Playa Lapa

GALLERY
Carate
Osa Peninsula
Costa Rica
 
Collared Anteater  near the bridge Cattle Egret in the slough Heliconia species on the front path

   BIENVENIDOS A PLAYA LAPA!

Congratulations on your choice of this unique and beautiful beach house for your vacation; we are confident that you will create memories of a lifetime in this exotic destination on the Osa Peninsula. 

Once the home base of the “International Save the Sea Turtle Foundation”, Playa Lapa’s beach is a prime turtle nesting area. The property has been landscaped with dozens of species of exotic plants, including a number of species of heliconia.  A variety of fruit trees flourish and bear fruit in their season, including mangos, limes, lemons, almonds, coconut palms, avocado, pineapple, and two  types of bananas.  While turtle-conservation groups continue to be active in the area, all that remains of the original enterprise is the concrete foundation of the old building and the wealth of beautiful botanicals.  

 Prepare yourself to experience an abundance of wildlife sounds and sightings, both down on the quiet deserted beach, as well as from the comfort and seclusion of the decks of Casa Playa Lapa.  As darkness gathers in the jungle, plan to have your evening meal on the front deck and experience a “Dinner Theater” of unprecedented wonder as the monkeys make their way through the canopy before you to their nighttime sleeping quarters and the Macaws and Amazon parrots return to feed in the almond trees.  After dark, the animals of the night can be experienced first-hand on a guided tour of the beach and lagoon; or you may prefer to relax on one of the covered decks, and enjoy the chorus of frogs and geckos on the rhythmical backdrop of  perpetual surf.

 
 

Carving by local craftsman

 

The raucous scarlet macaw inhabits the Osa Peninsula in larger numbers than anywhere else in its range; we are privileged to have a large flock consider our beach front almond trees their home, and in fact are the source of the name “Playa Lapa” meaning “Beach of the Scarlet Macaw”.  On a recent visit, we observed two newly fledged baby macaws begging and being fed by their parents.  This family group often remained near the almond trees for the entire day, for we could hear the babies begging, and often saw them from the house.  They were as large as their parents, but brighter in color, and exhibited the characteristic begging posture and "wing flipping."

The red lored Amazon is frequently sighted in the early morning from the master bedroom’s private balcony.  Flocks of these noisy parrots, as well as large flocks of the smaller brotogeris parrots, will pass through Playa Lapa in the early morning and again at dusk, feeding on almonds, mangos and palm nuts.  

 
Scarlet Macaw on palm near house  

 

A myriad of lizards and geckos are found near the house, some of which have lived on the property for years, and can be identified by characteristics such as a re-grown tail.   The striped whiptail, the ctenosaur, and the green iguana will be seen basking in sunny areas and feeding on flowers, insects and other small lizards.  The house geckos can be identified by their melodious chirruping in the night, but are difficult to actually see.
  Striped whiptail lizard in front of deck

 

The white-faced capuchin monkeys are seen almost daily on all sides of the house and can be identified by their almost childlike voices.  But don’t be fooled by their apparent mild demeanor-- capuchins have no reserve about voicing disapproval in an argument.  They are the least fearful of the monkeys and will come quite close to the upper deck through the palm trees.  Please be cautious, because they are also the most aggressive.  Squirrel monkeys, which are the smallest and golden in color, travel through the canopy between the road and the beach in their daytime feeding migration, usually mid to late afternoon every third day.  They can be spotted in the mango trees, as well as crossing in either direction through the palm trees near the beach.  The squirrel monkeys announce themselves with high-pitched kissing sounds, are gentle with each other, and rarely seem to disagree.  The third most commonly seen monkey, the spider monkey, is also the largest and the most shy.  They move through the trees by swinging from branch to branch, arms and legs fully extended, or by taking great leaps through the air.  They’ve been reputed to throw fruit, palm nuts, or other small objects at observers that pass beneath them from their high perches in the trees.  The least commonly seen is the howler monkey, whose hair-raising screams can be heard from deeper inland, but occasionally they will migrate close to the house as well. 
White-faced Capuchin Monkey observing me on the lower deck  

                                                                                                                                         

Other frequently sighted wildlife include the coatimundi, often in groups of 15 to 20 individuals.  Their soft “chittering” conversations sometimes become cat-like screams in an argument over food, or a coveted position on a tree. 

Two species of cara cara, the turkey vulture, and black vulture inhabit the lowland palms in the center of the property; down in the slough a variety of egrets, ibises, and herons feed on lizards and small frogs in the tall grass at the edge of the water.  At night one can see large olive ridley sea turtles and Halloween crabs on the beach, as well as crocodiles and caimans in the lagoon.

   Coatimundi in a plam tree near the shed

 

Less common sightings include the king vulture, the roseate spoonbill, the collared anteater, the jaguarondi, scorpions, large geckos, and several varieties of snakes.

 

If you are observant and use all your senses, these animals are often nearby, but will not announce themselves.   Keen observation and silence--as well as patience--will pay off.  Also, rising at dawn for a trip to the lagoon will usually earn you a brilliant sunrise, a crocodile or two, and many of the shore birds.  A variety of tracks in the sand provide a history of the night’s activities.  Witnessing the early feeding migration of the macaws and Amazons is also worth the effort.
   Roseate spoonbill near the lagoon  

                                                                                                                                              

MORE GALLERY PAGES:  (Coming soon!)

Botanicals                               Monkeys

Birds                                         Reptiles

Other animals                         Casa Playa Lapa

Pejeperrito Lagoon                Ocean

 

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  PLAYA LAPA FOR Sale: 506-2735-5702,  2735-5229