Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
Manuel Antonio National
Park
Why
do we want to visit Manuel Antonio?
- Named after a Spanish conquistador
- is is one of the country’s most visited NP with limited parking
- it’s humid and one of the most picturesque tropical coast with some beautiful beaches
- you can see the white-faced monkeys
- on the boardwalk they have numbered benches along the way 1-9
- Heliacona is a large red flower which needs sun and humidity and flowers for a long time
- Peine Mico fruit: is a little dark fruit with thorns like teeth and you can see it from Jan to Oct – they fall on the ground and spread seeds
- Buttrees root look like fins at the base of the tree, they help the tree to stand strong and avoid falling: dependent on the species they can be tall, short, thin, straight or extendet. Some can be taller than a person
- Viscoyol – I thought it looks like a palm tree, but those palms have thorns like needles. In large groups they form an impermeable barrier
- Mangrove swamp: they grow in water-saturated soil near the coast, the roots protect and feed fish, crustaceans and molluc. Waves and wind loose energy as they pass through the roots and lessen possible damage
- Iguana’s are cold-blooded animals – they belong to the reptiles.
- Howler Monkeys: one of the largest species in the country, the tail is like a 5th hand – they howl as an alert mechanism or to protect their territory
- White faced Monkey: is one of the smartest monkeys – we saw a lot of those
- Squirrel Monkey or Titi Monkey: is one of the smallest in Costa Rica and are only at the central pacific coast
- Sloths: there are 2-toed active at night and 3-toed onc: the guaroma is their favourite food, they can sleep more than half a day, moving very little and only if in search of food or when climbing down the tree to defecate which they do every 8 days to fertilize the roots of the tree they are eating from
Some
facts about National parks in Costa Rica:
- Costa Rica has 27 National Parks
- overall Costa Rica protected 25 % of all the country’s land, which is more than any other country in the world
- Costa Rica is into Eco-toursim
- Costa Rica’s 1st Park was Paos Volcano and the smallest park is Manuel Antonio
- and on our plan is it to visit only 8 of them – guess you can’t do all in one trip
Parking
at Manuel Antonio NP
it
is only a 4 km / 10 Min drive to the park – very convenient. And
Tim told us not to park when the people stand in the middle of the
road, because then you are still a bit away. So we passed them and
then kind of missed the turn-off because the sign was like a
hand-written sign. Turned around and then someone stopped us and told
us it’s the last parking spot (ok it was not the last but not far
away either). We had to stand in the line up maybe 3 people ahead of
us, since they checked all the backpacks – no snacks are allowed.
Ok so Gine had to run back to the car because Paul didn’t want to
loose his gummy bears!! I guess because our cookies where in a
container she thought they are sandwiches. When Gine came back the
line up was quite long!!! Oh and did I mention all NP entrance fee’s
are in US$ and here in the most famous park you can only pay in cash
– really!!!!
Walk
to Playa Espadillia Sur
and
once you are in there are a lot of guides who would like to show you
all the wildlife... and then you start with the first walk across
board walk in the humid jungle... yes you are in the tropics here.
There are a lots of signs with information on it and also once we
stopped where a tour guide stopped and saw a Christ lizard – I do
have to say if Paul would told me where to look and the guide
wouldn’t point it out, we would not have seen it – because it is
so camouflagged.
And
then we arrive at the beach – it’s beautiful and low tide... so
Gine set up Paul (so hopefully a beach nap will help him get over the
cold) and then Gine went
Walking
through the jungle
first
back to the cascade trail – or as they are called here Sendoro. Ok
the waterfall is only here in the rainy season, but I saw the first
monkeys jumping and a lot of cool tropical plants. Then on the Sloth
path: and yes I did see a sloth (ok the guide pointed it out) and
discovered the quick way to the Manuel Antontio beach – time to
head back to Paul and then we head to
Playa
Manuel Antonio
first
we had to walk along the whole length of the Espadillia sur and then
it’s a quick cross over to the Playa Manuel Antonio where you can
actually swim easily in the water: so first Paul – then Gine and
then both of us... the water is super nice and warm and with the
perfect amount of waves.... after drinking some more water we decide
it is time and we are
Walking
the Catedral trail
that
means carrying all around... So with a heavy backpack and beach back
we start out and follow the trail to the different viewing platforms:
overlooking the ocean and little islands... up steps and down steps
(by the way: they are not all Gine height friendly). And then we end
up at the La Tampra: an old trap (I’m not sure if we saw it? But it
is a beautiful little sandy beach with a cool rock splashing water...
so we need a picture there – even we both nearly lost our flipflops
do to the strong current and got soaking wet...
- Punta Catedral: thousands of years ago what we know as Punta Catedral was an island. The movement of the tide and the waves created a barrier of sand that kept growing until a bridge was built which linked the island to the mainland – the bridge is known as a tombolo
- La Tampra = Turtle trap: is a semicircle of rocks at low tide: Archaeologist believe that they were arranged by pre-columbian indigneous people to function as a turtle trap (turtles would swim in during high tide and can’t swim out during low tide)
Beach
time at Playa Manuel Antonio
And
Again it is beach time after we both drink a bottle of water...
walking and heat makes you thirsty. Gine can’t sit still and goes
up on the mirador tower – where you can see the jungle on a higher
level and then she wanted to go to the other beach – but if you
take the wrong turn then you end up in the wrong spot!! and so after
a loop in the jungle and being tired it’s time to relax and swim in
the ocean... which is so much fun. and then tired after a long
day you have to first walk all the way back.... to a nice hot car.
And once the traffic starts we turn towards our Casa
A
cool down in the pool
and
the most perfect part is the cool pool – you get the salt water off
and you cool down... a nice shower and no rest because the sun sets
on time and so we head out to the airplane
Sunset
Supper at el Avion
we
saw it on the way to the park – the airplane: and Gine says I want
to have supper here. On time and finding a parking spot we go in and
get a great spot on the upper floor with ocean view – watching the
sun setting is really beautiful – so that makes this supper
perfect: but I have to say it was more americanised from the food as
well from the prize. Still it atmosphere is unbeatable.
- Yes here in Costa Rica a country with no army – is a restaurant with an army plane
- it’s a converted fairchild C-123 transport plane which was used by the CIA in the 1070s to run arms to Nicaragua
2025-05-23