5, 4, 3, 2, 1… …blast off at Playa Espadilla
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.
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- On our way to Manuel Antonio
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- Ready for surfin’?
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- Signs advertising food… …when you are hungry, even this works!
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- Family meeting in the sea
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- Horseback riding in the jungle… …going through streams was amazing!
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- The small rider on a big horse!
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- American Crocodiles sun bathing in Tárcoles River (view from the bridge)
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- Stopping for a coconut water break at a road-side stand
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- Common Rain Frog at Manuel Antonio National Park
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- Gold Orb Spider at Manuel Antonio National Park
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- Manuel Antonio beach inside Manuel Antonio National Park
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- Split-leaf philodendron aka Swiss cheese plant
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- Walking along the beach inside Manuel Antonio National Park
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- Red mangroves around Damas Island
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- White-tailed deer at Manuel Antonio National Park
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- Just loved the color of this Persian Shield
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- All ready for the horseback riding tour
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- Our stopping point on the horseback riding tour
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- American Crocodiles in Tárcoles River (view from the bridge)
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- Sandpipers
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- Slow down for an Egyptian, a wolf, a three-toed sloth and a monkey with a really long tail!
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- Taking a dip in the pool after a horseback ride in the sun
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- Mangroves around Damas Island
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- Walking along the beach inside Manuel Antonio National Park
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- There’s something just wow about swimming in a jungle pool