Cerro de la Muerte to Puerto Jimenez

We got up early to escape the Hotel Tapanti and were on the road by 6am. In daylight and without the fog the mountain passes were a dramatic place to drive through. There were lush steep valleys on either side of us and at points we were above the clouds with the highest pass at 3,450m above see level.

I was a bit intimidated by the number of times the road was reduced to one lane, the other having fallen down the mountain side; but it didn’t seem to be perturbing the locals too much.

We arrived in Puerto Jimenez for lunch and have checked into the Cabinas Jimenez right on the water front of the Golfo Dulce. In the afternoon we drove down to Playa Platanares 5km out of town.

We spent an excellent couple of hours on the beach. Getting into the background of some wedding photos. Messing about in the waves, while watching the sun set. We were trying to catch / swim into the shore with the waves. On three occasions I managed to catch the waves perfectly and rode all the way into shore. My body acting as the surf board and my head completely out of the water. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. Pura Vida!

Rainbow and sunset over the Playa Platanares

N.B. I checked out the latest copy of the LP and hotel Tapanti has been removed from the listing. Probably deservedly.