Manuel Antonio National Park
The first day of our trip found us on the Central Pacific side of Costa Rica, in one of the smallest and also most visited national parks of the country, Manuel Antonio National Park. This park is one of the crown jewels of Costa Rica as it harbors a large population of medium-sized mammals such as capuchin and howler monkeys, two- and three-toed sloths, agoutis, coatis and raccoons.
We disembarked onto the white beaches covered by lush forests of the park early today and split into two distinct groups, those that wanted to exercise more and those who decided they were in for the wildlife spotting. None of us were disappointed by our choice, as both groups got to see all of the mammals that the park holds and yet some more. The bird list is not small either: grey headed tanager, motmots, pale billed woodpeckers, antbirds, yellow-headed caracaras, etc.
After a very successful morning in the park, we went back on board and repositioned the ship towards the south Pacific coast of Costa Rica. One of the most wonderful pristine parts of the Mesoamerican area is the Osa Peninsula and its surroundings. We will visit the peninsula itself tomorrow, but this afternoon we managed to stop over at a site we rarely visit: Caño Island. This island has a bit of history on its own as the indigenous people of the area used it both as a cemetery and as an orchard for the “vaco” or cow tree. We decided to try our snorkeling abilities and gear while at the island. One specific place, known as “el jardin” or the garden, is the favorite of many visitors. We managed to have a wonderful afternoon as well, and as we repositioned our vessel into Drake Bay, we bid our first day goodbye.
The first day of our trip found us on the Central Pacific side of Costa Rica, in one of the smallest and also most visited national parks of the country, Manuel Antonio National Park. This park is one of the crown jewels of Costa Rica as it harbors a large population of medium-sized mammals such as capuchin and howler monkeys, two- and three-toed sloths, agoutis, coatis and raccoons.
We disembarked onto the white beaches covered by lush forests of the park early today and split into two distinct groups, those that wanted to exercise more and those who decided they were in for the wildlife spotting. None of us were disappointed by our choice, as both groups got to see all of the mammals that the park holds and yet some more. The bird list is not small either: grey headed tanager, motmots, pale billed woodpeckers, antbirds, yellow-headed caracaras, etc.
After a very successful morning in the park, we went back on board and repositioned the ship towards the south Pacific coast of Costa Rica. One of the most wonderful pristine parts of the Mesoamerican area is the Osa Peninsula and its surroundings. We will visit the peninsula itself tomorrow, but this afternoon we managed to stop over at a site we rarely visit: Caño Island. This island has a bit of history on its own as the indigenous people of the area used it both as a cemetery and as an orchard for the “vaco” or cow tree. We decided to try our snorkeling abilities and gear while at the island. One specific place, known as “el jardin” or the garden, is the favorite of many visitors. We managed to have a wonderful afternoon as well, and as we repositioned our vessel into Drake Bay, we bid our first day goodbye.
