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Cueva Playa Ventanas Costa Rica

3/25/2019

2 Comments

 
Playa Ventanas is a nice little tourist beach in southwestern Costa Rica on the Pacific side.  It boasts a large expanse of sandy beach and while not entirely safe it is more suitable to swimming than in some places where the currents can really be dangerous.

We stopped by as there is a fairly well-known sea cave there and wanted to check it out.  But of course, we stopped and sat in the shade for a bit like normal folks do just to enjoy the place a bit.
Picture
Shade shelters along the beach at Playa Ventanas, Costa Rica
One doesn't have to go far to find the cave, as it is pretty much just to the left of where I was standing when I took the beach photo above.  Easy peasy!  

​And this is what you see looking at the highwall.
Picture
Cueva Playa Ventanas sea cave in Costa Rica
The hole on the left seems to be connected to the larger entrance on the right so probably all just the same cave.  But why not just go in and find out?  What kind of cave explorers are we anyway?
​
Picture
Don McFarlane looking into Cueva Playa Ventanas
So looking into the larger opening you find that you can see right through the hill and out to the ocean.  Pretty long cave, so surely Don will explore it and map it and study it until it gives up all its secrets.
Picture
Don McFarlane in the entrance to Cueva Playa Ventanas, Costa Rica
It should be noted here that Don is in the cave.  Technically anyway.  But where is his hard hat and light?  And gear?  Seems a bit timid about things.
Picture
Don McFarlane fleeing from Cueva Playa Ventanas, Costa Rica
And like Sir Robin in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, He bravely ran away.

So what is going on here?  Why am I asking so many questions?  For an answer, here is a short video of the inside of the cave:
So, as can be seen the inside of the cave was less than tourist friendly.  We were there too close to high tide to go in there, although I understand that things are quite a bit more calm at low tide, and we plan to return with better timing at some point.  Anyway, there was no need for caving gear as it was clear from the start that we wouldn't be going in there.

So we hiked down the beach to the other rocky area to see if there were any more caves nearby.
Picture
Guy van Rentergem and Don McFarlane in search of more caves at Playa Ventanas, Costa Rica
We didn't find anything else enterable, but at the rocky point where the high tide prevented further shoreline exploration, Don hung out for a while.  It was, overall, a pretty nice place to do so.
Picture
Don McFarlane at Playa Ventanas, Costa Rica
And finally, for those who like their photos a little Outside Magazine-ish, I goaded him into posing a shot.  After this bit we headed on down the road.
Picture
Enjoying the moment at Playa Ventanas, Costa Rica
2 Comments
Linda
4/1/2019 05:49:16 pm

Oh, it is an automatic “Don” wash!

Reply
Clyde Stephens
6/11/2020 05:34:52 pm

Thanks for the memories at Ventanas. I worked in banana research in the United Fruit Company areas of Golfito, Coto and Palmar (1959-60; 1973-1982). The bridge over Terraba was just started in 1959. In the 1970s, my best Costa Rica friend Hermann Fabrega Proesch, and his family had claim of ownership of Ventanas and we followed him in our Compañia Bananaera de Costa Rica truck from Palmar Norte to Ventanas. What an adventure. Hermann had 4 x 4 but my Ford 150 crossed those quebradas with no bridges OK. It was a perfect day and we explored la cueva and ran from the tidal surge! The road was one lane gravel and OK except when afternoon rains made the creeks rise. Scary but we made it back to Golfito. Today, no one can imagine the coast without a road, like I knew it in 1959. Those were the days.

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