Manuel Antonio
Crocodile Bridge
Our only planned stop on the way to Manuel Antonio was the Tarcoles Bridge or better known as the "Crocodile Bridge." This is not a place that will take a lot of your time. It is simply a place to stretch your legs and take a break from driving. There are restaurants and tourist shops if you want to extend your time a bit.
You can walk along the bridge and see the crocodiles basking in the mud on the rivers edge. If you are lucky you will be able to see the crocodiles being fed. They converge on the food and a feeding frenzy ensues. It is pretty amazing to see such massive creatures move so fast. After spending an hour or so here, we continued our journey to Manuel Antonio.
Manuel Antonio
We finished our drive, dropped our bags at our Airbnb, and got a quick bite to eat before we settled down for the night.
Playa Biesanz
We began our stay in Manuel Antonio by venturing to a local beach, Playa Biesanz. This beach is relatively unknown, but well worth your time. It is more of a local secret where you can find safe haven from the crowds and tourists of Manuel Antonio. It is surrounded by lush vegetation and offers peaceful serenity that is hard to find at other beaches.
It can be easy to miss this beach, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled. Near Hotel Parador you will notice a small entrance in a fence, that will most likely be manned by a local tico collecting colons to grant you access to the beach path, it is here that you will begin your journey.
While journeying along the path, be on the lookout for any signs of wildlife. I happened to notice two troops of monkeys scurrying about the trees. There have also been sightings of sloths and various other animal species here.
As soon as you get to the beach you will see some vendors renting out snorkeling equipment and selling refreshments. If you want a source of shade for you stay here, then you can pay $10 to rent out an umbrella and some lounging chairs, or you can simply find one of the many shade trees lining the beach and set up camp. We chose the free option.
Travel Tip: Bring a packed lunch and enjoy a picnic on the beach. Also remember to apply copious amounts of sunscreen as the Costa Rican sun can be brutal if you are not used to it.
The water is beautiful and warm, and the beach is pristine. This was our first experience of a Costa Rican beach and it did not disappoint. After enjoying our day at the beach, we returned to our Airbnb, freshened up, and set out for Quepos to find some food.
Manuel Antonio National Park
This park is the reason that you travel to this region of Costa Rica. It is bright, beautiful, and worth every moment.
This park is teeming with rich biodiversity. You can either choose to hire a guide to point out the various animal species or you can choose to guide yourself. We chose to guide ourselves and to make special note of stopped groups who were preoccupied with gazing at an animal. In doing so we were able to see monkeys, iguanas, sloths, birds, and agouti.
The park itself has 3 beaches for you to explore with a trail network interlinking them all together. Wondering along the paths we saw troops of monkeys and agouti, a rodent like creature that is rather cute. Towards the end of the day as we were making our exit, we saw sloths dwelling in the treetops. Iguanas are not hard to find, as they are literally everywhere.
Please note the following before you do come to this park:
It is closed on Mondays.
Due to overcrowding problems, the park limits the amount of people allowed into the park. 600 on weekdays and 800 on weekends.
If you want to get the beach to yourself and get the best chance at seeing wildlife, then arrive to the park as early as possible.
You cannot get your tickets online. You have to get them at the entrance at the park, yet another reason to arrive early.
It costs $18 U.S. dollars to enter the park and is open from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
There will people waving you down in the middle of the road before you get to the park. You can avoid these people entirely by simply driving around them. These are guides who are trying to get your business. If you really want a guide, then you can hire one at the entrance of the park for cheaper.
