Manuel Antonio – Nonetheless the Image Postcard Vacation spot!
Manuel Antonio is the brief vacationer’s dream location. You need stunning seashores – test, rainforest – test, upscale lodging and first rate eating places – test, actions akin to deep sea fishing, zip-lining, kayaking – test.
Actually, in the event you solely have restricted time to go to Costa Rica, this small seaside village and standard nationwide park have nearly received it coated! In case you are a traveller in your golden years, a household with younger youngsters or a vacationer with restricted mobility; the benefit of Manuel Antonio’s Park is an actual bonus!
Manuel Antonio will not be a city however a lot of accommodations, eating places and memento shops which have sprung up on the windy highway that leads from the bustling fishing city of Quepos to the nationwide park and its environment. Quepos additionally thrives from the tourism that the world attracts and has many eating places, bars, shops and excursions that cater to its international friends.
The lodging inside the city tends in direction of decrease funds or backpacker with low-cost and cheerful “pack ’em in” kind of hostels and accommodations. For these not on a shoe-string funds, the accommodations which have been constructed on the cliff tops overlooking the ocean, alongside the highway main right down to Manuel Antonio, would be the most well-liked alternative of lodging for a keep right here.
The seaside outdoors of the nationwide park, Playa Espidilla, is a big expanse of soppy gray sand and leads into clear, blue ocean. It’s nice for browsing, however there may be riptides, so take care. Life guards are normally on watch at this seaside.
Manuel Antonio Nationwide Park is likely one of the hottest nationwide parks within the nation regardless of being comparatively small. Because of this there’s restricted entry into the park – 600 folks in the course of the week and 800 guests on the weekend. Do go early to make sure that you can be admitted, particularly throughout excessive season. On Mondays, the park is totally closed. These measures have been launched to stop over-saturation of the park which has the prime function of defending the wildlife in it.
You will see reviewers and journey guides that pinpoint the park’s reputation and comparatively small space as causes to omit it from a Costa Rican trip itinerary. Definitely, you probably have the time and the bodily capability to hike by way of wilder jungle; there are extra distant and remoted protected areas within the nation that will provide the likelihood to be ensconced in nature and overlook the surface world, however you should not get the impression that Manuel Antonio is all camera-toting vacationers both. Considered one of my most magical wildlife encounters in Costa Rica occurred proper there within the middle of the park!
Leaving the park as nightfall approached, I used to be privileged to see child turtles rising from a sandy financial institution subsequent to the path; they had been burrowing frantically out of their nest; pushing and shoving at their siblings of their want to go away the sand and battle down the seaside to enter the ocean. I and others stood and watched because the tiny reptiles had been guided by the sunshine reflecting off the waves to tread their method with dogged dedication in direction of their purpose; overcoming obstacles akin to sticks and our footprints to be washed into the water by a wave and bob together with simply their heads displaying.
One other time, I used to be horribly transfixed by the sight of a snake slowly consuming a bat because it hung from a tree. Agoutis nibble nuts within the undergrowth, sloths sluggishly edge their method alongside branches, squirrel monkeys chattering to one another and the white-faced monkeys are in all places!
Really, look out for the Capuchin Monkeys – they’ve realized to work collectively as effectively as any ghetto gang to steal from unsuspecting vacationers! I’ve seen smaller members of the troupe posing off within the branches overhanging a seaside and because the vacationers leap from their towels able to snap a pic of the “oh-so-cute little factor”; their dad and mom, aunts, uncles and each different member of the household are sneaking round and ransacking the unattended baggage! I watched helplessly as my solar tan lotion was triumphantly carried off by one furry robber, however was luckily dropped a number of toes away with disgust when it wasn’t edible!
Removed from being so over-populated with vacationers that the wildlife has fled; they are often all too obvious! On a extra critical word, the Manuel Antonio monkeys are believed to have a shorter lifespan then these outdoors of the park because of the excessive ldl cholesterol consumption of their methods from consuming human meals – please do not feed them!
The 4 seashores inside the park are safer swimming spots than outdoors of it, as they’re protected by the bays that kind them. Manuel Antonio, Espadilla Sur, Playita and Escondido seashores are all accessible by well-maintained trails and the extra bold walker can take a circuit round Punta Cathedral too. The purpose is on a tombolo – an island now joined to the land by a sand strip. The jungle paths are good alternatives to walk together with a pointy eye and cautious ear to identify the animals within the undergrowth and above you within the timber.
Enter the park by La Posada Resort and pay your $6 to $10 entrance price with youngsters below 12 being free. In case you go away by the seaside exit and the river is excessive; pay to take the boat throughout moderately than wade in. The river is usually polluted and is rumoured to include crocodiles!
The park was listed on the Forbes 2011 compilation of the “12 Most Lovely Nationwide Parks within the World”, in the event you wanted additional affirmation of its charms.
Outdoors of the park, you may discover many tour firms keen to take you on an entire host of different adventures, akin to zip-lining, deep-sea fishing, snorkelling and far more. Tour guides can be found to take you across the park, so you do not miss a single tree frog hiding below a leaf and for extra data on the wildlife of the world.
Solely a couple of 3 hour drive from San Jose, Manuel Antonio is likely one of the closest seashores to the Central Valley and is basically price visiting. GPS co-ordinates for the centre of Quepos are 9.43306,-84.161932.