The Tarcoles River originates in Costa Rica's central volcanic range and flows 111 km (69 mi) south-west to the Pacific Ocean. The river is among the most contaminated in the country. Despite this, it's home to a lot of wildlife, including waterfowl, wading birds, monkeys and iguanas. But it's especially well-known for its abundance of American Crocodiles.
The river provided last weekend's One Clue Mystery photo (see image below), which shows a few of these large reptiles (in the bottom left corner). It was recognized by George G and Professor Abe -- congratulations to both.
Crocodiles can be massive, many reaching more than four meters (more than 16 feet) in length -- some even bigger. It's believed this river has the highest density of crocodiles in the world (25 crocodiles/sq km).
The Crocodile Bridge
The best place to view the crocodiles is from this well known bridge over the Tarcoles River. It's in the small town of Tarcoles, north of Jaco. Parking is limited but can be found around some of the restaurants and souvenir shops.
You walk out onto the center of the bridge to view the large reptiles, which are often sunning themselves on the river's banks. Nature boat tours of the river are are available if you're interested.
The Crocodile Bridge is 73 kilometers (45 miles) from San Jose, about a 1 hour and 20 minute drive in good traffic.
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