Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
The first day of our trip began early in the morning just off the coastline of Manuel Antonio National Park. It was created in 1972, at a time when the area was poised for massive tourist development. Today it protects a small but beautiful remnant piece of the tropical forests that once covered the region, as well as some sandy beaches and rocky headlands supporting a wide variety of marine life. However, the real jewelry within the park is its wildlife; monkeys, birds, sloths, and other medium sized mammals make of this area an unforgettable place for the visitors.
This morning we took our Zodiacs early onto the perfectly white beach in Manuel Antonio National Park wanting to explore several of its trails. Some of us decided to take the first of many long walks; others chose the less difficult walk hoping to get sights of any of the animals that dwell in it. However, as we walked within the wonderful forest, we discovered that the mere experience of the forest is more than worth the effort, especially for those of us who may have discovered it for the first time. The smell, the feel, humidity and architecture made today and will make, for the rest of the week, any outing worth making.
We were granted sightings of two species of monkeys: white throated capuchins and mantled howler monkeys, two and three-toed sloths, raccoons, coatis, agoutis, bats and many more. We all headed back to the beach for a refreshing dip into the waters of the Pacific Ocean before we went back on board.
In the afternoon, we moved from Manuel Antonio and cruised south for three main reasons: reaching our next destination and to look for marine wildlife are the two main ones, the third one less obvious. As we will be anchored in Drake’s Bay, those who follow the Super Bowl have the chance to see it in one of the small hotels in the area. We can hardly wait to hear their stories…
