Manuel Antonio National Park
Tiny as it may be – around 1300 acres – Manuel Antonio National Park epitomizes everything people come to Costa Rica for. Stunning beaches, a magnificent setting with islands offshore, lush rainforest laced with a network of easy to follow trails, and wildlife galore. Everything is within walking distance, even the entrance to the park, which by the way is tidal dependant. Yes! The entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park is a small estuary river, that at low tide is about ankle deep but at high tide we need a small boat to cross over. The locals have found in this a new livelihood; some of them bring their small dugout boat and for a moderate tip will take you across the 10 feet long “river”. In spite of this “inconvenience”, it is one of the most visited parks in the park system, with somewhere around 150,000 visitors annually. Due to the large numbers of visitors, the government of Costa Rica had to limit the number of people inside the park at once, 600 per day on week days, and 800 on Saturdays and Sundays.
The last day of our voyage in Panama and Costa Rica ended in Manuel Antonio. Nobody really knows where it got its name. We were all captured by its beauty. We divided into two groups of walkers – well three, if we count the “stationary walk” – one took the long strenuous Cathedral Point trail, and others took the mellower “Sloth Valley” trail. All of the walks delivered what was expected: a good morning exercise, two and three-toed sloths, capuchin and howler monkeys, ctenosaurs, and a good number of bird species, including a laughing falcon and a common potoo.
Back on board at noon for lunch, many of us went back to the ever changing beach. During the afternoon the beach looked totally different: big waves, and great surf which allowed for body surfing and boogie boarding! Back to our home away from home, we were all expecting the usual spectacular sunset. Our last evening found us reaching Herradura Bay, with new friends, new memories and lots of stories to tell. Farewell!
Tiny as it may be – around 1300 acres – Manuel Antonio National Park epitomizes everything people come to Costa Rica for. Stunning beaches, a magnificent setting with islands offshore, lush rainforest laced with a network of easy to follow trails, and wildlife galore. Everything is within walking distance, even the entrance to the park, which by the way is tidal dependant. Yes! The entrance to Manuel Antonio National Park is a small estuary river, that at low tide is about ankle deep but at high tide we need a small boat to cross over. The locals have found in this a new livelihood; some of them bring their small dugout boat and for a moderate tip will take you across the 10 feet long “river”. In spite of this “inconvenience”, it is one of the most visited parks in the park system, with somewhere around 150,000 visitors annually. Due to the large numbers of visitors, the government of Costa Rica had to limit the number of people inside the park at once, 600 per day on week days, and 800 on Saturdays and Sundays.
The last day of our voyage in Panama and Costa Rica ended in Manuel Antonio. Nobody really knows where it got its name. We were all captured by its beauty. We divided into two groups of walkers – well three, if we count the “stationary walk” – one took the long strenuous Cathedral Point trail, and others took the mellower “Sloth Valley” trail. All of the walks delivered what was expected: a good morning exercise, two and three-toed sloths, capuchin and howler monkeys, ctenosaurs, and a good number of bird species, including a laughing falcon and a common potoo.
Back on board at noon for lunch, many of us went back to the ever changing beach. During the afternoon the beach looked totally different: big waves, and great surf which allowed for body surfing and boogie boarding! Back to our home away from home, we were all expecting the usual spectacular sunset. Our last evening found us reaching Herradura Bay, with new friends, new memories and lots of stories to tell. Farewell!
