahia Drake, and we finished in Carate.
Bahia Drake is a small but a very nice little village. It has just a couple of roads, some Tico’s houses and a lot of hotels, hostels and apartments. Add to that a lot of tourist companies, a couple of shops, a supermarket, restaurants and bars. Almost all of them are concentrated around the main road. It has its own vibe and atmosphere, even though there is much more tourists than Ticos.
The port from which boats to the Corcovado National Park are leaving is relatively small and available only for local small boats, motorboats and kayaks. That is also the same port where you get to when arriving by boat from Sierpe (what is also worth doing as it is a beautiful river cruise between mangrove trees, with a lot of birds and butterflies).
The arrival port is the one located close to the La Sirena Rangers’ Station. This station is opened 24h and offers accommodation and has an on-site restaurant. While the accommodation is relatively basic – bunk beds in dormitories, the restaurant offers generous and tasty meals. And that is really important after a long day trek around the station, of course if you still have enough energy to do anything else apart from sleeping and relaxing. The station has its own atmosphere and vibe. It is clean and it is really nice to be in such an isolated place. Dormitories have mosquito nets and are spacious. Toilets and bathrooms are clean, so staying the whole night in the camp is a very nice experience.
The restaurant offers local meals, and it is also available to order a take-away option packed in plastic boxes. If you decide to cut your costs, and skip meals in the restaurant (that is quite pricy), you should be prepared for it in advance and pack your backpack. Please remember, that it is not allowed to have your own food while being in the camp. Some snacks, fruits, energy bars, dried fruits and nuts are partially allowed, however, it should be done wisely and cautiously. Another option is to have pre-booked meals delivered by your guide. These meals would be consumed outside the station and kept by the guide in a locked box. It is said, it is prohibited to have any food in dormitories during the night, as rats and other animals might be tempted by a free food and come to the dorm.
As a quick and a refreshing beverage, fresh juices and lemonades are offered. Apart from that, coffee is available from a machine. Both of them are paid additionally.
If you decide to make a two day trek, it is wise to pack your backpack well. But, be prepared to carry it on your backs for a long time and during the day, when it is very hot. Some parts of the returnal trekking to Carate include walking on the beach when it is hot even though you start early in the morning. The best option is to take with you something that is packed with energy and in the same time, does not need a lot of space. Nuts, dried fruits and energy bars are really good. They give a lot of energy and an are rich in nutrients. Remember that during the trek, you will lose a lot of water and your organism might be missing some minerals and electrolytes. Given that, energy bars are a good option. Pack what you like the best, but I would strongly suggest selecting these without chocolate. Crunchy cakes, cereals and muesli compositions are also quite fine, but usually they include a lot of sugar, so it is up to you. And of course, a lot of water. You will really need it!
If you decide to arrange meals with your guides, you might expect some local food and fruits. Usually these meals are homemade, tasty and relatively healthy. Apart from regular gallo pinto (if you are interested in other local meals, read posts: Desayuno ‘Tico’ style – a traditional Costa Rican breakfast and What is Casado in Costa Rica?), you could get chicken parts, fish, eggs, burritos, tortillas etc. Depending on the season, different fruits might be included like pineapples, bananas, papayas or watermelon (here: 8 TOP most popular Costa Rican fruits and their health benefits and TOP 9 Exotic Costa Rican fruits and their health benefits you will find more information about Costa Rican fruits.). Homemade meals are delicious. Fresh, with a lot of aroma and let you try something really Costa Rican.
Some tourist agencies offer also vegetarian options, so if you are interested, just ask. Costa Rican people are really helpful.
Summary:
According to official notices - no food is allowed.
On site meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner.
On site shop – fresh fruit juices, coffee.
Partially allowed – snacks, energy bars, dried fruits, nuts, fruits, biscuits.
Cahuita National Park
This is one of the smallest national parks, especially if you compare it to Corcovado. It is located on the Caribbean side, in the Southern part of Costa Rica, not far away from Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. This national park has no fixed entrance fee, but basis on donations. There is no minimal donation fee, so feel free to give as much as you wish. Remember, that all you donate is going to be used for current expenses like the infrastructure, animal rescues, food and medicines for animals etc.
This park is located at the seaside and has some rules regarding what can be brought and what is not. Especially disallowed are plastic bottles and not recyclable bags and containers. Also, food is generally not allowed. I guess, that is because of two factors. The first one - animal feeding is prohibited and the second one – monkeys might steal your food, and hurt you in the same time.
At the entrance you are asked whether you have something that is not recyclable, any plastic bottles and so on. There is no questioning about the food, but there are signs.
Although your bags are not searched, please behave responsively. If you bring anything that is not recyclable, take it with you. If you bring food, eat it in areas that are isolated, with no animal access, and do it quite quickly. Take of course all rubbish with you.
Summary:
No plastic bottles are allowed.
Food should not be brought inside the park, but you can have some quick bites, snacks just in case you need it. Remember, that monkeys might steal it from you.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio Park is located on the Western coast of Costa Rica. It is relatively small, has a couple of small beaches and some hiking trails. Trails are marked with the difficulty color and have different length. All of them pass through beautiful areas and have lookouts and viewpoints, that allow you to admire the beautiful panorama of the seaside. It offers spectacular views and is a good example of a tropical rainforest.
This park has one of the most restricted rules regarding what is allowed to be brought inside. At the entrance, your backpack or bag is searched and all that is not a soft drink is not allowed. You are not allowed to get in with alcoholic beverages, food etc. However, there is a cafeteria close to the Espadilla Sur Beach. This restaurant offers snacks, international and local food, drinks and ice creams. Available are chicken wings, hamburgers, pizza slices etc. A big selection of bottled and canned beverages is offered. Apart from that, there is an option to refill your own bottle with water, however, that is additionally charged.
As there are some hiking trails that lead up and down, you might need something to give you energy. Consider taking just a small amount of energy bars or dried fruits and nuts. Pack them into your trousers’ pockets, so that they are not found at the searching point at the entrance. Remember to eat it either in a special zone, or in a place where you are sure there is no monkey. Do it only if you really must. Otherwise, rely on what the onsite restaurant offers.
Summary:
No alcohol drinks and no food are allowed – your bag is going to be searched.
Allowed are soft drinks only.
An onsite cafeteria and restaurant offer soft drinks, local and international food, ice creams, water refilling.
Bahia Ballena National Park
This beautiful national park is a paradise. Views are magnificent. Palm trees, white, sandy and long beaches. Clear and perfectly blue water. Waves, almost no rocks in the sea and a beautiful wale’s tail peninsula, that depending on the time of the day, either is easily accessible or it is more strenuous. Currents are moderate, but the walk through waves to the end of the tail and back might make your legs hurt. Another thing is, that is better to do either early in the morning or in the afternoon when the Sun is not so strong.
There is no limitation regarding what can be brought inside. What is more, your ticket allows you to enter and exit the park as many times as you wish during the whole day. What we recommend taking with you is anything that is refreshing and a lot of water, so that you do not have to leave the beach so often.
There is no need to take with you your own lunch. As you can exit the park and return with no additional costs, you can enjoy local meals in nearby restaurants. Just take with you fresh fruits like watermelons, papaya, banana (find out how to distinguish plantains from bananas), coconut, pineapple, mango etc. Enjoy their freshness and natural taste.
Summary:
No restrictions regarding food and beverages.
Recommended - fresh fruits – selection is up to you and to the season.
Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve of Monteverde
This beautiful reserve is situated close to the famous Monteverde Reserve. Although not as visited and not as popular as the previous one, it is definitively worth visiting. Less crowdy, with wilder trails and unique flora and fauna, Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve of Monteverde is a gem. The weather is unpredictable. A couple of kilometers away, it might be hot and sunny, while in the park, it would be rainy, humid and relatively cold. So, be prepared to take something waterproof and with long sleeves, long pants and fully covered shoes.
Trails are quite easy, only with some up and downs, so don’t worry. However, it is good to take with you water. Actually, I believe that if you had a breakfast, there is no need of taking any extra food with you.
The trekking area is not very big, so unless you really need a lot of food, there will be no problem to come back to Santa Elena center and have your lunch there. Actually, in case you get hungry in the park, there is an onsite restaurant offering some basic snacks, drinks and some local food.
Empanadas, hamburgers, chocolate bars, snacks and chips are available. The sitting area is spacious; however, the menu list is not very wide.
Meals are reheated in a microwave, but still, that is a good option if you are hungry or need something warming.
The drink list is also short. Tea, coffee, chocolate and juices.
Summary:
No food restrictions.
Onsite restaurant offering coffee, chocolate, snacks, local food like empanadas, hamburgers.
Recommended - snacks, energy bars, nuts, dried fruits.
Mirador el Silencio - Arenal National Park
The Silencio Sector is located close to the Arenal National Park; however, it is not part of it. It is closer to La Fortuna and has its own entrance and ticket box. Comparing to the Arenal National Park, Mirador el Silencio is less crowdy, less visited and has almost no infrastructure. The only thing that is available to visitors, is a toilet at the entrance and in the same at the exit.
The area is dominated by volcanic rocks, ashes, farm fields and wild landscape. During your trail you might see cows on fields, horses and a lot of birds. Toucans, parrots and a lot of other colorful birds and butterflies are surrounding you during your walk. The walk is easy and very pleasant. With beautiful views, black rocks and a lot of volcanic plants. Apart from that, almost the whole set of trails is dominated by guava trees.
The trek might take you a couple of hours, but I think that four hours is what you might calculate. Actually, you could do that in half that time, but if you would like to sit and admire the landscape, take pictures and enjoy the scenery, it might be a longer hike.
As there is no possibility of refilling water in the park and no option of buying any food inside the Mirador el Silencio, then you should have with you, all you might need during the whole walk.
Recommended by us are as usually energy bars and nuts. This time, as the area is cooler than other areas, it would be nice to have not only water with you, but also a thermo-cup with tea or coffee.
Summary:
No food restrictions.
No onsite facilities.
Recommended - snacks, energy bars, nuts, dried fruits, pastries, burritos, tea, coffee.
Curicancha Reserve
This reserve is also situated close the Monteverde Reserve. It is an easy and a pleasant walk from Santa Elena, and you might need two to three hours to walk through the park. It is a very easy walk, almost flat, with no difficulties and definitively not requiring a lot of experience. It is more like a walk in a park. Relaxing, with a lot of beautiful birds and plants.
What is awesome, is the number of hummingbirds. A special rest area allows you to fully admire their beauty. With special feeding areas, hummingbirds are flying close to you and moving from one tree or flower to another. Be patient, try not to move and keep distance, so that they are not frightened, and thanks to that, you will be able to see a lot of them and close to you.
This reserve also offers no additional facilities and services after entering it. The only toilet is at the entrance and exit point. Trails have no water tanks, so pack all you need with you. As there is no food restriction, you can take with you almost whatever you want. It is nice to have a lunch or a quick break while admiring the nature, with beautiful views and with singing birds, so don’t hurry and take your time.
Summary:
No food restrictions.
No onsite restaurant.
No possibility of refilling the water bottle during the stay in the reserve.
Bring whatever you want, so that you could enjoy the stay at maximum.
Volcano Irazu
This volcano is situated close to San Jose and is an easy day trip form the capital. The bus going directly to the volcano, leaves San Jose every day at 8 o’clock. It takes about two to two and a half hours, as the bus goes through Cartago.
On your way back, there is no direct bus from the volcano to San Jose, and you have to change the bus in Cartago. The connection between Cartago and San Jose is very good and buses leave every ten to fifteen minutes.
The walking area around the main Crater Sector is not long. It is rather flat, easy and I guess, you might not need more time than two hours. Actually, we spent there more or less one hour and managed to do everything slowly with admiring nature, taking pictures and relaxing.
The area is windy, humid and you might expect rains. Be prepared for a brisk and not previewed weather changes. Remember also, that the elevation is high – over 3000 m above sea level, so it is cool or cold depending on the season. Even during the Summer, it might not exceed at the pick 10°C degrees. The average year temperature ranges between 5,5°C and 9,5°C, so it is really cool comparing to other Costa Rican regions.
That is why you might like to have with you something hot, like coffee or tea. There is a small restaurant and a souvenir shop close to the Crater Sector, however, the selection is not very wide, and it is quite expensive. The only coffee you can get, is the one from the automat and actually is not the best one. Of course, if there is no better option and you are cold, yes, it is still better than nothing. Another option is to walk or ride to km down and have a coffee (Read more about Costa Rican coffee) or a snack from a stall. There is no place to sit, so rather to grab it and go, or sit on the ground.
As the whole trip from San Jose does not take a lot of time, you can easily manage to come for a lunch either to Cartago or to San Jose. For the stay in the volcanic area, you can just pack a banana, apple, some pastries or any other snacks. However, for us, the most wanted was a hot coffee.
At the entrance to the Crater Sector, there is a sign, that food is not allowed, however no one verifies it. As the walk is short, it is better to refrain from eating anything in this area. Remember that the walking area is flat, and you are very well visible.
Summary:
According to the sign, no food is allowed, however no one checks it.
Onsite restaurant offering a couple of snacks and coffee from an automat.
Recommended – warm drinks, light snacks, bananas, apples.
As you can see, different parks have different rules and different onsite facilities. Some of them offer a wide selection of meals and drinks, while other have no or almost no food corners. In most of them it is very important to have a lot of water with you. The safest and the best option that would be good in all parks are dried fruits, nuts and energy bars. Fruits like bananas are also fine, but that is something that monkeys might be looking for too, so be careful.
We would not recommend taking any alcohol with you, even though you might think it would be a great idea to have a beer after a long walk. Remember that conditions in the jungle or in a tropical forest are completely different from what you are accustomed too. It is humid, sometimes stuffy, and your organism needs to overgo a lot of struggles, so do not create extra factors that it has to overgo.
You will surely need a lot of time to rest and regain after a long trek, especially, if it is a couple day hike in the Corcovado National Park. Act responsively and nourish your body properly. Drink plenty of water and try to feed your organism as well as it is possible.
Have a good trek!
