Our hotel at Osa, Aguila de Osa Inn, was delightfully remote and inaccessible by road, but there were hiking trails leading in one direction from the property to the nearby town, and in the other direction through a series of landmarks extending as far as Corcovado National Park, if you cared to walk that far (it would be about six hours’ hiking in each direction). After our second day of diving, Steve and I decided to explore the trail to the first landmark – Cocalito Beach.

I could have sworn I took a bunch of pictures on the hike, but now all I can find is this tree:

(With a lizard on it – do you see him? I probably snapped this to show to Donna, who loves lizards.)

Anyway, it was about a twenty-five minute stroll over a little hanging bridge (the one we kayaked under on our first day in Osa) and through a winding hiking trail with a little bit of rolling elevation change, and we found ourselves here:

It doesn’t get better than this.

Pura vida, indeed!

I could have hung out here for hours, watching the surf roll in.

It was just a short hike to stretch our legs after two days of diving, but it felt good. And after spending hours exploring under these waves, I felt a bond with this ocean like never before.

Next week: monkeying around Osa!