While in Costa Rica, the one place you can’t miss if you’re looking for one-on-one time with nature is the Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco, the oldest protected wilderness area in all of Costa Rica. The reserve is just 11km south of Montezuma and you can take a taxi or a bus there and back for a cheap price—it’s probably not a good idea to walk since you’ll be doing a lot of that at the reserve and you won’t be able to carry or retain enough water to stay hydrated. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’ll be okay—most of the steep and long trails take two hours to complete each way and there is no food and no water available at the reserve; pack smart and think ahead. The reserve is fairly small, considering its importance, and covers only 1272 hectares of land and 1700 hectares of water on the tip of the Peninsula de Nicoya. Cabo Blanco is known for its unique evergreen forests that allow for plenty of wildlife and bird sightings of such recorded species as brown boobies, monkeys, sloth, coatis and even peccaries. Keep in mind that the reserve didn’t get its name for nothing—the reserve is an “absolute” nature reserve, having only a limited number of trails open on a limited number of days.