You won't find any really good swimming beaches right in Golfito. The closest spot is Playa Cacao, a short boat ride away, although this is not one of my favorite beaches in Costa Rica. You should be able to get a ride here for around $5 (£2.50) per person from one of the boat taxis down at the public docks. However, you might have to negotiate hard because these boatmen like to gouge tourists whenever possible. If you really want some beach time, I recommend staying at one of the hotels in the Golfo Dulce or heading over to Playa Zancudo.
About a 20-minute drive over a rough dirt road from Golfito will bring you to the Avellana Waterfall & Trails (tel. 8877-4004). Admission to the site costs $5 (£2.50) and includes a 2-hour guided hike through the forests and a visit to a beautiful forest waterfall, with several refreshing pools perfect for swimming. A taxi should charge around $10 (£5) for the ride, one-way. Horseback riding is available, and they even have a zip-line canopy tour. Camping is also allowed, and meals are served by the friendly owners of the land, the local Gamba family. However, for most folks, the best way to visit this site is to go as part of an organized trip with Land Sea Tours (tel. 2775-1614).
The waters off Golfito also offer some of the best sportfishing in Costa Rica. If you'd like to try hooking into a possible world-record marlin or sailfish, contact Banana Bay Marina (tel. 800/245-1635 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2775-0838 in Costa Rica; www.bananabaymarina.com). These folks have a full-service marina, a few waterside rooms for guests, and a fleet of sportfishing boats and captains. A full-day fishing trip costs between $800 and $2,200 (£400-£1100). You can also try the Zancudo Lodge (tel. 800/854-8791 in the U.S. and Canada, or 2776-0008 in Costa Rica; www.thezancudolodge.com), which is based in nearby Playa Zancudo. The lodge can arrange pickup in Golfito, and I prefer the lodgings and scenery out in Zancudo to what you'll find in Golfito.
There's no steady charter fleet here, but itinerant sailors often set up shop for a season or so. If you're looking to charter a sailboat, you should check with Banana Bay Marina or Las Gaviotas Hotel.
About 30 minutes by boat out of Golfito, you'll find Casa Orquídeas, a private botanical garden lovingly built and maintained by Ron and Trudy MacAllister. Most hotels in the area offer trips here, including transportation and a 2-hour tour of the gardens. During the tour, you'll sample a load of fresh fruits picked right off the trees. If your hotel can't, you can book a trip out of Golfito with Land Sea Tours (tel. 2775-1614). The entrance and guided tour is only $5 (£2.50) per person, but it will cost you between $50 and $60 (£25-£30) to hire a boat for the round-trip ride.
If you have a serious interest in botanical gardens or bird-watching, consider an excursion to Wilson Botanical Gardens at the Las Cruces Biological Station (tel. 2524-0607 in San José, or 2773-4004 at the gardens; www.threepaths.co.cr), just outside the town of San Vito, about 65km (40 miles) to the northeast. The gardens are owned and maintained by the Organization for Tropical Studies and include more than 7,000 species of tropical plants from around the world. Among the plants grown here are many endangered species, which make the gardens of interest to botanical researchers. Despite the scientific aspects of the gardens, there are so many beautiful and unusual flowers amid the manicured grounds that even a neophyte can't help but be astounded. All this luscious flora has attracted at least 360 species of birds. A full-day guided walk, including lunch, costs $36 (£18); a half-day guided walk costs $18 (£9). If you'd like to stay the night here, there are 12 well-appointed rooms. Rates, which include one guided walk, three meals, and taxes, run around $82 (£41) per person; you definitely need to make reservations if you want to spend the night, and it's usually a good idea to make a reservation for a simple day visit and hike. The gardens are about 6km (3 3/4 miles) before San Vito. To get here from Golfito, drive out to the Interamerican Highway and continue south toward Panama. In Ciudad Neily, turn north. A taxi from Golfito should cost around $40 (£20) each way.
