Manuel Antonio National Park & Cano Island; Costa Rica
Our first full day in Costa Rica started in Manuel Antonio National Park. After breakfast we went ashore aboard the Zodiacs, the swell was tremendous and the Zodiac drivers really showed off their skill. Once on the beach we proceeded to divide into groups. Five different hikes were offered and everyone came back pleased with what they saw: long-nosed bats, three-toed sloths, capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, iguanas and hundreds of plants and trees. A short swim in the soothing waters of the Pacific brought the hike to a perfect closure.
In the afternoon we sailed to the Osa Peninsula area and ended up in Cano Island National Park. At first landing conditions were too risky, with large breakers on the beach, but we were patient and chose to swim from the stern or go on Zodiac rides around the island while conditions improved; and what a treat that was! After just a few minutes of touring the island we encountered some twenty or thirty spotted dolphins which accompanied us for a good while. Then we were able to go on the island. Some people chose to stay on the beach while others went on a hike through the forest which ended in a small archeological site where there were a few pre-Columbian tombs and some of the famous stone spheres which are found only in Costa Rica and Panama. These spheres are found in various sizes, from just a few inches in diameter to up to six feet. When they were discovered in the 1930’s in the banana plantations, the rumor was spread that Indians hid their gold inside the spheres. After dynamiting a few spheres and realizing there was no gold in them, many of the surviving spheres were transferred to San Jose to decorate the gardens of the wealthy. By taking them out of their place of origin, their meaning was lost forever. Nobody knows for sure what was the purpose of these mysterious sculptures.
Our first full day in Costa Rica started in Manuel Antonio National Park. After breakfast we went ashore aboard the Zodiacs, the swell was tremendous and the Zodiac drivers really showed off their skill. Once on the beach we proceeded to divide into groups. Five different hikes were offered and everyone came back pleased with what they saw: long-nosed bats, three-toed sloths, capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, iguanas and hundreds of plants and trees. A short swim in the soothing waters of the Pacific brought the hike to a perfect closure.
In the afternoon we sailed to the Osa Peninsula area and ended up in Cano Island National Park. At first landing conditions were too risky, with large breakers on the beach, but we were patient and chose to swim from the stern or go on Zodiac rides around the island while conditions improved; and what a treat that was! After just a few minutes of touring the island we encountered some twenty or thirty spotted dolphins which accompanied us for a good while. Then we were able to go on the island. Some people chose to stay on the beach while others went on a hike through the forest which ended in a small archeological site where there were a few pre-Columbian tombs and some of the famous stone spheres which are found only in Costa Rica and Panama. These spheres are found in various sizes, from just a few inches in diameter to up to six feet. When they were discovered in the 1930’s in the banana plantations, the rumor was spread that Indians hid their gold inside the spheres. After dynamiting a few spheres and realizing there was no gold in them, many of the surviving spheres were transferred to San Jose to decorate the gardens of the wealthy. By taking them out of their place of origin, their meaning was lost forever. Nobody knows for sure what was the purpose of these mysterious sculptures.
