Carara National Park
A little more than 15km (9 1/3 miles) north of Jacó is Carara National Park, a world-renowned nesting ground for scarlet macaws. It has a few kilometers of trails open to visitors. There's a loop trail that takes about an hour, and another trail that's open only to tour groups. The macaws migrate daily, spending their days in the park and their nights among the coastal mangroves. It's best to view them in the early morning when they arrive, or around sunset when they head back to the coast for the evening, but a good guide can usually find them for you during the day. Whether or not you see them, you should hear their loud squawks. Among the other wildlife that you might see here are caimans, coatimundis, armadillos, pacas, peccaries, and, of course, hundreds of species of birds.
Be sure to bring along insect repellent or, better yet, wear light cotton long sleeves and pants. (I was once foolish enough to attempt a quick hike while returning from Manuel Antonio, still in beach clothes and flip-flops.) The reserve is open daily from 8am to 4pm. Admission is $8 (£4) per person at the gate.
Several companies offer tours to Carara National Park for around $30 to $40 (£15-£20). Check at your hotel or contact Gray Line Tours (tel. 643-3231) or Superior Sightseeing (tel. 393-6626) to set one up. If you're looking for a more personalized tour, contact Lisa Robertson, a knowledgeable and amiable guide who runs Happy Trails (tel. 643-1894), or you can hike the trails of Carara independently, but my advice is to take a guided tour; you'll learn a lot more about your surroundings.
The muddy banks of the Tárcoles River are home to a healthy population of American crocodiles. Just north of the entrance to the park is a bridge that's a prime spot for viewing both the crocs and the macaw migrations. In Jacó, several operators run daily crocodile tours on the Tárcoles River. These are simple tours in open skiffs or Boston whalers. Most of these companies bring along plenty of freshly killed chicken to attract the reptiles and pump up the adrenaline. Don't expect a highly trained naturalist guide or any semblance of respect for the natural world. Do expect to pay between around $20 to $40 (£10-£20) per person for the trip.
Finally, just beyond Carara National Park on the Costanera Sur in the direction of Jacó is a turnoff for some spectacular waterfalls (including a 180m/590-ft. fall) around the town of Bijagual. There are several ways to visit these falls and people run tours from Jacó or from entrances both at the top and bottom of the falls. At the top a local family runs the Complejo Ecológico La Catarata (tel. 661-8263), which features a basic restaurant and a campground, and also offers horseback tours down to the falls for around $35 (£18). Alternatively, you can hike in from an entrance lower down. The hike takes about 45 minutes each way, and entrance costs $10 (£5) per person. While you're in this area, you can also visit Pura Vida Botanical Gardens (tel. 200-5040). Admission for the gardens is $15 (£7.50). To get here, turn off at the signs for Hotel Villa Lapas. From there, it's a rough 8km (5 miles) up to the top of the falls.
