No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsTravel and TourismCrossing Rivers in Costa Rica: A Memorable Nicoya Peninsula Journey

Crossing Rivers in Costa Rica: A Memorable Nicoya Peninsula Journey

About seven years ago we took in a large swath of the country as tourists. Part of that trip was down on the Nicoya Peninsula. We were using a paper map trying to get to our spot on the beach and discovered that the road had disappeared and was instead a large, fast-moving river.

Not crossing at this spot meant that I would have to retrace our steps and take another route that would add almost two hours to our already long journey. If, on the other hand, we were able to cross we had only 10 or 15 minutes until we reached our destination. My overconfidence was as high as my patience was low.

I was about to try and cross in our height-challenged, teeny rental car when a caballero passed us atop his horse. He led his small herd of cattle across the river, his cattle dog swimming along beside him. All of us watched, mesmerized, as the water rose up to the belly of the horse.

As he neared the far bank the cowboy turned, smiled and wagged his index finger at me. He then urged his horse forward to follow the herd which had already disappeared into the brush on the other side.

As I turned our car around, grudgingly accepting the fact that our trip was going to be at least a couple of hours longer, it sunk in that the caballero had just saved our trip (as well as $30,000).

Marshall Cobb and his family moved to the Monte Verde district in 2015. He takes breaks from working on his novel by posting blogs on his website

Trending Now

US and Panama Begin Joint Exercises to Protect Panama Canal

US forces teamed up with Panamanian police for fresh military drills focused on safeguarding the Panama Canal, starting amid ongoing debates about foreign influence...

Quiet Force, Loud Legacy: Jannik Sinner Beats Alcaraz for First Wimbledon Title

Jannik Sinner is the quiet man of tennis who has become a big noise, burnishing his legacy on Sunday by winning his first Wimbledon...

US Visa Cost Increase for Travelers and Workers Under New Law

United States President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law on July 4, introducing a new surcharge for most non-immigrant US...

Costa Rica Dismantles Human Trafficking Ring Linked to Tren de Aragua

Costa Rican authorities dismantled a human trafficking network linked to the criminal gang Tren de Aragua, which financed the travel of women from Venezuela...

Canadian Tourism to Costa Rica Drops Amid Rising Crime Concerns

Canadian visits to Costa Rica have started to drop in 2025, with crime playing a big part in the shift. Data from the Costa...

Starbucks Expands in Guanacaste with New Store Opening in Tamarindo

Starbucks continues to strengthen its presence in Costa Rica with the opening of its second store in the province of Guanacaste, specifically in Tamarindo....
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica