Drier, dustier, and even more secluded than its northern neighbor, Tortuguero, the tiny island hamlet of Parismina (pop. 400) attracts hundreds of leatherback, green, and hawksbill turtles every year along with surprisingly small numbers of tourists. Where Tortuguero has developed an eco-tourism industry based on short-term stays and guided tours, Parismina has created several volunteer programs that allow visitors to become “park rangers” in a sense, doing 4hr. night-watchman duty while living with local families in homestays. However, visitors looking to enjoy the island’s calm ambience for only a few days will also find Parismina a welcoming stop; locals drink with tourists at the Mono Carablanca Lodge, and everyone who can stand the heat joins in the impromptu soccer games that seem to continually pop up on every somewhat flat surface available. In Parismina, visitors truly do become part of both the town and the conservation effort for however long they stay.
Parismina has no roads and is only accessible by boat. From the Gran Terminal Siquirres, where the bus drops off, walk to the old bus station on the north side of the soccer field and catch a bus to Caño Blanco (2hr.; M-F 4am, 1pm, Sa-Su 6am, 2pm; ¢300). From Caño Blanco, a public boat meets the bus and shuttles passengers to Parismina (8min., ¢1000). If you arrive at Caño Blanco from Siquirres by taxi (US$25-30) or private car, you can hire a private boat from the Caño Blanco dock to Parismina (US$25) or take one of the public boats leaving that day (8min., ¢1000). Be sure to arrive at Caño Blanco at least 30min. before 6pm as boats leave the dock early and there are no overnight facilities. Coming from farther south, hop on a boat from Moín to Tortuguero and tell the captain you only need to go to Parismina. The ride should cost no more than US$25.
From Parismina, the easiest way to continue on to Tortuguero or south to Moín is to contact one of the Tortuguero tour agencies, most of which arrange transportation from Moín to Tortuguero and back and will notify the boat captains heading in each direction that they should stop for passengers at Parismina. Jumping on an already-hired boat should run about US$25 to Moín and US$20 to Tortuguero. Public boats in each direction usually pass by each day between 10:30am and noon. Private boats organized on Parismina will cost upwards of US$100 for the trip; as usual, the best way to go is to buddy up or join another traveling group. To return to Siquirres, take the boat from Parismina to Caño Blanco (M-F 5:30am, 2:30pm; Sa-Su 8:30am, 4:30pm; ¢1000) and catch the bus back to Siquirres (M-F 6am, 3pm; Sa-Su 10am, 5pm).
Though the island of Parismina is quite long, the town itself is tiny and quite easy to navigate. There are two main docks in town; both are 100m west of the main path. Just south of town, the first docks service boats to Caño Blanco, while the second dock, about 250m north, services private boats including those going to Moín and Tortuguero. The main path stretches from the Caño Blanco docks in the south and ends at Sayleen del Caribe, where a right turn leads east toward the waterfront and the soccer field. The Parismina Information Center, located 200m north of the Caño Blanco docks, has a poster board with up-to-date info about traveling to and from the island as well as volunteer opportunities. It also houses the only computer with Internet in town (¢1500 per hr.; be prepared for lines) and an English and Spanish book exchange (open M-Sa 2-5pm). The only other services in town are a pulpería, 100m east and 50m south of Sayleen del Caribe (open daily 7am-5pm) and public telephones in front of both docks. There is no clinic in town, but a doctor visits every few days; details of the visits are posted in the Information Center. There are no banks or ATMs in town, and the only place that accepts credit cards is Mono Carablanca Lodge and Restaurant (MC/V), so plan accordingly.
Though most visitors to Parismina are students on school trips or long-term volunteers participating in a homestay program, the town has several good value budget options for short-term, independent travelers.
Because most visitors to Parismina generally have meals with their home-stay families, the options for food and nightlife are pretty basic. Expect a lot of standard comida típica, and not much else.
There are no official tourist agencies with offices in Parismina, but you can get information and phone numbers for tour guides at the Information Center. Parismina’s biggest tourist attraction is the deshove (turtle nesting), whose high season runs between March and September, though there are turtles nesting sporadically throughout the entire year. Green turtles primarily nest between June and October, leatherbacks from February to June, and hawksbills sporadically throughout the year. Visitors can explore the wildlife-filled canals around Parismina village and go whitewater rafting, hiking, fishing, and horseback riding.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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