Atenas, Costa Rica

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

This past weekend I was invited to stay with friends at their new house in Atenas.

It was nice getting away to the mountains for a change of scenery and climate.

The new road from San Jose to the Pacific Coast

This road shortened my drive to San Jose by almost an hour and a half!

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Church

Central Park in Atenas

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

More photos of the park

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Downtown Atenas

At one time, National Geographic named Atenas as the town with the world's most perfect climate.

They still use the slogan all over town.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Typical street palms - Adonidia merrillii

The place we ate lunch

Sandia en agua (watermelon drink)

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

It started raining while we were eating lunch so we ordered coffee to keep us warm.

Coffee made the traditional way

Royals and Mangoes at the park across the street

Church gardens

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Our hosts took us for a drive along a country road and we made frequent stops to check out trees, plants, etc.

My friend Teresa next to a huge tree along the road

The tree had an unusual bend

The car next to the giant tree

Tree canopy

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

At first we thought this was a strangler fig attached to this tree

Until we looked up and saw it was a Cecropia!

Acrocomia aculeata

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Another Acrocomia

Living fence posts

We eventually came to a small town that was originally on an old railroad line.

There was a Soda (Diner) inside the old train station.

Funky colored house

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

There was a birthday party going on with lots of kids and even some clowns

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

I spotted this double headed D. lutescens

Croton

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

On the drive back we took a detour off the main road to check out this dirt road that ran along the beach. This was just south of Jaco.

Attalea rostrata

Dark sand beach

More Attalea

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Young coconuts on the beach

More Attalea rostrata

Strange sight. The only thing I could think of is that a strangler fig started growing around the palm and then it died for some reason. The Attalea trunk was coming from the center of the dead tree.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Palms at the entrance to a gated community

Archontophoenix

First rainbow of the day

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

The road led to this forest of coconuts along the beach. It's part of a wildlife refuge.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Stand of Attalea rostrata with mist coming off the ocean

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Our second rainbow of the day

It was actually a double rainbow. You can barely make out the second rainbow to the left of the bigger one. It was more visable in person but didn't show up very well in this photo.

Cows at the end of the rainbow...

[BeerPlant]

fantastic - thank you Jeff!

[paulgila]

Typical street palms - Adonidia merrillii

The place we ate lunch

Sandia en agua (watermelon drink)

mmmmmmmm lunch!!!!

[realarch]

Hi Jeff, after leaving your place I kept seeing those Acrocomia heading for San Jose and didn't have a clue as to what

they were. So now I know. Looks like you guys had a good time and enjoyed the cooler weather.

[John Case]

Jeff,

Thanks for the photos....I have always wanted to visit costaRica....now I want to even more.

Thanks again!

[Mark_NoVA]

Great photos, Jeff! That looks like a great time following a dirt road like that...love the coconut forest by the beach!

[palmislandRandy]

Jeff, Does the new road cut an hour & half off the drive between San Jose & Quepos? That long drive wasn't exactly relaxing. Thanks for the photos, see you in October.

Randy

[peachy]

Jeff, words would be superfluos. What a stunning place !! Some of those freakish trees reminded me why I am single. All the men around Brisbane are either bent or have 2 heads. Interesting to see the coffee maker too, sort of a Costa Rican version of teabagging ? I definately want one of those pretty coloured houses....so bright and happy.

Thank you so much for fabulous shots of paradise.

Peachy

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Thanks for the nice comments everyone.

Tim, Katreena and I definitely enjoyed the cooler weather. She even saw a Keel-billed Toucan on the morning of her birthday and then saw multiple rainbows later that day on the drive home - she was a happy camper

John, you really should come for a visit.

Randy, It cuts off about an hour and half from Manuel Antonio to the Santa Ana/Escazú end of the valley, which is where I am usually driving to. The fact that the Parrita and Paquita bridges are both now finished also cuts out driving time - no more getting stopped at the one-way bridges for 30 minutes or longer! To use the new road, you can drive from the Intl airport to Atenas in about 20-30 minutes and jump on the entrance ramp there. From Atenas it's a straight shot to Orotina which is now only a 15 minute drive. As you know, once you get to Orotina it's only about 1 hour 45 minutes to Manuel Antonio.

Peachy, the coffee made this way is fantastic. I make it like this every morning and each time I make a cup I say "this is the best cup of coffee I've ever tasted"

[ariscott]

I want that monster tree... Where are all those tree experts when you need one?? They said, colour of the plants are much brighter with elevation... I think they are right!! Look at those cordylines.. they are just the 'normal' pink/red variety, but they are so bright...

Regards, Ari

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Ari, I wish I could help you, but I'm not good at identifying trees. Here's a few more pics from that day.

[Jose Maria]

Could be an Enterolobium cyclocarpum(a.k.a. Guanacaste)...but a wild guess , since to know for sure we need to see the leaves and the fruit....

Very nice travel log!

[Central Floridave]

Thanks for the photos. I've been to all those places. The beach South of Jaco is Hermosa Beach. Great surf there.

I mainly wanted to comment on the curved large tree. Awhile back the family was hiking in North Georgia mountains and along the trail where these large trees with similiar hooks and coincidently pointed towards the path we were walking. Later I asked a park ranger why and he said the native cherokee would force trees to point the direction of the path for marking the trail. The same trees exist today and grew with a crook to it. Maybe that large tree you have photo'd is the same? Or, it got hit by ligthing a long time ago.

thanks for the photos. Also, that other thread of the royal palms of dominical. I was there when they planted those. I just happened to be visiting when I saw them install those. They were pretty tall all ready when planted. This was in late 90s. its cool to see that they are still there.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Thanks Jose Maria.

Dave, thanks for the info. I didn't know that trees were used that way to mark trails. I guess this tree could have been a marker at one time. Thanks also for the info on the Dominical Royals. It's nice to know when they were planted.

[dalmatiansoap]

Beautifull Jeff.

I like that rainbow pisc, U can use them for postcards!

[Central Floridave]

I found this article from googlin'

Trail Trees now subject of scientific inquiry

<H3></H3>5/16/2008 - Jeff Warren

Skeptics beware. The local trail tree movement has gone scientific. And the science is fairly convincing.

http://www.pickensprogress.com/articleinfo.asp?Link=152

[Ice Blue]

Just stumbled across this section. Beautiful pics. I lived in tiquisia for two years while attending la UCR. My wife and I would like to spend time there in the future. The photos really brought me back thank you! One request for future picks. Any way to see un platillo de gallo pinto con bistec acompañada por una aguila espantada bien fria? ¡Que rhhhhhico mae!

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Just stumbled across this section. Beautiful pics. I lived in tiquisia for two years while attending la UCR. My wife and I would like to spend time there in the future. The photos really brought me back thank you! One request for future picks. Any way to see un platillo de gallo pinto con bistec acompañada por una aguila espantada bien fria? ¡Que rhhhhhico mae!

I just had a casado yesterday... con arroz, frijoles, picadillo, ensalada, platanos, pollo, y para tomar - sandía en agua.

I'll try and get a photo for you one of these days.

[Ice Blue]

Perfect, thank you! Estare al tanto.