San Francisco Point Isla Capitan and Cabo Velas

This is a photo on a cloudy day of San Francisco Point in the foreground, which is the dividing line between Langosta Beach and Tamarindo Bay, and the small Capitan Island, and across Tamarindo Bay is Cabo Velas.

I took this photo from high up in the Crystall Sands condo.

This we have posted photos of some of the mountain temples of Bhutan on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Palm Trees Swaying in the Breeze

After yesterday's odd shot while being lazy,  I thought I should try to redeem myself.  But I was only slightly more energetic.  For this photo I had to get up off the couch and walk to the patio/balcony of our Diria Resort condo.

But I was rewarded with the refreshing ocean breeze, as is evident from the palm trees in this photo.  Cabo Velas across Tamarindo Bay is in the background.

This week we have photos of the National Archeological Museum in Guatemala City posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Isla Capitan

This is Isla Capitan, a tiny island at the southern end of Tamarindo Bay.  The island is barely visible at high tide.  It serves an important function, however.

It shelters the southern part of the bay, which allows fishing and tour boats to be moored in the bay.

Cabo Velas at the north end of the bay is in the background.

This week we are showing some underwater photos from the Sea of Cortez on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site, including several photos of sea lions swimming underwater with us.

Sunset over Tamarindo Bay

I usually show photos of the sunset from Tamarindo or Langosta beaches, but every once in a while we like to go up to the heights above Tamarindo and watch the sunset from there.

This is a view of Tamarindo bay, with San Francisco Point at the southern end of the bay, and Playa Langosta around the point to the left.

This was high tide, as Capitan Island is barely visible in the middle of this photo.  The island and a reef shelters the southern end of the bay.  You can see some of the boats in the sheltered part of the bay.

This week we have photos featuring the cathedral and street scenes of Grenada, Nicaragua, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Capitan Island and Boats in Tamainrdo Bay

This photo shows Capitan Island, which shelters the southern end of Tamarindo Bay.  The island is just north of San Francisco Point, which I showed two days ago.

In Spanish, Capitan Island is called Isla del Capitan.  It takes its name from a legend that a captain of a ship that wrecked on rocks off shore swam to the island for safety.

The island is a place where people can swim or kayak.  It is very small and almost disappears at high tide.  It provides a safe place for boats to be moored in Tamarindo Bay, as is shown in this photo from the walkway in front of our Diria condo.

This week we are showing photos from Cabra Castle, a castle-hotel northwest of Dublin Ireland, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

View to San Francisco Point

This is a view from in front of our Diria Resort condo out to the southern end of Tamarindo beach and bay.

This shows the San Francisco Point, which is the dividing point between Tamarindo beach and Langosta beach, which stretches to the south on the far side of the point.

This photo shows how the southern end of Tamarindo beach is sheltered from the full waves of the ocean by the point and the reef that extends from the point into the ocean.

I took this photo at low tide.  During high tide more of the rocky point is below the surface of the water.

This week we are showing photos from Cabra Castle, a castle-hotel northwest of Dublin Ireland, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

View from our Diria Condo to Cabo Velas

This is the view from our condo balcony over the trees of the Tamarindo Diria Resort to the beach and across Tamarindo Bay to Cabo Velas.

Our condo is on the 4th floor, which is high enough to be above the palm trees and hotel units the lie between us and the beach.  The far row of palm trees in this photo line the beach.

Often people who consider renting our condo will ask how far it is from the condo to the beach.  This photo shows that distance.  It is about 100 yards, an easy walk through the beautify grounds of the Tamarindo Diria Resort.

We do not tire of this view.  We have this view from our balcony, from our living room, and from the master bedroom.

This week we are showing some photos of Paris, featuring several of its museums. on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

San Francisco Point, Capitan Island and Tamarindo Bay

San Francisco Point is the dividing point between Langosta Beach in the foreground of this photo and Tamarindo Bay in the background.

This photo was taken at high tide, and Isla Capitan is barely above the water line.  Cabo Velas across Tamarindo Bay is in the distance.  The beach, hotels, condos, shops and restaurants of Tamarindo are to the right of this photo.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Julie's raft trip through the Grand Canyon a few months ago on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Golden Tamarindo sunset

Of course people such as the woman in yesterday's photo will want to photograph Tamarindo sunsets when they look like this, which they commonly do.  This is why they call our area Costa Rica's "Gold Coast."

I like the fishing boats silhouetted against the gold sky and sea.  There is no pier or marina in Tamarindo.  The southern end of the bay is sheltered by a reef and island, which allows boats to be moored in this area.

This week we have photos of the architecture of Cambodia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Paddleboarder returning at dusk

In the last light of the day, a paddle boarder was coming in towards the beach.

Julie and I were having dinner at a beachfront seafood restaurant at sunset, and before our meal came Julie got up to take a photo of the sunset, and I took these photos of the last light of the day on Tamarindo bay.

We are showing photos of dazzling Bangkok, Thailand this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Dusk in Tamarindo Bay

This is a view of the same scene as yesterday.  Dusk was settling in across Tamarindo Bay, with the color of the sunset.

There is something in the center of the photo, which I will show in grater detail, tomorrow.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of dazzling Bangkok, Thailand. Julie and I went there for the first time 3 months ago and loved it.

Last light over Cabo Velas

This is a photo of the scene that Julie was photographing in the photo I showed yesterday.  The clouds over Cabo Velas at the southern end of Tamarindo bay were catching some of the light of the sunset.

This week we have photos of the elegant villas and gardens of the Borromean Islands in Lake Maggiore, Italy, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Sailing excursion

Every afternoon the catamaran sailboat in this photo heads out from Tamarind Bay to a few spots for snorkeling, usually near a few rocky islands up the coast.  The crew provides snacks of fresh fruit and drinks, and then the boat returns at sunset so the visitors see the sunset from sea.  It makes for a very pleasant afternoon.

This week we are showing photos of Chicago on our on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Isla Capitan at high tide

I took this photo from the balcony at the Crystal Sands. It shows Isla Capitan, or Captain Island, at high tide, when it is barely visible.

This island and the rocky reef around it shelter the southern end of Tamarindo Bay, allowing boats to be moored in the harbor and making the waves at the southern end of the bay gentle and perfect for small children to swim.

The island provides a place to roost for pelicans and other sea birds, and I am sure the marine live loves the rocky terrain and tidepools.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing nighttime photos of Chicago, featuring the Theater District and the distinctive architecture of Chicago.

View across Tamarindo Bay to Cabo Velas

This is the view to the right from the same balcony from which I took yesterday's photo of the view out to sea. This is the view of the northern tip of Langosta beach at San Francisco point, then the small Isla Capitan, barely above the water line at high tide when this photo was taken, and across Tamarindo Bay to Cabo Velas.

A couple of people strolling along Langosta beach are visible. That is typical for Langosta, a couple of people, not crowds, enjoying a walk on the beach.

This week we are showing photos of the patterns in the animals and plants of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Across Tamarindo bay

As my photos during the last few days demonstrate, people pictures are not my genre. I am more naturally attracted to landscapes. (I also like architectural details, but in Costa Rica there are a lot more landscapes than architecture.)

This is a photo across Tamarindo Bay to Cabo Velas, anchoring the north end of the bay. I took this from San Francisco point, where there is a volcanic reef that is exposed at low tide, with tide pools galore.

This week we have urban scenes from Chicago posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Balcony view

Here is a photo of a few of the boats in Tamarindo Bay, taken from the balcony of our condo at the Tamarindo Diria Resort. I don't know what it is about boats, but I enjoy watching the boats sail in and sail out of the bay.

I find watching boat traffic is very different that watching car or truck traffic, which fortunately I cannot see from our condo. Boats gliding across the water are soothing.

When gazing at the ocean, I sometimes find my thoughts drifting to the experiences and lives of peoples across the ocean. How are the people of Christchurch, New Zealand, one of the most charming towns in the world, coping with the tragedy of the earthquake there this week? Will the people of China develop greater political freedom to match the remarkable improvements in their economic standard of living and national infrastructure? What will Papua New Guinea be like when Julie and I travel there next year?

One of the places across the ocean is Easter Island. It is unique. We are sharing photos of it this week on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

A stroll along the beach

I wonder who is enjoying Tamarindo beach more, the person walking or the dog lying in the sand in this photo. The fishing boats in Tamarindo bay await tourists wanting to enjoy the adventure of deep sea fishing.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing some photos of the style of Sweden.

Tamarindo beach

From the spot where I took yesterday's photo, swinging around to the north rather than looking out to sea, here is a photo from the southern end of Tamarindo beach across Tamarindo bay to Cabo Velas, the point of land at the far northern end of the bay.

This photo gives a perspective for how long the broad stretch of beach is at Tamarindo. We are blessed with a classic, long, gently sloping, crescent shaped tropical beach.

We have photos of Santa Fe, New Mexico on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Isla Capitan

With this photo I am returning to the beach at Tamarindo, after showing photos of a typical Tico town inland about an hour from Tamarindo. This photo shows the Capitan island at the southern end of Tamarindo Bay.

This island and the reef that stretches between the island and San Francisco point provides shelter from the ocean's waves for the southern end of Tamarindo bay.

I have not been out to this little island, although it does not look like it would be too difficult to swim out there. There is not much there, however.

Please check out our photos of winter in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.