Manuel Antonio

Tuanis !

La Mariposa View

Day 2 … With my nose almost glued to the window I observed the breath-taking landscape while driving from Jaco to Manuel Antonio. I couldn’t wait to get there to see the longed for … monkeys at the National Park. The drive didn’t take long, however it was quite challenging with all those turns, and up and down hills. Our hotel, La Mariposa, was located at the top of the hill and had spectacular view overlooking Manuel Antonio, the beaches and rainforests. 

Short history...

Manuel Antonio was Costa Rica’s major ecotourism destination and remains one until today. Rocky islands, the beaches, especially the one inside the national park are idyllic, and its rainforests are crawling with howler, white-faced, and squirrel monkeys, among other forms of exotic wildlife. In Manuel Antonio you will be able to visit the most popular national parks in the country. (Frommer’s, p.380, 2013).

! Worth to mention: It’s very hot and humid there and it rains a lot. However, that is what keeps Manuel Antonio green and lush, otherwise it wouldn’t be the Tropics !

You should definitely go and explore the National Park.While walking the long trails you will be able to get to know the wildlife, my favorite monkeys, sloths, birds and unique nature as well as botanical gardens. You will get to see what the rainforest is about. The long trail in the park will lead you the spectacular Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur. 

The entrance to the park cost $10, however if you will drive a car get ready to pay additional $10 for parking. Make sure to walk through the park with a tour guy. He will show you animals that you normally wouldn’t pay attention to and give you a brief history of the rainforests and the nature. My guy’s name was David, and I highly recommend him. He spoke perfect English, and was very knowledgeable.

Playa Espadilla Sur

I also recommend a Catamaran Tour, which we took in the afternoon to watch the sunset. We were crushing waterways for about 4 hours, passing rock formations and searching for dolphins and whales. We were lucky enough to see one swimming along our boat. That was absolutely fantastic!  Also, you will be able to snorkel in the Pacific Ocean. Before the boat returns to the marina, delicious dinner will be served. This is a nice adventure to take for the cost of $65.

You can also do zip lining, hiking, rafting and more, which I unfortunately didn’t have time for.

Manual Antonio offers variety of restaurants with selection of outstanding meals. Definitely my favorite place to dine was El Avion. I had a tuna fish steak, which was magnificent! The coconut drinks were mouthwatering. The restaurant itself is very unique; it is built in the corpus of an old plane. Worth to go!  

Nightlife is best in the neighboring small town called Quepos. I would recommend to go to Sargent Garcia and Discoteca Arco Iris. Fun! There is also the restaurant called Dos Locos that serves Mexican cuisine and have a live band in the evenings, however the food is average and very expensive, unless you don’t mind paying almost $20 for couple tacos. I must admit, I felt totally “loco” after I saw my bill !

Reference:

Frommer’s (2013). Paya de Jaco. Costa Rica 2013. Published by: John Wilye & Sons, Inc.