A three-toed sloth in Manuel Antonio National Park
There are certain parks in the world were seeing nature is not a question of if, but it is not even a question as it is a guarantee that wildlife will be seen. In the United States these parks are rare as wildlife like bear and moose can be elusive. In Costa Rica, parks like Corcovado and Manuel Antonio National Park guarantee that you will see animals. In Manuel Antonio, the guides guarantee you will see sloths and monkeys with a peppering of other animals like tarantulas and tree frogs thrown in.
The guides walk with huge telescopes, which bring the wildlife practically into your lap. It is possible to place your digital cameras inside the telescopic view finder and bring home memories you will cherish for a lifetime. Entrance to the park is $10.00 and for another $20.00 you can join a little group with a guide. I recommend going with the guide as they are trained to spot wildlife and they know where they are usually seen.
Spider on a tree in Manuel Antonio
The tour almost seemed like a fraud because our guide found the tiniest animals in the jungle that I would have never seen. I say it seemed a fraud because I wonder if the guide went around the jungle before we arrived and deposited animals, so we would discover them like an Easter egg hunt. Our guide spotted a tarantula that was upside down on a leaf that we gringos would have walked past a hundred times without seeing.
Tarantula found by our guide underneath a leaf in Manuel Antonio
The variety of animals was another amazing aspect of our hike. We saw mammals, spiders, lizards, colorful insects, frog eggs, and some interesting birds. The three-toed sloth were the highlights, but I enjoyed the tarantula just as much as well as the rainbow grasshopper.
Rainbow grasshopper in Manuel Antonio National Park
Green iguana in Manuel Antonio
Howler monkey in the telescope at Manuel Antonio
Ctenosaur lizard Costa Rica
This nature I could have done without as these bandits stole my granola bars
Three-toed sloth at Manuel Antonio National Park
Howler monkey showing his pearly whites in Manuel Antonio
Three-toed sloth Manuel Antonio National Park through the telescope
Stay tuned,
TT
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What an amazing collection of photographs! This will do a lot to promote tourism to Costa Rica.
One of my fav places in Costa Rica. Monkeys are all over the place and try to steal your valuables I you leave them unattended.
Lorenzo recently posted..Video: Kriol, the lingua franca of Belize
I did not have problems with the monkeys, it was the raccoons that were the bandits. They stole my granola bars.
Really you have very great collection of photos of Costa Rica awesome clicks.. These photos increase my interest to visit Costa Rica.
Made it to Corcovado but never Manuel Antonio – and sure wish we had. You’ve got some great shots in there Ted.
Leigh recently posted..Slip Slide Your Way up Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park
Manuel Antonio was enjoyable and the accessibility to wildlife was great, but it was no Corcovado. Corcovado is incredible.
Great photos! Love the three-toes sloth!
I really like the telescope shot, will have a crack at that next time I am afforded the opportunity.
Your pictures make it look like you can have a nice stroll and the wildlife will more or less throw itself at the visitor. Very nice.
Pretty much guaranteed to see sloths and monkeys and more.
I thought it is something from with back of that three-toed sloth.
Vi recently posted..Travel Photo Monday. Cabel beach in Broome
Some of those are SCARY! Didn’t know you could see many of them in Costa Rica. I’ll have to be careful when I finally visit!
Nomadic Translator @latinAbroad recently posted..Asian curries list: Traveling through my favorites (photo essay)
You are probably referring to the spiders. Did not have any spider problems. They were there and sometimes big, but I never saw them in places I would not want them to be. Never saw any of them inside the places I was staying.
Amazing wildlife photos!
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