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Costa Rica Part 2 Manuel Anthonio Jan 2025

Writer's picture: Anne B 10milesfromAnne B 10milesfrom

A 3 hour drive through lovely scenery brought us to the area of Manuel Anthonio National Park on the Pacific Coast. We treated ourselves to a few days in the Parador which is spectacularly located on the cliffs in it'sown 12 acres of forest.

Consequently, there is the potential to encounter wildlife anywhere! White faced Capuchin monkeys appear from nowhere and rush past, in the hope they can sneak someone's sandwich before they are chased away.

We have encountered some gorgeous butterflies, and then there was the raccoon that wandered through the dining room last night.

As anyone who knows us will testify, it is rare for us to relax and 'chill'. (Well, for me anyway), but we decided to build in some down time in the afternoons due to the heat and humidity. So our first afternoon was spent doing just that... and discovering that the food here is amazing. For those that like the food pictures.... we shared amazing Chicken Nachos for lunch, and then for dinner...oh wow! Starters were Pickled Mango and tomato salad for Chris, and Salmon ceviche for me, followed by local rare tuna with Spinach risotto and shellfish mousse for Chris, and a Squid ink risotto with red pepper foam, tempura prawns and black mussels for me!

We won't itemise every meal, but this one was a bit special!

On our way to dinner, someone pointed out 2 sloths asleep in a tree above the bar! Literally a mass of long silvery fur... and bigger than we expected.

Next morning was a very early start for a boat trip through the 2000 year old mangrove swamps at the nearby river estuary. It was a peaceful, almost primeval experience, and we saw so many birds that were new to us. Most were keeping their distance, but clearly visible. Our guides also spotted a young crocodile, an amazing ball of orange fur the size of a large orange, which is a silky anteater, and a Jesus Christ Lizard, so called because when it runs, it gains enough momentum to walk on water!

The bird list included the beautiful tricolour heron, pelican, anhinga, ....... and birds familiar to us in the UK, but seen less often here like an Osprey and a Peregrine Falcon.

I don't think they believed us when we said we have peregrines nesting in the local church tower! It was a great trip, although it did involve 3 breakfasts! We had been at the lovely hotel buffet promptly at 6am to fuel up before our 6 45 departure. On arrival at the boat docks, we were given juice, fresh fruit and biscuits. To our astonishment, on our return 2 hours later we were served a Costa rican breakfast of Gallo pinto (rice and black beans), a tortilla, plantain and scrambled eggs! No lunch for us then!

It was even hotter today, 32°C, so we chilled by the pool! Just sitting, looking out to sea. A flock of pelicans flew by. Capuchin monkeys appeared in the trees in front of us, and a large iguana strolled behind the sunbed! We are not in Dorset now!

In an astonishing development, Chris caved in before me, so we headed back to our cool room in preparation for our first night walk of the trip!

We met at sunset, and our 90 minute jungle night walk was fascinating, although not ideal for photography! We saw at least 3 different sloths moving in apparently slow motion through the trees. These were all 2 toed sloths.


A kinkajou was spotted high in the canopy. They are mammals about 20" long, and their tail is another 20". They are known as honey bears locally because they raid beehives. This internet photo shows their incredibly long tongue!

Bats flew around and we spotted this gorgeous butterfly under a leaf.

We saw 4 varieties of frog and toad, and heard several more. Their sounds are huge in relation to their body size!

When you shine your torch, you often wonder, with some trepidation, what the silhouette might turn out to be!

This was the stunning, tiny Green .. .... perfectly matched to it's green leaf.

This amazing tiny creature caught my eye. It is an aphid. .....

Probably the most incredible sight of the night were the scorpions! Up to 3" long, they are dull brown in colour and very hard to spot. However, at night, they are luminous under UV light!

We saw lots in the crevasses of a wall.... note to self. Don't lean on walls! A great, if very humid experience! So a nice cold drink and supper in the bar, and bed!

Another early start saw us heading to the Manuel Anthonio National Park.

Elias was our local guide and naturalist. He was amazing. We spent 4 hours here, and walked about 3.5 miles around the park, and he was constantly sharing detailed information about animals, birds, plants etc. The temperature was around 30°C so it was warm work, but we loved it. A huge highlight was getting some superb views of a 3 toed sloth, who was actually moving relatively quickly.

This is video taken by Elias today.

Elias explained he had been fighting for supremacy with another sloth. He was either chasing the other one off, or running away! Incredibly, they fight high up in the trees. The goal is not to injure the opposition, but to shake and pull their branch to make them fall to the ground below.

We also saw three nocturnal creatures sleeping high up in the trees. A Pottoo bird, related to frogmouth, a porcupine and a golden furred anteater.

Look at that claw for tearing into termite nests! Among the many birds were this gorgeous Woodpecker and a scarlet macaw. Such vibrant colours.

The Woodpecker's tongue is as long as it's body. When not in use, the tongue is wrapped around its brain to cushion it from the vibration when he is pecking! The colour prize goes to the huge Blue Morpho butterfly. You can watch the video I took here! You should be able to zoom in, and also, watch the reaction of the people as it passes!

It isn't blue at all, but transparent! The special scales on its wings refract the light on the blue spectrum. We saw bats roosting high in the trees hermit crabs, and of course the ever present white faced monkeys, known locally as the Mafia!

Leafcutter ants create vast colonies and carry vegetation much bigger than themselves, creating a fascinating carnival parade!

The beaches in the park are stunning, and I had time for a paddle in the wonderfully warm Pacific Ocean.

Back to the hotel for another chilled afternoon, spent drastically editing my photos. A quick game of mini golf and then we decided to eat at the wonderful Galeria again. Gourmet food at pub prices! For me - Tuna ceviche with avocado, Shrimp risotto with seafood broth and plantain. For Chris, Tomato followed by Mahi Mahi..... And we got our drinks half price in Happy Hour! Woo hoo!

Big question for me... can I finally sleep through to Costa Rica morning?!

No! Awake at 3.50!

Our last morning so a leisurely breakfast and a last walk in this lovely oasis! A few random photos from our stay here, including this Grackle, which flies down and snatches the sugar packets. Apparently they can open them to get at the sugar! As Chris said, he cant always get them open so they must be very clever!!

Where to next?

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