The wildly diverse landscape of Costa Rica had plenty more to offer, as we embarked on the second leg of our aventuras in the land of the Ticos. In this, our follow-up piece on an incredible holiday, we share some more highlights – emphasis on the wild in “wildly”.
Getting to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica’s largest and most celebrated national park, from our previous destination was altogether quite simple, private car hire simply arranged through our hosts at Arenas Del Mar. The coastal route – it’s about an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Uvita to Arenas Del Mar – affording us plenty of opportunities to marvel at the views of the Pacific.
Upon arrival, our wonderfully welcoming hosts greeted us with fresh drinks and snacks, evidently operating on the (sound) principle that no hotel guest should go hungry, thirsty, or uncomfortable for more than five minutes at a time. A simple check-in, and golf cart ride to our private suite, and we were all set.
Highlights of the Arenas Del Mar resort itself included, first, the incredible beachside restaurant, the sand practically trembling with adorable hermit crabs scurrying about. The fantastic and varied menu – ranging from vegan to seafood options, caught fresh from the nearby ocean – meant that every meal was a delight, breakfast to supper (and after-dinner snack, if so inclined). There, too, was where we would encounter numerous iguanas (evidently indifferent to the critters crawling about them at all times), sloths, and, most thrillingly, the resident family of white-faced capuchin monkeys.
ADM (let’s just call it that for short) is also a wonderful place to relax, a prime example of the kinds of sorts where it’s possible to surround yourself with the wilds without even setting foot off the property. In addition to the sloths, monkeys, and the rest, we also regularly encountered bright crimson hermit crabs, shimmering butterflies, and more than a few snakes. During our morning yoga group session, we even encountered a (friendly, nonconfrontational) scorpion. (Impressively, not one person screamed!)
One wonderful aspect of ADM is its beach access, visitors able to make their way down from the resort and out onto the nearby Manuel Antonio beach, which connects (maybe a half hour walk) to the western frontier of the park proper. You could, in theory, walk and/or swim all the way out to the park, though the park itself is so big, you’re better off saving energy and taking a taxi to the main entrance.
Manuel Antonio is, rightfully, famous even amongst the highly competitive class of Latin American national parks.
Established in 1972 – in part, in reaction to threatened real estate developments – is technically one of the smallest Costa Rican parks, even as it hosts its most impressively biodiverse range of species. Animals we encountered there included, among others, sloths of the two-toed and three-toed variety, monkeys (more capuchins and a howler), butterflies (the bright-blue morpho is gorgeous), snakes, frogs, crabs, more monkeys, coatis (they kind of look like a raccoon mixed with an anteater), and various birds. Sadly, we were not lucky enough to spot whales or dolphins out on the water, but not for lack of trying. Among other notable features, Manuel Antonio doubles as a marine preserve, acting as home to various aquatic species.
Rounding out our trip, we made our best efforts at going aquatic ourselves, borrowing the resort’s boogie boards for some goofing around along the water. Not that it needed any more reason to visit, but we are happy to report that the Manuel Antonio beach has ideal conditions: just windy enough for some fun waves to fool around in (and more serious surfing further out, if that’s your thing), but not so windy that it ever felt unsafe. For travellers with kids, the combo of nearby National Park, on-site wildlife to marvel at, and beautiful beach makes for an ideal spot.
Sadly, as these things do, our journey came to an end after a too-short sojourn to this most beautiful of Central American countries. While we’ll always love the cenotes of Mexico, and the rios of Brazil, there’s no question that Costa Rica, with its extraordinary diversity of things to do and to see (and to eat), will always have a special place in our hearts.
Concluding our stay with yet another delightful meal – this time, an all-vegan feast – we waved our farewells to our hosts and our newfound friends – human and wildlife alike.
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The Arenas Del Mar resort operates year-round out of Manuel Antonio in central Costa Rica. For more on our Costa Rica adventures, click here for our first entry in the series.
