Manuel Antonio National Park
A lovely sunrise gave us a warm welcome to Costa Rica’s best-known and smallest park, Manuel Antonio National Park. This park is the most often visited park and is an island of verdant wildness in a rapidly developing area. In 1972, the government decided to create it when the area was poised for massive tourist development. Big predators had to leave the area since it became too small for them, allowing the smaller mammals to live without the fear of been eaten.
Right after breakfast, we geared up and went ashore to explore the park. The water of the beach was clear and warm, inviting everyone to take a dip. The temperature was fresh and a cool breeze pushed us to take different trails. We were so eager to see what Nature wanted to show us. As we walked to one of the trails, we began to enjoy the remnant of a tropical forest that once covered the region. A group of Central American agouties gave evidence that they are one of the principal dispersers of the park as we saw how they buried seeds in the forest floor. As we kept walking, nature began to reveal to us all of its treasures. The three-toed sloths just followed us with their eyes as we passed next to the trees where they were resting.
Suddenly, the peace in the forest was disturbed. A troop of Costa Rica’s smallest primate began to jump from tree to tree. These monkeys known as the squirrel monkeys are the most difficult to see in the park. We just enjoyed their show as they disappeared deep in the forest.
Many birds began to fly in front of us. One of them was the fiery-billed aracari, which called our attention because of its lovely red and yellow colors. A lesser nighthawk posed for pictures from its perch. A common potoo allowed its chick to show himself for the joy of us. Great tinamus marched through the forest floor, ignoring our presence. It was a great morning for all of us!
As we returned to the beach station, a troop of howler monkeys began a loud concert. The males gave us a farewell with their loud howl. At the beach, the warm waters were calling us to cool off from the hikes, which we did! It had just been a great and wonderful morning.
Back aboard while having a delicious lunch, we weighed anchor and started sailing towards our last anchorage. We realized that our journey had ended. We had started our trip seeing the wonders of technology working hand to hand with nature and throughout the rest of the days we had enjoyed all that has to be preserved in order to keep an ideal balance in nature. It had just been a great journey through the paradise of Panama and Costa Rica!
