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Rural Tourism in Puntarenas, Islas del golfo and Monteverde |
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Travel with the rhythm of the tides!
History can be seen in the port city of Puntarenas, former holiday destination for San José families who would travel there by train. History also lives on the island of San Lucas, former penal colony now converted into a wildlife refuge. Author Jose Leon Sanchez, was imprisoned there. His own suffering inspired him to write the famous Costa Rican novel The Island of Lonely Men. Other islands like Chira, Venado or Tortuga, are necessary destinations for community tourism, ideal for those who want to get off the beaten track and experience something different.
 Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve Protected areas like the Cabo Blanco Absolute Reserve, and Karen Mogensen Wildlife Refuge, allow you to contemplate nature in all her splendor, on the seashore and inland In the latter, the decline of cattle ranching and the efforts of environmental groups have meant that pastures have gradually given way to forests, and forests have returned to areas that were barren for decades.On both sides of the Gulf of Nicoya, women's groups have taken the initiative to open their doors to tourism. These gutsy women lead you, in fiberglass boats they built themselves, to the mangrove swamps and the bird nesting islands.
They can show you their native way of fishing or finding mollusks, or feed you a delicious seafood soup as you relax and listen to the inspiring story of how they stuck together to bring this new source of income to their families. Half a century ago, travel to and from Guanacaste was by boat, crossing the Gulf of Nicoya to Puntarenas in a few hours instead of taking a week to cross the hills and plains under the hot sun.
Puerto Humo, Bebedero, Puerto Ballena and Bolsón were the principal ports. Boats loaded with grain, fruit, meat, milk and wood patiently waited for the tide that would let them set sail. On the return trip they would bring soap, construction materials and all the other goods that were sold in the region. Today boats also wait for the waters to rise to be able to come and go with visitors, so travel is still done with the tides.
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Ecotourism and Nature 
