Musings

This page offers useful insights, tips, and occasional opinions about the Nicoya Peninsula and Costa Rica as a whole. I hope you find the information helpful during your stay.

Things to Do

Where to start? The beach, obviously. Bellena Bay is the name of the body-of-water where Los Delfines is located. Grab a couple of the beach chairs and walk, bike, or take the golf cart (if you rented it) down to the sand—there’s plenty of parking near the Rancho. My idea of a perfect vacation is doing absolutely NOTHING, ideally with a few libations and snacks. If you arrive early, stop by Fire Bean and talk to Klaudia or Rafal (the owners) for locally sourced coffee—great way to kick-start the day. When the snacks disappear and your cooler runs dry, grab some food at the Rancho. Their pizza is excellent (though I think pizza is only after 5 p.m.—double-check me on that). Everything on the menu is actually really good. They also serve a solid lineup of tropical cocktails to keep the day running smoothly.

If you’re up for exploring beyond the beach, there’s plenty to do. Here are a few of my favorites:

Snorkeling or Scuba Diving: Isla Tortuga a short boat ride away. My main man Tavo (aka Tavo Tours) will pick you up by boat at the beach in Los Delfines! Last known price was $60/person. It's an eight hour day that includes food (lunch) and drinks, good snorkeling, and you do a little beach hopping around the area. 100% this is worth it. However, he needs a minimum of 4 people in the boat for that price. Send Tavo a WhatsApp message for more information
Bioluminescence Tour: Watch the ocean water light up at night with the biluminescence organisms in the water. It's really cool. You can even see this phenomenon walking on the beach at night in the waves. Once again, my main man Tavo can hook you up with this tour. You may be able to work out a deal with him for both Isle Tortuga and the Bioluminescence. Send him a message
Waterfalls: Take a day trip to visit some of the beautiful waterfalls in the region, like Catarata el Chorro or Catarata Montezuma
Hiking & Trekking: There are many great trails in this area. One of the best (and a little challenging) is the hike from Catarata Chorro down to Montezuma beach. It's about a 9 mile hike round trip. If you can coordinate someone picking you or your group up at one of the locations, then you can cut it half. There are also some great hikes around Paquera. I can show you. And, of course, it's a nice hike from the Rancho in Los Delfines to Pochote then back down all the way to Playa Tambor if you want to go all the way!

Wildlife Watching

You’re almost guaranteed to see plenty of stunning Scarlet Macaws around Los Delfines. They began a breeding program years ago, and it’s clearly working—you’ll spot several artificial nesting boxes throughout the property. I never get tired of hearing or seeing them, and if you’re lucky, you might catch a flock of 20–30 cruising by in the morning or evening on their daily food run. Absolutely priceless. You’ll also see monkeys—mostly howlers, with the occasional white-faced capuchin cameo. Several large howler troops wander the treetops, and if fortune smiles on you, one might be hanging around near the Rancho or Fire Bean. It’s a big, lively bunch.

Quick note about the wildlife here: DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS, EVER! They have their own diet. You may think a harmless banana from the super market cannot hurt, but it does! They typically don't eat ripe, sweet bananas that humans consume. Feeding them starts a chain reaction of problems. Enough said...resist the temptation and don't do it!

Future musing