Marvel at Manuel Antonio National Park

We originally had no intention of going so far south and visiting one of the largest attractions in the country, but the lure of what it had to offer was irresistible.

An unexpected lunch guest

A toucan also dropped by

The bad news was that it was almost a 5 hour drive from where we were staying and the best time to see the animals was gate-opening at 8am. We abandoned our Air B&B a day early and made the drive. It was slightly overcast, but warm, and we managed to avoid the Transito (traffic police). On a recommendation, we stopped (via a misguided route offered by Google Maps - sometimes she's such a cow!) at a hotel called Villa Caletas, a beautifully situated edifice, perched high on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We had lunch at their restaurant (Restaurante Anfiteatro) which, unsurprisingly, had an amphitheatre carved into the cliffside. Sadly, there was no musical performance for lunch, but we enjoyed sweeping views of the water, made more enjoyable by the lush tropical plants, excellent service and very fine meal.

Pathway to the restaurant

Overcast, but warm, with big views

After passing a couple of pleasant hours surveying the sea, we hopped back in the putt-putt (really, there's no other name for it, completely serviceable, but not terribly peppy) and continued on through Quepos to our hotel. It was a lovely little find called The Falls at Manuel Antonio. It doesn't look like much on the outside, but was a sweet little oasis after a long drive.

Flowers of the rain forest

We rose early to eat breakfast at 7am and met our transport at 7:45. We were whisked off to the park, picking up the rest of our group and were ready to head in a little after the 8am opening. Ron and I boldly opted to take the tour in Spanish. (Yay, us!) It proved to be an excellent experience and we understood nearly everything our guide, Jason, said.

Fawn hiding in the underbrush

Three-toed Sloth, making his way through the trees

White faced monkey (in silhouette)

Two-toed sloth (vaguely reminiscent of Chewbacca)

Just hangin' around

Sweet little hummingbird taking a rest

Squirrel monkey (too fast for a good pic)

Yup, we found the world's cutest monkey

M. Antonio is the smallest national park in Costa Rica (at least, I believe it is), but it offers a lot. There are three varieties of monkeys and both types of sloths, plus an excellent selection of lizards, birds and is also home to White-tailed deer. Not only that, but there is an excellent white sand beach in the park that is safe for children to swim. (Costa Rica is notorious for rip tides.) 

We had a great time, got to joke with some Spaniards and a mom and daughter from San Diego; all in Spanish.

Crocodiles on the way back to San Jose

Sharing a joke? Laughing behind the other's back?

These guys are big - 2 metres long or so

I have to say that it was the busiest park we visited and seeing the crowds, we were worried that all the animals would be scared away. Our fears were unfounded and we got to enjoy all the wildlife the park had to offer. It's well worth paying for a guide, as Jason (Jade Tours) pointed out things that we'd never have spotted on our own, including a confused little fruit bat hanging out on a tree in the middle of the morning.

Not the best photo, but that's the bat looking addlepated

I think it's safe to say that we've avoided the most touristy of traps (I'm talking about you, ziplines) and wrung the most out of our time in the wilds of Costa Rica. I'm sure, all told, we drove well over 3,000 kms on all our adventures.

The putt-putt before (Daihatsu Terios) - shiny!

The putt-putt after... (not shiny)

Next up, San Jose, the capital city. We might regret it, based on the faces of those folks that heard we were staying 2 weeks there, but we'll let the city speak for itself.