Puntarenas Province (part 2)

On the very last day of the tour we took a river boat cruise along the Tarcoles River to see the famous American crocodiles of Costa Rica. The river is 111 kilometers (69 miles) long and flows in a southwesterly direction from the southern slopes of the Central Cordillera volcanic mountain range towards the Gulf of Nicola, an islet of the Pacific Ocean.  The upper reaches of the river borders the Carara National Park which provides a stunning backdrop as one cruises the waterway in search of its wildlife.  Most of the crocodiles seem to live in the upper section of the river, while the marshes near the river's mouth is home to over 300 species of birds. We started our cruise from a small river pier in the Tarcoles district of Garabito, Puntarenas, and slowly made our way to the black sandy beaches along the Gulf of Nicola. The wildlife views were simply amazing. It was a fitting way to end our tour.