Manuel Antonio National Park is Costa Rica’s smallest park. It covers only 1,983 hectares. Don’t let the size fool you though. It is home to 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds. It is feasible to see the whole park in only a day, but most people dedicate two days to exploring the trails and enjoying the beaches. To be honest I wasn’t enthralled with the park. Supposedly, Forbes ranked it in the world’s top 12 national parks. I don’t know the validity of this claim, but would strongly disagree with it. Argentina, Canada, and the US alone would put this park way out of the running. I saw a lot of monkeys, but the main attraction for me were the sloths. I only saw two sloths and they were very high up in the trees, but they were there!
So let’s talk more about los peresozos or the sloths. Interestingly enough the word for sloth and lazy in spanish are one in the same. There are two species slowly lurking in the trees- the Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth and the Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloth.
Below I have typed out what the signs in the national park state (grammatical errors included) about each species.
The Choloepus Hoffmanni or the Two-Toed Sloth: “This mammal feeds on the leaves of the trees, which have little energetic value and make their metabolism slow, as well as the sloths movements. They are brown in color, though in some exceptions a dark green can be spotted among its fur, which is cause by algae. Its mouth is longer than its cousin’s, and their hind legs are naked. The two toed sloth has nocturne habits, though it can sometimes be seen active during the day.”
Exciting fact alert!
The Bradipus Variegatus or the Three-Toed Sloth: “Their three pointy claws help them hang on the trees and climb in search for leaves, which represent most of their diet. The guarumo is one of their favorite foods. The process of digesting is slow, as they have a big stomach. They can sleep more than half the day, moving very little, and only when in search for food, or when climbing down to the ground to defecate, which they do every eight days right in the roots of the same tree, as if they were naturally fertilizing it.”
Did you get as excited as I did? They poop once every eight days and right at the base of their own tree. I read that fact at the beginning of my two days in the park. I kept hoping I would spot a sloth on its slow and lazy way down a tree to defecate. Unfortunately, I had no such luck. The two sloths I spotted were of this variety obviously, since the Two-Toed Sloth is nocturnal.
The species that provided me the most entertainment was the White-Headed Capuchin Monkey. There was a troop of them grooming, fighting, and enthusiastically sharing a juice box. A mother walked right past me with her baby nestled up against her neck. The park’s sign stated, “It belongs to one of the smartest groups of monkeys and it feeds on an assorted diet. They search among the foliage of the trees to find insects and other small animals. They also feed on a variety of fruit, and are important seed dispersers. Their tail is not prehensile, but it does however help them keep balance.” Unlike the other species in the park, the White-Faced Capuchin doesn’t use its tail as a fifth hand, but just for balance. You aren’t allowed to bring any prepackaged food into the park. The monkeys love to get ahold of the plastic wrappings and eat them. This is something that really bothers me about people in national parks and zoos. Let the animals eat the food they naturally find in the wild or that is fed to them by professionals! So please respect this policy and leave the potato chips at the hotel.
In the park you can find three of Costa Rica’s four monkey species. One you most definitely can hear! The Howler Monkey has a very deep guttural howl that can be heard throughout the day. According to the park’s sign, “This is one of the largest species of monkey in the country. Its tail serves as a fifth hand which it can use it skillfully to pick branches. They feed mostly on leaves and foliage, which makes their metabolism very slow. They howl as an alert mechanism or to protect their territory, and it is one of the most powerful sounds amongst animals.”
The last species of monkey found in the park is the Squirrel Monkey. The park’s sign explained that, “This species of monkeys is the smallest in Costa Rica. In the past they found themselves restricted to small patches of forest in the central pacific region of the country and it was necessary to protect these areas. They are omnivorous, and also hunt small bats to feed. Inside the Manuel Antonio National Park, 33 species of plants have been identified which serve as food for the squirrel monkey. The subspecies, Saimiri Oerstedii Citrinellus, can only be found in our country, and it barely surpassed the thousand individuals, located inside this park and their surroundings.” If you do visit the park, don’t expect to see nearly as many of these as the White-Faced Capuchin.
While swimming in the ocean, I witnessed the slightly funny phenomenon of people in a “wave” running out of the water to defend their belongs. A gaze of raccoons was slowly working its way down the beach scavenging through haphazardly left behind backpacks. As soon as people realized what was happening, they would madly race to grab their lunches back. Once an area was “cleared” of any food to be stolen, the raccoons moved on to the next section of beach and another group of people would rush out of the water.
I also spotted the black spiny-tailed iguana, the white-nosed coati, and a common basilisk (not nearly as impressive as the one in Harry Potter).
My overall assessment of the area is if you are planning a short vacation, I would skip Manuel Antonio and focus either on Tortuguero during turtle mating season, or really explore the undeveloped terrain of the Osa Peninsula. If you do make it to Manuel Antonio, spend a full day at the park and drop some money on river rafting. The river rafting is expensive, but I talked to several people who loved it. Also, be prepared with an excessive amount of bug spray. I normally am the person in a group who doesn’t get one single bite. That has not been the case here. I have even had strangers make comments about how many bites I have on my legs.
*Money Tip: A taxi from Quepos to the national park should not cost more than 3,500 colones total. Whatever you do, make sure you agree on the price before the trip begins! I don’t know why you wouldn’t take the bus though. It costs 305 colones and it comes every half hour.
I will most definitely be posting reviews of places I stay in Greece, but will probably wait until after to share the historical aspects of what I see. I can’t wait for you to be reading about my time in Athens! The food… the museums… the HISTORY! I really hope that I find several occasions to wildly throw my hands in the air and scream, “Opa!” Wouldn’t you?
So let’s talk more about los peresozos or the sloths. Interestingly enough the word for sloth and lazy in spanish are one in the same. There are two species slowly lurking in the trees- the Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth and the Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloth.
Below I have typed out what the signs in the national park state (grammatical errors included) about each species.
The Choloepus Hoffmanni or the Two-Toed Sloth: “This mammal feeds on the leaves of the trees, which have little energetic value and make their metabolism slow, as well as the sloths movements. They are brown in color, though in some exceptions a dark green can be spotted among its fur, which is cause by algae. Its mouth is longer than its cousin’s, and their hind legs are naked. The two toed sloth has nocturne habits, though it can sometimes be seen active during the day.”
Exciting fact alert!
The Bradipus Variegatus or the Three-Toed Sloth: “Their three pointy claws help them hang on the trees and climb in search for leaves, which represent most of their diet. The guarumo is one of their favorite foods. The process of digesting is slow, as they have a big stomach. They can sleep more than half the day, moving very little, and only when in search for food, or when climbing down to the ground to defecate, which they do every eight days right in the roots of the same tree, as if they were naturally fertilizing it.”
Did you get as excited as I did? They poop once every eight days and right at the base of their own tree. I read that fact at the beginning of my two days in the park. I kept hoping I would spot a sloth on its slow and lazy way down a tree to defecate. Unfortunately, I had no such luck. The two sloths I spotted were of this variety obviously, since the Two-Toed Sloth is nocturnal.
The species that provided me the most entertainment was the White-Headed Capuchin Monkey. There was a troop of them grooming, fighting, and enthusiastically sharing a juice box. A mother walked right past me with her baby nestled up against her neck. The park’s sign stated, “It belongs to one of the smartest groups of monkeys and it feeds on an assorted diet. They search among the foliage of the trees to find insects and other small animals. They also feed on a variety of fruit, and are important seed dispersers. Their tail is not prehensile, but it does however help them keep balance.” Unlike the other species in the park, the White-Faced Capuchin doesn’t use its tail as a fifth hand, but just for balance. You aren’t allowed to bring any prepackaged food into the park. The monkeys love to get ahold of the plastic wrappings and eat them. This is something that really bothers me about people in national parks and zoos. Let the animals eat the food they naturally find in the wild or that is fed to them by professionals! So please respect this policy and leave the potato chips at the hotel.
In the park you can find three of Costa Rica’s four monkey species. One you most definitely can hear! The Howler Monkey has a very deep guttural howl that can be heard throughout the day. According to the park’s sign, “This is one of the largest species of monkey in the country. Its tail serves as a fifth hand which it can use it skillfully to pick branches. They feed mostly on leaves and foliage, which makes their metabolism very slow. They howl as an alert mechanism or to protect their territory, and it is one of the most powerful sounds amongst animals.”
The last species of monkey found in the park is the Squirrel Monkey. The park’s sign explained that, “This species of monkeys is the smallest in Costa Rica. In the past they found themselves restricted to small patches of forest in the central pacific region of the country and it was necessary to protect these areas. They are omnivorous, and also hunt small bats to feed. Inside the Manuel Antonio National Park, 33 species of plants have been identified which serve as food for the squirrel monkey. The subspecies, Saimiri Oerstedii Citrinellus, can only be found in our country, and it barely surpassed the thousand individuals, located inside this park and their surroundings.” If you do visit the park, don’t expect to see nearly as many of these as the White-Faced Capuchin.
While swimming in the ocean, I witnessed the slightly funny phenomenon of people in a “wave” running out of the water to defend their belongs. A gaze of raccoons was slowly working its way down the beach scavenging through haphazardly left behind backpacks. As soon as people realized what was happening, they would madly race to grab their lunches back. Once an area was “cleared” of any food to be stolen, the raccoons moved on to the next section of beach and another group of people would rush out of the water.
I also spotted the black spiny-tailed iguana, the white-nosed coati, and a common basilisk (not nearly as impressive as the one in Harry Potter).
My overall assessment of the area is if you are planning a short vacation, I would skip Manuel Antonio and focus either on Tortuguero during turtle mating season, or really explore the undeveloped terrain of the Osa Peninsula. If you do make it to Manuel Antonio, spend a full day at the park and drop some money on river rafting. The river rafting is expensive, but I talked to several people who loved it. Also, be prepared with an excessive amount of bug spray. I normally am the person in a group who doesn’t get one single bite. That has not been the case here. I have even had strangers make comments about how many bites I have on my legs.
*Money Tip: A taxi from Quepos to the national park should not cost more than 3,500 colones total. Whatever you do, make sure you agree on the price before the trip begins! I don’t know why you wouldn’t take the bus though. It costs 305 colones and it comes every half hour.
I will most definitely be posting reviews of places I stay in Greece, but will probably wait until after to share the historical aspects of what I see. I can’t wait for you to be reading about my time in Athens! The food… the museums… the HISTORY! I really hope that I find several occasions to wildly throw my hands in the air and scream, “Opa!” Wouldn’t you?
