Would you name a place after a notorious pirate who had ransacked your coastline and hid out here, evading capture? To our surprise we discovered that is exactly what happened here in the south west of Costa Rica; Bahia Drake is named for Sir Francis Drake.
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For the keen traveller, what makes a place special? Sometimes it’s the place itself, a beautiful landscape that captures the heart. Sometimes it’s the people, making you feel comfortable and welcome. Or maybe it’s all about the activities, whether you’re into bird-watching or gallery hopping, an adrenaline-junkie or culture buff. One thing that ties together many of the places that have most lifted my heart is a sense of openness.
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I didn’t go to Costa Rica to see street art; like most visitors, my main interests were in its landscapes and its wildlife. The country is famous for being one of the most biodiverse in the world. So maybe it’s not so surprising after all to see that biodiversity celebrated on the streets of Sant Elena, the main tourist hub in the Monteverde region.
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Sorry, we were told, when we planned our stay on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula; February is a bit early in the season to see humpback whales in Drake Bay and there are no tours running. Slightly disappointed, we settled for a day visiting Caño Island. We were promised great snorkelling and a landing on a beautiful island. But not whales.
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Sometimes people say to me, you’ve travelled to so many places, there can’t be anywhere left that you want to visit. How wrong they are! The world is full of so many amazing sights and there is always somewhere new to tantalise and intrigue.
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Early on our first morning on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, in the far south west of the country, we boarded the small boat that was to take us and seven other guests of the Aguila de Osa lodge to the nearby national park, Corcovado. This is primary rainforest, never touched and preserved intact.
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Water is essential to life, of course, and to our planet. About 71 percent of the earth's surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 97 percent of all earth's water. We can’t drink the salty sea water, as the Ancient Mariner well knew, but we couldn’t exist without it. It regulates our climate and is home to thousands of marine species.
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A holiday in Costa Rica is all about connecting with nature. The animals, the birds, the landscapes. The Pura Vida indeed.
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There’s little I enjoy more when travelling than a visit to a local market. Large or small there is always plenty to see, and therefore to photograph. And you can gain great insights into the way of life in the country. What do local people eat? How do they dress? How indeed do they shop?
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Bachkovo Monastery was for sure one of the most stunning of the many sights I saw in my short time in Bulgaria! Despite all the visitors, the atmosphere was one of tranquillity. The buildings looked so photogenic both in the drizzly weather we arrived in and the sunshine when we departed; and there was so much to see that was both interesting and beautiful.
