On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
lashonharangue
After a long ride south from Monteverde we arrived at our hotel near Manuel Antonio National Park. The hotel was made up of several buildings built on the side of a hill overlooking the Pacific. Gorgeous views but many steps.
The next day we were picked up early to head to the park. Our naturalist guide said it is usually very crowded with long lines to get in. However, we got there shortly after opening and fewer tourists travelling meant it wasn’t an issue. The park has an extensive series of trails that go through different types of terrain. This is a squirrel monkey we spotted in a tree next to the trail.
The park juts out into the Pacific and includes beaches to the north and south of the peninsula. This photo was taken at the southern beach. We didn’t bring our bathing suits but walked out into the warm water up to our knees.
After drying off our feet we continued hiking on a trail that runs just inland of the beach. This bird had no fear of the people walking by.
Our hotel was on a hillside located just north of the park. After we got back from the park a troop of Capuchin monkeys decided to have lunch in the trees outside our room. They were jumping from the trees to the balconies and back. It was quite the show. We had been warned not to leave windows open in our room since they have been known to come in looking for food.
The monkeys were totally fearless jumping from branch to branch.
The next day we took a short ride north to kayak in a mangrove forest. As we were paddling back to the take out our guide pointed out this boa constrictor resting on a branch. We didn’t see it at first so we kept getting closer. Finally he pointed up with his paddle and that was enough provocation to stir the snake. We got the message and left.
We had an early flight home so we splurged and stayed our final night at a hotel only 15 minutes from the airport – the upscale Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Farm and Inn. We took a tour of their organic coffee plantation and learned a lot about growing and processing coffee. This is a view from our room toward downtown San Jose.
A great trip and what a way to get back out in the world.
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Dan B
It sounds like the hotel I put my brother and his wife in. This one had a pool at the entry behind a very solid Vine covered wall on the road. There was an open air restaurant with about a dozen seats by the pool run by a gay French Canadien who wintered in Costa Rica and a Tico woman. The food was incredible. There were half a dozen types of fresh fruit for breakfast with omelets from local free range chickens – their eggs, not cooked by the chickens – and coffee, ambrosial smokey smooth coffee!
From what I remember Manuel Antonio’s ridge is an old volcanic cone / fissure. It shows from the air in a flat coastal plane of oil palms.
Further down the coast, past the surfer towns and beaches, the hills and mountains come nearly to the ocean. A couple places looked like Tahiti with verdant green slopes rising steeply less than a mile from the beaches. Amazing stuff! Hot, so hot, in the dry season. In the high 90’s every day and down to the mid 80’s at night.
Wag
great photos in each of your series. I loved Costa Rica when we traveled there a few years ago. Warm and friendly people, and a spectacular countryside.
eclare
What a snake!
arrieve
I still hope to get there someday, but in the meantime, I’ve really enjoyed these pictures. Thanks so much for sharing!
Albatrossity
Great series! Thanks for these.
If you are interested in an ID, your black bird is a Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus), a very common bird in TX and points south.
J R in WV
Thanks for sharing your trip with us, fabulous!
S. Cerevisiae
The hotel sounds a lot like the one we stayed at in Manuel Antonio, it was called Costa Verde. I love Costa Rica, on my last trip there I saw 194 species of birds.
lashonharangue
@Albatrossity:
Thanks for the ID. I saw a resplendent quetzal in Monteverde but could not get a good photo.