Dates visited: December 30, 2012 – January 3, 2013
I included Manuel Antonio in my itinerary because I wanted to spend a few days at the beach. There are four beaches within Manuel Antonio National Park so we took a morning tour in the park and spent the rest of the day at the beach. The park has a paved trail so it takes the natural feeling away, but it has an amazing diversity of animals and birds.
We also went on a horseback riding tour through the rainforest. It was an exciting adventure as the horses took us over the fields and into the deep forests, through a jungle stream. The ultimate reward was getting to swim in a cool pool at the bottom of a pretty waterfall. The next day, we went on a boat tour through the beautiful estuaries and mangroves surrounding Damas Island.
- On our way to Manuel Antonio
- Ready for surfin’?
- Signs advertising food… …when you are hungry, even this works!
- Family meeting in the sea
- Horseback riding in the jungle… …going through streams was amazing!
- The small rider on a big horse!
- American Crocodiles sun bathing in Tárcoles River (view from the bridge)
- Stopping for a coconut water break at a road-side stand
- Common Rain Frog at Manuel Antonio National Park
- Gold Orb Spider at Manuel Antonio National Park
- Manuel Antonio beach inside Manuel Antonio National Park
- Split-leaf philodendron aka Swiss cheese plant
- Walking along the beach inside Manuel Antonio National Park
- Red mangroves around Damas Island
- White-tailed deer at Manuel Antonio National Park
- Just loved the color of this Persian Shield
- All ready for the horseback riding tour
- Our stopping point on the horseback riding tour
- American Crocodiles in Tárcoles River (view from the bridge)
- Sandpipers
- Slow down for an Egyptian, a wolf, a three-toed sloth and a monkey with a really long tail!
- Taking a dip in the pool after a horseback ride in the sun
- Mangroves around Damas Island
- Walking along the beach inside Manuel Antonio National Park
- There’s something just wow about swimming in a jungle pool