Manuel Antonio National Park and Curu Wildlife Refuge, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
A soothing rain fell over Manuel Antonio National Park as the sun appeared over the horizon. After breakfast we disembarked on the beach and proceeded to walk through the trails that took us to the “Sloth Valley” and the heights of “Cathedral Point.” In just a couple of hours we encountered capuchin and squirrel monkeys, Central American agoutis, and coatis as well as iguanas and basilisks. Then we had a chance to jump into the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and went back to the ship for lunch as we sailed towards the Nicoya Peninsula to our next destination. Isa gave a fascinating lecture on the primates of Costa Rica, which helped us understand these precious creatures better and also look at ourselves in a different way.
As we approached the coast on the other side of the Gulf of Nicoya we marveled at the contrast between Manuel Antonio and Curu. The lushness of the morning faded away in the afternoon and suddenly we entered a totally different environment: the tropical dry forest. Here most trees seemed to be dead since during the dry season they drop their leaves in order to save water. However, once on land we were surprised to find that even when everything seemed to be dead, life was prevailing after all. We found more monkeys and iguanas as well as fantastic birds such as beautiful white-throated magpie jays, the turquoise-browed motmots, black-throated trogons and rufous-naped wrens. What a grand finale to an unforgettable journey!
A soothing rain fell over Manuel Antonio National Park as the sun appeared over the horizon. After breakfast we disembarked on the beach and proceeded to walk through the trails that took us to the “Sloth Valley” and the heights of “Cathedral Point.” In just a couple of hours we encountered capuchin and squirrel monkeys, Central American agoutis, and coatis as well as iguanas and basilisks. Then we had a chance to jump into the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and went back to the ship for lunch as we sailed towards the Nicoya Peninsula to our next destination. Isa gave a fascinating lecture on the primates of Costa Rica, which helped us understand these precious creatures better and also look at ourselves in a different way.
As we approached the coast on the other side of the Gulf of Nicoya we marveled at the contrast between Manuel Antonio and Curu. The lushness of the morning faded away in the afternoon and suddenly we entered a totally different environment: the tropical dry forest. Here most trees seemed to be dead since during the dry season they drop their leaves in order to save water. However, once on land we were surprised to find that even when everything seemed to be dead, life was prevailing after all. We found more monkeys and iguanas as well as fantastic birds such as beautiful white-throated magpie jays, the turquoise-browed motmots, black-throated trogons and rufous-naped wrens. What a grand finale to an unforgettable journey!
