Barra Del Colorado Overview

Even more remote than Parque Nacional Tortuguero, the swampy terrain of Barra del Colorado lies 25km to the north, close to the Nicaraguan border. At first glance, Barra could be Tortuguero’s long-lost twin; both national parks are accessible only by boat or plane, are nearly ecologically identical, and are traversed on quiet boats through lagoons that meander through the dense vegetation. However, while Tortuguero has cultivated an eco-friendly and backpacker-based tourism industry, Barra del Colorado remains almost entirely undeveloped and lacks any public or tourism infrastructure outside of its extremely pricey sportfishing lodges. The adventurous—especially those with some extra cash—may enjoy the undisturbed wildlife and beautiful fish-filled canals of the Barra, but for most travelers, this northeastern section of Costa Rica will remain a bit too much off the beaten path.

Orientation

The Barra del Colorado refuge is immense, covering 920 sq. km of swampy wetlands and mangrove-lined rivers. Within the refuge, there is only one touristed area, located 99km northeast of San José and 35km north of Tortuguero. It is actually composed of two separate small slivers of land, Barra Sur and Barra del Norte, which sit directly opposite each other at the mouth of the Río Colorado. Barra del Norte is almost entirely residential, and Barra del Sur, while still relatively under-touristed, has the only accommodation and dining options available to visitors. While there are a few other lodges further to the north and south of the main pueblo, these are only accessible by boat.

Transportation

The easiest way to get to Barra is by flying into the local airstrip on one of the daily flights offered by Sansa (30min.; 6am, return 6:45am; US$70) or NatureAir (30min.; 6:30am, return 7am; US$70).

Outside of flying, there are two ways of getting to Barra del Colorado, and both involve a solid day of traveling. The cheapest way to get to Tortuguero is from Cariari, which can be accessed by bus from San José (El Caribe Bus Terminal; 2hr.; 6:30, 9am; ¢1200) or Guápiles (40min., every 20min., ¢200). From Cariari, there are two buses that leave each day for the long, bumpy trek to Puerto Lindo (3hr.; 4:30am, 2pm; ¢1200), where boats wait to take passengers on a picturesque journey down the canals of the Refugio to the docks of Barra del Norte and Barra del Sur (1hr., on arrival of buses from Cariari, ¢2500). Though the bus to Puerto Lindo is often labeled “Tortuguero,” it services a different destination entirely than the Tortuguero buses, which go to Pavona instead of Puerto Lindo. Make sure to ask the bus driver if the bus goes to Barra del Colorado or you may end up several hours away from your intended destination. Leaving Barra del Colorado, boats stop at the Barra del Sur docks daily at 5am and 2pm to bring visitors back to Puerto Lindo and on to Cariari.

The second way to get to Barra del Colorado is much pricier. From Moín or Tortuguero, you can ask around at the docks and tour companies for a private boat to Barra del Colorado. There are no regular services, so expect prices starting at ¢35,000 per boat from Tortuguero and ¢80,000 per boat from Moín. Prices may be even more expensive leaving Barra del Colorado because most captains in the area do not sail outside of the refuge. While this route is very expensive for the individual, it is a better deal for groups (most boats hold up to 10 people) and a better option for those who get queasy at the thought of the bumpy, muddy 3hr. school-bus haul from Cariari.

Practical Information

Barra del Norte (pop. 1200) is almost completely residential, while Barra del Sur (pop. 700) is home to the main dock, airstrip, and the few accommodations and services in the area. The remote location of the town and lack of any real infrastructure (including roads) means that only the most basic goods and services can be found in town. In case of a medical or police emergency, have the guards near the main dock contact doctors and authorities in Guápiles on their radio. Los Almendros Bar y Pulpería, about 150m on the right side of the airstrip away from docks, has a public phone (local calls ¢10 per min.; to US, Mexico, and Canada US$0.60 per min.; to Europe US$0.80 per min.), a Sansa ticket office, and basic supplies. (Open daily 7am-noon and 3-7pm.) Pulpería Clark, on the left side of the airstrip, sells basic food and supplies. (Open daily 6am-9pm.) Another public phone is available at CYD Souvenir, 100m down the airstrip from the docks and to the right. (☎2710 6592. Local calls ¢15 per min., to US ¢500 per min. Open daily 6am-8pm.) Across from Los Almendros, Diana’s has the local monopoly on non-lodge Internet access; service is skittish, slow, and pricey, and Diana will charge for each dial attempt. She can also provide phone numbers for Barra’s residents and lodges. (☎2710 6592; ¢50 per min.)

Accommodations And Food

There is only one relatively budget accomodation and dining option here:

• Tarponland (☎8818 9921), a.k.a. Memo’s, about 30m down from the dock by the airstrip. Though not marked by a sign, it’s hard to miss—its blue and white buildings are sprawled along the right side of the airstrip just 30m away from the docks. The complex, connected by concrete and wooden walkways, contains large, simple rooms with 2-4 beds and hot showers. Farthest away from the docks is a large, empty dining room backed by a small bar where locals gather to watch TV and enjoy a variety of casados and other Costa Rican standards. The menu often features catch-of-the-day snook and tarpon, as well as fresh chicken from owner Guillermo Cunningham’s farm (breakfast ¢2000, entrees ¢2500-3000). Guillermo also offers a tour of his coconut farm that includes rides through nearby canals, lagoons, and a beach for US$40 per person, less for groups of 2 or more. Rooms US$30. Full fishing package US$300, includes food and lodging. Inquire about the details of other wildlife tours, including whale watching.

Refugio Nacional De Vida Silvestre Barra Del Colorado

The Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge is one of Costa Rica’s largest protected areas, with almost 920 sq. km of swampy tropical forest and canals teeming with wildlife. It is drenched with 6m of rain yearly, and the average temperature hovers around 26˚C (79˚F). Created in the mid-1980s, the area remains relatively untouched except for quite a bit of illegal logging in the depths of the park. The park’s Ranger Station, accessible by boat, is 1km west of the docks at Barra del Sur on the Río Colorado. Though Barra del Sur and Barra del Norte are both part of the refuge, visitors to these pueblitos do not pay entry fees for the park, and most guided sportfishing trips will arrange passes and fishing licenses if reservations are made in advance. (Open daily 6am-6pm. US$10 per day. Freshwater fishing license US$30, valid for 60 days.)

Very little of Barra is accessible by foot, since the area is swampy (especially in the rainy season) and no trails have been cut through the upland areas; the most popular activity is sportfishing. Locals make much of their living fishing for spiny lobsters and exporting them throughout the country, while most of the tourism centers on the enormous fighting fish known to lurk in the Barra waters. Tarpon and snook season is best from January to May and September to October (wet-season flooding makes the water cloud with mud and obscures bait lures), but locals will tell you that fishing is good year-round.

Some comparatively cheap alternatives to sportfishing are local wildlife tours, which can be arranged at any of the lodges in Barra. These tours offer the chance to see jaguars, three-toed sloths, spider and white-faced monkeys, manatees, and a huge variety of birds such as laughing falcons, keel-bird toucans, and green macaws. Green, leatherback, and hawksbill turtles also nest in Barra, but in smaller numbers than at Tortuguero. The Río Colorado Fishing Lodge offers an all-inclusive two-day, one-night jungle safari package with transportation from San José and tours of the Barra canals for US$196.