Got a bit of extra cash and decided to go to Costa Rica for a few days. It was steamy hot & wonderful. I definitely need to go back to see more of the country.
Here is a video with some highlights. A few more pics and thoughts below.
I stayed at Verde Mar Hotel in Manuel Antonio. I got their cheapest room, called the Student Room, but it was sufficient for me. It had air conditioning and a hot shower! Luxury.
It also was right on the beach, as you can see in the video. But being so close to the beach meant that little crabs were scurrying all over the property...and in my room! I didn't mind. I started calling them "mis amigos crabitos", which is really bad Spanglish for "my little crab friends." They were shy and harmless, but I can imagine some people might be put off by having crustaceans in the bedroom.
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| Playa Espadilla, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica |
It was the off-season and the rainy green season, which was both good and bad. I arrived on a Tuesday and the hotel was pretty much deserted so it was quiet and I had the pool to myself. On the weekend, it got busier.
It did rain on a few days in the afternoons, sometimes all night into the morning, but it was just an excuse to relax and read a book.
One other downside to the off-season though was that some tours and activities weren't running because of lack of customers. For example, I wanted to go on the mangrove tour, but the operator wouldn't go with just one person. And the Ocean King catamaran tour was not running the sunset cruise cuz of the high chance of rain.
One plus of the off-season though was that there were animal babies! I didn't get any photos, but there were several capuchin monkeys with babies hanging onto their backs or stomachs. Super cute!
The highlight of my trip was Manual Antonio National Park. If you go, be sure to get a guide. It is sooooooo worth it, not just for the knowledge, but for the spotting scope. It's like a small telescope and it is vital for getting a closer look at the sloths and other critters way up high in the trees. Our guide also took photos through the scope and sent them to us after the tour! (by Whatsapp or Airdrop) I thought that was so nice, especially since I didn't have a camera, just a crappy phone to take pictures with.
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| Capuchin monkey close-up photo taken by our lovely guide. |
I spent quite a bit of time wandering around in nature, not just in the park, but up and down the road and beach. I saw so many things that I think a lot of people missed cuz they were in cars or took the bus instead of walking. A lot of folks don't know how to spot animals either. You have to listen for squeaks, peeps, and rustling, and watch for movement. It helps to walk slowly and pause often.
Here is a list of the animals I remember seeing, plus many more small lizards and birds that I couldn't identify:
- green tree frog
- blunt headed tree snake
- capuchin monkeys
- squirrel monkeys - https://monotiti.org/
- howler monkeys
- three-toed sloths
- two-toed sloth (no photo cuz it was after the tour)
- coati
- agoutis
- iguanas
- basilisks
- scarlet macaws (sad the photos didn't turn out!)
- Fiery-Billed Aracaris ("toucanets")
- hummingbird
- green herons
- motmot
- magnificent frigatebirds
- hawks
- vultures
- blue & red land crabs
- bats
- butterflies, including a Blue Morpho!
- and one plain ol' raccoon, haha!
I was disappointed that I didn't see any dolphins on the catamaran cruise but there is a whole big ocean for them to play in, so I understand.
It was a really good trip, with mostly great weather (so hot!), awesome food (I loved the Gallo Pinto rice & beans with breakfast), friendly Ticos and travelers to chat with, and lots of nature. My legs were sore from hiking, my neck from peering above me, and my cheeks from smiling. As they say in CR -- Pura Vida! (Pure Life!)
