Best time of the year to visit
Located 8 degrees North of the Equator, you'll find the seasons on the Osa Pennisula to be almost opposite of those in the US. Rainy season typically begins in May and lasts through November. The region where Finca Bellavista is located is known to receive 200+ inches of precipitation annually - most will fall during these months.
Share your experiences here!
Share your experiences here!
We just recently visited FBV (9/07)for the second time, and I'd like to share a few tips. First of all, though this was supposedly one of the rainiest months of the year, we had plenty of sunshine. Typical days would be clear and beautiful in the morning, with clouds gathering around 11:00 and then rain from 1:00 to whenever it decided to stop...sometimes 1 hour, sometimes longer.
If you've never been in a tropical rainstorm, it's warm and actually welcome (especially when you're on a long hike) so don't worry about bringing rain gear. I haven't used it once in Costa Rica. I just get wet, and air dry afterward. While that would be very uncomfortable in the US, it's not in CR.
If you camp though, you may want rain gear for the evening etc just in case but I can almost guarantee you won't want to wear it on a hike. I do highly recommend quick dry clothes though...these are the best things you can wear when hiking around the property. Zip off pants (from North Face, Columbia etc) are fantastic, as are underarmor shirts for providing versatility and comfort. We actually just dove in to a couple of pools with our clothes on, continued on and by the end of the hike we were fairly dry!
This brings me to the subject of boots. We have discovered that most people that hike the property use rubber boots. When it does rain, and it's muddy, these are very helpful. Some of these boots are "snakeproof". There are poisonous snakes in CR, so it's always a good idea to be prepared. I think we migh try rubber boots if we come back in the "green season" again, but what we used were gortex hiking boots. Though these are comfortable and are perfect when it's dry, they often get wet from the inside (hiking downstream, jumping into pools etc.) and then they take FOREVER to dry out. Plus they smell if they don't dry right away. If you bring hiking boots, I wouldn't worry too much about them being waterproof...just get them so they are comfortable. Finally, do some searches for "snakeguards". These work well in combination with regular hiking boots if you are concerned about snakes.
Another tip: Bugs. I was amazed at how few mosquitoes, flys and other pest insects there are at FBV and in CR in general. Perhaps we have been lucky the 2 times we visit, but from reading guide books I was all prepared with my 100% deet....which I never used on either trip. I live in Minnesota, so I know Mosquitoes. We have hordes of them here (and some have been said to be big enough to carry off a small child
Our experiences so far in FBV have been fantastic! It's a beautiful and wild place. These are just a few tips to make your trip easier!
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I've been here approx. two wks. They call it the dry season. It hasn't rained for approx two weeks.
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I'm back in the US now. Frist day at work was difficult to adjust. So easy to get used to the Costa Rican life style. I spent about a wk. at the finca, very relaxing. One of the Cabinas was finished in time for me to break it in. It was great to be able to connect to the outside world via the net. I've seen lots of progress since last May. I was able to take many pics. of my property, sit there and think about host trees for the house. Matt encouraged me to tag the trees for Owen to look at later. Hopefully, one or two of the trees will be suitable. Looking forward to being there in April.
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My finace Matthew and I will be going to FBV for our first time at the end of July for our honeymoon! We purchased two parcels near the tip of the property where the two rivers meet. WE are so excited to come down to FBV for our first time and see our property. I don't think I have ever been there in the "green season" so it sould be fun. We will probably bring those rubber boots you suggest, thanks for that.
Quick dry clothes, too.
We are open to any and all suggestions and advice for our rainy season honeymoon!
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So you bought sight unseen? I am not sure we are that brave. We will be there the same time, beginning of August and are looking at two lots also. Hopefully it's not too rainy, heard it is still a good time to go.
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We are going in April Woo-Hoo! i cant wait!!!!
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