A fraught road trip put me off Costa Rica – until a coastal cruise redeemed it

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Next it was on to Quepos, to the wildlife-rich Manuel Antonio National Park; then to Playas del Coco, where we joined a bird-watching riverboat tour – during which I came face-to-face with my nemesis the crocodile, though this time from a more comfortable distance. And between ports of call there were days spent “under sails” – out at sea. This was welcome down time, during which we sunbathed on deck, relaxed in the spa, indulged in the endless parade of excellent food and drink on offer and marvelled at the 14-strong deck crew as they scrambled up and down masts.

Our peaceful seabound existence was interrupted only by the occasional echo of a voice over the intercom, alerting us that dolphins had been spotted off the aft deck, or that the captain had decided to anchor for a swimming break. There were even talks by visiting experts – Prof Dr Ludwig Ellenberg and lecturer Stephen Weston – who regaled us with stories of the country’s history, nature and culture. I felt simultaneously immersed, yet utterly unencumbered.

All too soon, we found ourselves disembarking at Golfito and waving goodbye to the guests who had chosen to continue on through the Panama Canal. I left Costa Rica with the promise that I’d be back. Would it be by car or boat? I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Rachel Ingram was a guest of Sea Cloud Cruises (00 494 030 959 250), which offers an 11-night voyage from San José in Costa Rica to Panama City from £6,073pp, including food and drink but not excursions

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Source link : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/central-america/costa-rica/fraught-road-trip-put-costa-rica-coastal-cruise-redeemed/ Author : Publish date : 2023-02-19 03:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source .