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Copious
rainfall has endowed Costa Rica with an abundance of rivers,
but surprisingly, there are very few lakes. Nearly all the
country’s rivers begin in the mountains, where many are
frothy white water routes perfect for rafting and kayaking.
Once those rivers flow into the lowlands, however, they become
languid waterways, many of which are lined with verdant walls
of vegetation.
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Those
lowland rivers are excellent routes for trips in small
boats or rubber rafts and can be an excellent way to
observe some of the country’s extraordinary wildlife.
The trees that line most riverbanks may hold lounging
iguanas, troops of monkeys, and such birds as ospreys,
anhingas, colorful kingfishers, several species of herons
and tiny mangrove swallows. Boat trips are offered on
such lowland rivers as the Sarapiquí, San Carlos,
and Río Frío, in the Northern Zone, and
the Tempisque, Bebedero and Corobicí in the Northwest.
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The seasonal
lake of Caño Negro is also an excellent spot for wildlife
watching, whereas larger Lake Arenal is a popular windsurfing
spot.
Caño
Negro Lake near the country’s northern border, is a bird
watchers paradise during the second half of the year, when
great flocks of ducks, herons, and other waterfowl gather
there. Caño Negro has been designated a wetland of
international importance under the RAMSAR convention.
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Representations
of Caño Negro on most maps are actually misleading,
since they show the lake’s extension at the height
of the rainy season. Once the rains die down in December,
the lake rapidly shrinks, and by February it disappears
completely with most of the waterfowl having moved on
to the Río Frío –the river into which
Caño Negro drains. Consequently the river trip
on the Río Frío, which is the most common
way of reaching Caño Negro, is often more interesting
than actually visiting the lake.
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