Development is still relatively nascent on the Brunca coast; on of the last ocean stretches to be placed within easy reach of tourists following the completion of the Costera Sur Highway. Nonetheless, a prime wildlife refuge and a marine refuge grant potentially trilling encounter, while mountain farms offer forays far from the madding crowd.

The plain fans out to the south, where the Rio Terraba spills into the ocean through a vast swampland. This braided, labyrinthine delta makes up Costa Rica’s most extensive mangrove system, providing an invaluable home for crocodiles, caimans, and innumerable stilt-legged waders and waterfowl.