After this short stop at the La Fortuna house at the foot of the Arenal volcanowe continue our journey to the beaches of the Pacific.
This is a much-awaited stopover for the girls, as Carrillo beach is particularly suitable for children.
It will take us almost 4.5 hours to reach Carrillo. The repairs on the road to Naranjo slowed us down considerably.
Puente La Amistad bridge
We decided to go over the "Puente La Amistad" bridge, as there's a restaurant at the Limonal junction where you can watch macaws at close quarters.
These free-roaming birds are regulars here, as they have taken up residence. This is also an opportunity to have something to eat before continuing on to Carrillo.
For the record, the "Puente La Amistad" friendship bridge donated by Taiwan to Costa Rica was completed in 2003. It is also known as the stabbing bridge. Once the bridge was completed, the Costa Rican government and its then president Oscar Arias broke off the agreement under pressure from the People's Republic of China, which was offering Costa Rica greater commercial benefits. Costa Rica's national stadium in San José was subsequently offered to Costa Rica by the Chinese government.
Once over the bridge, the ocean awaits. The coconut palms are waiting for us, and we won't disappoint them.
Playa Carrillo
The village of Carrillo is a small seaside village where tourism and fishing are the main activities. There are very few shops, and mass tourism doesn't pass through here.
Once settled into our hotel, we set off on foot to Carrillo.
And there, the first surprise: just a few metres from the main beach, an American crocodile is lounging. Its impressive size, around 4 metres, keeps us at a distance.
We ask a local if there are many crocodiles in the area, and he reassures us that there are a few, but that they are "quiet" and stay in the mouth of the river.
I have to admit that, despite this good faith, we'll take a little distance from the mouth to take a dip.
The beach
Carrillo beach is a long bay surrounded by coconut palms and bordered by a little-used road.
The sand is golden, almost white, and the few people around reinforce the beach's privacy.
Admittedly, the week's heavy swell is bringing waves to the beachfront, but everyone tells us that this is exceptional, and that the sea here is normally as smooth as a lake.
We'll only be passing through playa Carrillo this afternoon and the following morning. After all, we want to get to Samara and Nosara for some surfing.
These free-roaming birds are regulars here, as they have taken up residence. This is also an opportunity to have something to eat before continuing on to Carrillo.
For the record, the "Puente La Amistad" friendship bridge donated by Taiwan to Costa Rica was completed in 2003. It is also known as the stabbing bridge. Once the bridge was completed, the Costa Rican government and its then president Oscar Arias broke off the agreement under pressure from the People's Republic of China, which was offering Costa Rica greater commercial benefits. Costa Rica's national stadium in San José was subsequently offered to Costa Rica by the Chinese government.
Once over the bridge, the ocean awaits. The coconut palms are waiting for us, and we won't disappoint them.
The village of Carrillo is a small seaside village where tourism and fishing are the main activities. There are very few shops, and mass tourism doesn't pass through here.
Once settled into our hotel, we set off on foot to Carrillo.
And there, the first surprise: just a few metres from the main beach, an American crocodile is lounging. Its impressive size, around 4 metres, keeps us at a distance.
We ask a local if there are many crocodiles in the area, and he reassures us that there are a few, but that they are "quiet" and stay in the mouth of the river.
I have to admit that, despite this good faith, we'll take a little distance from the mouth to take a dip.
Carrillo beach is a long bay surrounded by coconut palms and bordered by a little-used road.
The sand is golden, almost white, and the few people around reinforce the beach's privacy.
