I’d only been aboard for an hour, but as the pelican landed on the wooden deck and wandered between the juxtaposition of neatly coiled ropes and sun loungers it became clear this wasn’t going to be a typical cruise. Finding a suitable spot, he spread his wings and basked in the afternoon sunshine.
After a couple of land-based days in wildlife-rich Costa Rica, a destination that’s small in size but big on biodiversity, I’d arrived in Puntarenas, the sprawling port city on the Pacific coast. My unexpected encounter with this avian shipmate was just one of many experiences of “pura vida”, the Costa Rican catchphrase that sums up the “pure life” philosophy of this extraordinary country.
Stays at the historic Marriott Hotel Hacienda
