Day 11

E Ben and I got up at dawn today to go on a tour of the Nosara Biological Reserve. We were lucky to be the only two people on the tour this morning, so we had the guide, Gabriella, all to ourselves. This photo is from the starting point of the tour, high above the reserve. We had to walk down about 200 steps to get to the level of the river. 

We learned all about the plants and animals that live in this part of the country. The mangroves here are over 200 years old and enormous. 

There was an earthquake here in 2012 which raised up the ground about six feet. As a result, many areas which were once underwater most of the time are now exposed in the dry season (which is now).

Afterwards, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the Lagarta Lodge. The mango pancake and fresh juice were delicious. 

We relaxed for the afternoon, then went to Rancho Tico for dinner...

...then to the beach for a sunset swim.