Manuel Antonio National Park
There is always something special about a sunrise whilst navigating the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The clear view of the majestic Talamanca mountain range, with its 12,000-foot-high tectonic formations; the towering green vegetation that makes up the so-called Cathedral Point; the white sandy beach of Manuel Antonio National Park – these are some of the best natural scenarios that this country possesses.
Manuel Antonio National Park is a great example of a community effort to save an area from private development. In the early 1970’s, the people of Quepos were prohibited from entering the region. Fences and gates were built by previous owners that even tried to discourage our government from establishing a protected area by cutting down trees and poisoning some of the mangrove forest. This action backfired, and instead encouraged congressmen to issue a law to protect this earthly paradise.
We started the exploration of this transitional forest after breakfast, with two walks: one to the sloth valley and the other to Cathedral Point. Both walks provided great wildlife observations including, among others, white-nosed coatimundi, white-throated capuchin monkeys, spiny-tailed iguanas, both three-and two-toed sloths. By the end of these walks it was time for swimming in the tropical water to cool off, play with the waves and create our dream fortress in sand.
As the day progressed, the overcast conditions predicted some rain that never materialized. Instead, after lunch, good weather gave some of us the opportunity to enjoy a little stroll through the town or to try the Espadilla Beach for a second swim or time for relaxation and to immerse ourselves in the fragrance of the forest that comes down to the sea water.
Most of our guests left in search of adrenaline and adventure by heading to a private protected forest for a ride in cables, pulleys and platforms. This “zip-line” provides the thrill and excitement of traveling through the canopy with a mechanism originally developed in order to do research in the tree tops. By 5:30 p.m. all of our families were back on board and we initiated our return to Herradura Bay. We enjoyed a game of families charades, cocktail hour and our farewell dinner as a fitting end to a week of exploration of the natural history and culture of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
There is always something special about a sunrise whilst navigating the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The clear view of the majestic Talamanca mountain range, with its 12,000-foot-high tectonic formations; the towering green vegetation that makes up the so-called Cathedral Point; the white sandy beach of Manuel Antonio National Park – these are some of the best natural scenarios that this country possesses.
Manuel Antonio National Park is a great example of a community effort to save an area from private development. In the early 1970’s, the people of Quepos were prohibited from entering the region. Fences and gates were built by previous owners that even tried to discourage our government from establishing a protected area by cutting down trees and poisoning some of the mangrove forest. This action backfired, and instead encouraged congressmen to issue a law to protect this earthly paradise.
We started the exploration of this transitional forest after breakfast, with two walks: one to the sloth valley and the other to Cathedral Point. Both walks provided great wildlife observations including, among others, white-nosed coatimundi, white-throated capuchin monkeys, spiny-tailed iguanas, both three-and two-toed sloths. By the end of these walks it was time for swimming in the tropical water to cool off, play with the waves and create our dream fortress in sand.
As the day progressed, the overcast conditions predicted some rain that never materialized. Instead, after lunch, good weather gave some of us the opportunity to enjoy a little stroll through the town or to try the Espadilla Beach for a second swim or time for relaxation and to immerse ourselves in the fragrance of the forest that comes down to the sea water.
Most of our guests left in search of adrenaline and adventure by heading to a private protected forest for a ride in cables, pulleys and platforms. This “zip-line” provides the thrill and excitement of traveling through the canopy with a mechanism originally developed in order to do research in the tree tops. By 5:30 p.m. all of our families were back on board and we initiated our return to Herradura Bay. We enjoyed a game of families charades, cocktail hour and our farewell dinner as a fitting end to a week of exploration of the natural history and culture of Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
