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La Riviera Hotel
Belen, Costa Rica
Reservations phone:
(506) 2293 0909
How to Get
fax:
(506) 2293 2582
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Caño Island
Biologial Reserve
Caño Island is situated approximately 10-12
nautical miles from Osa Peninsula coastline. Most
hotels have daily tours to the island, which takes
about 45 minutes to reach, depending on weather and
sea conditions. The Park is open from 8:00 a.m.- 4:00
p.m., and the ranger station maintains an office,
public bathroom, freshwater shower, and storage area.
You are not permitted to remain on the island overnight.
Upon arriving you will be asked to sign into the guest
book.
The Caño Island Reserve is off major archaeological
importance since it was used as a cemetery in Pre-Columbian
times. It is still possible today to see a limited
number of perfectly round spheres, presumed to have
been made by the Indians .
Just in front of the Ranger Station there is a beach
area, which is most frequently utilized for play,
relaxation and snorkeling. The water just in front
of the Ranger Station is relatively shallow, and provides
snorkelers with an excellent opportunity to familiarize
yourself with the underwater terrain and sea life
surrounding Caño Island. The dark, volcanic
rock is home to numerous species of marine life, much
of which you will see just a short swim from the beach.
There are two walking trails on Caño Island,
one which leads to an archeological site known as
"Sitio Arqueologico", and the second, "El
Mirador", which terminates at a beautiful lookout
on the south side of the island. Both trails share
the same common trail up to a designated point before
separating into two distinct trails.
The leading trail starts just behind the Ranger Station,
on the left side, and begins with an uphill climb.
While relatively steep, the trail is very manageable,
as thick slabs of tree trunk have been thoughtfully
placed to assist you with your footing. As well, the
trail utilizes the island's natural setting such as
tree roots and rocks. The trail soon plateaus, at
which point you will see signs pointing towards the
Island's two main walking trails mentioned above.
The hike from the Ranger Station to this intersection
takes approximately 7-10 minutes, but much depends
on your physical condition and interest in the local
flora and fauna.
Once at the intersection turn left, follow the common
trail that points to "Sitio Archeologico"
and "El Mirador". This portion of the trail
is quite flat, open, bright, and littered with fallen
leaves and broken/dead branches. The island's undergrowth
is not too dense, comprised primarily of small trees
including locust, wild pig, cocoa and rubber trees.
A rather insignificant number of larger evergreen
trees, reaching 150 ft. in height, do exist, many
of which have trunks covered in a thick green moss.
The trails winds a bit, but is very well marked and
easy to navigate. Due to its openness, this portion
of the trail remains relatively dry compared to the
latter sections. After hiking for approximately 20
minutes, you will come to a second intersection, at
which time the trail divides into two.
If you would like to see the island's archeological
site, more specifically the perfectly round spheres,
then continue straight ahead at the intersection.
The hike to the spheres takes approximately 10-15
minutes, on a relatively flat, but winding trail that
is wetter than the other sections. Upon reaching the
end of the trail you will see two spheres. The first,
and smaller of the two, resides on top of smaller
stones and can be seen in its entirety. The second,
larger stone, is partially submerged in the earth.
To visit the "El Mirador", or Lookout, turn
to the right. The hike to the Lookout takes about
12 minutes and is relatively easy and flat, aside
from some low-lying areas. Just prior to reaching
the Lookout the trail will dip rather quickly and
then climb back up, with the steeper portions lined
with large slabs of tree trunk to ensure safe passage.
In the low-lying areas this trail can get a bit muddy.
At the Lookout itself, there is a small bench, where
you can rest and/or look for whales and dolphins in
the waters just south of Caño Island.
The trails on Caño Island are very well marked
and maintained, however, their status at any given
time is dependent on current weather conditions. During
the wet season muddy trails should be expected, which
may make hiking a bit more difficult and more time
consuming.
Caño Island is not known for an abundance of
wildlife. The fauna is sparse, possibly caused by
the disappearance of the natural forest. The few birds
that can be sighted here are the cattle egret, common
black hawk, osprey, brown booby and Northern phalarope.
The four-eyed opossum, paca (introduced), boa constrictor,
brown tree frog and transparent tree frog, and a few
species of rats, small snakes and lizards are also
sighted here. Providing you proceed slowly and quietly,
you can see many of these animals on the jungle floor
and lower portion of the forest canopy.
For those who will be snorkeling, a rich variety of
marine fauna inhabits the tidal pools. In addition
to a multitude of fish, there are countless brittle
starfish and sea urchins. Two endangered species in
the vicinity of the island are the lobster and the
giant conch.
Important Points
- Some species of trees have needles and/or spines
protruding from their bark, which serves as a natural,
protective measure. Look before you grab something!
- There is no water freshwater available on the Island,
so we recommend you carry drinking water with you
while hiking.
- Surprisingly enough, the mosquitoes here are not
much of a factor, however, insect repellent is always
recommended. |
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