Day 15 to 19: Quepos, Manuel Antonio National Park, Rainmaker Conservation Park


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Published: March 17th 2022
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Quepos MarinaQuepos MarinaQuepos Marina

Sunset at Quepos
Quepos is a junction town in Costa Rica, people come here to transit to different places. I used it as the base to visit Manuel Antonio National Park (the second most visited place in Costa Rica after the Arenal Volcano).

The transfer from Santa Teresa to Quepos was a bus ride to Montezuma, followed by a crazy ferry ride (real bumpy, avoid if you get sea sick easily) and another bus ride to Jaco and a final bus ride Quepos. Complex as it may sound, it was actually pretty easy.

In the spirt of Chasing Sunsets, I did see some nice Sunset at the Quepos marina and called it an early night to do an early morning trip to Manuel Antonio National Park.

A few tips on Manuel Antonio - you have to book the park entry online in advance (no tickets available for sale physically), they allow only limited number of people, so booking early helps. Do not carry any food in your bag as the monkeys will go after you. And try the early morning slots (7 or 8am when the park has less people).

I took the public bus from Quepos to Manuel Antonio, I had the 8am slot.

As I entered and was walking around, I came to a part where the monkeys hang around the well made wooden trails. A girl was carrying a cup of coffee and the monkeys were harassing her. She had to run and throw the coffee lest she gets attacked. For some reason, a bit later, a monkey came and scratched me even though I had no food in my bag. Unfortunately, people feeding monkeys has gotten them used to this behaviour.

The trails in Manuel Antonio are well maintained and accessible to everyone. Though no one tells you, if you planning to do all the trails, so the Mirador Trail first as it has about 320+ steps of climbing and doing later may be tiring as the sun gets stronger. Getting a guide helps see animals more. I did not, but a friend shared pictures of Sloths they saw with a guide. Posting that here with due credit to the photographer (I took permission before posting the sloth pictures).

The beaches are really beautiful in Manuel Antonio, some of the coves can be empty early morning and give you feeling of your own
White faced CapuchinWhite faced CapuchinWhite faced Capuchin

Plentiful in Manuel Antonio
paradise.

Overall Manuel Antonio is a nice experience, especially for its beaches.

Next day I took a trip to a private conservation park called Rainmaker, it's about 20KM from Quepos and best reached by taxi.

The story of Rainmaker is one of commitment to conservation. In the early 1990s, a rice farmer who owned what is Rainmaker today had to pay his debt and was looking to sell about 500 acres of land. But he wanted the land conserved and not logged off. He found a Costa Rican named Maurico who was representing Body Shop and Body Shop agreed to buy the land to grow some plants for their cosmetics. The farmer had 5,000 acres of more primary rainforest land and he wanted to sell those as well to cover his debt. Maurico agreed to buy this personally but days before the deal, he died trying to save a child in a waterfall in the same location. The deal was almost dead till Maurico's wife stepped in and decided to honor her husband's promise. But she didn't have the cash, so she convinced the farmer to give her 5 years to pay. But the farmer needed $100K
Iguana on the beachIguana on the beachIguana on the beach

Lovely beaches at Manuel Antonio
upfront. She turned to the Body Shop co-founder who gave the $100K. Today the land is all paid for, conserved as a primary rainforest. Kudos to the family for their commitment to conservation.

It is also much less visited. I found only 2-3 local Costa Families there. The park has a 3KM trail, 5 natural pools, a water fall and a bunch of hanging bridges. And yes you get to see snakes and other animals. I enjoyed dunking into the pools.

Last day at Quepos I went to the farmers market and had some of the freshest fruits I have had in Costa Rica.

I loved every bit of my Quepos experience. Met some lovely people there and the nature was pristine.


Additional photos below
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Manuel Antonio National ParkManuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park

The beaches are beautiful
Manuel Antonio National ParkManuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park

Panoramic view of the Manuel Antonio National Park beaches
Manuel Antonio National ParkManuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park

A cove that can feel private if you go early
Rainmaker Conservation ParkRainmaker Conservation Park
Rainmaker Conservation Park

Hanging bridges at Rainmaker Conservation Park
Rainmaker Conservation ParkRainmaker Conservation Park
Rainmaker Conservation Park

Lovely, secluded park
Rainmaker Conservation ParkRainmaker Conservation Park
Rainmaker Conservation Park

Getting natural massage in the waterfalls at Rainmaker Conservation Park
Rainmaker Conservation ParkRainmaker Conservation Park
Rainmaker Conservation Park

Waterfall shower anyone?
QueposQuepos
Quepos

Quepos farmers market
Sloth at Manuel AntonioSloth at Manuel Antonio
Sloth at Manuel Antonio

Sloth at Manuel Antonio. Picture courtesy Terence Hakei (instagram terence.hakei)
Sloth at Manuel AntonioSloth at Manuel Antonio
Sloth at Manuel Antonio

Sloth at Manuel Antonio. Picture courtesy Terence Hakei (instagram terence.hakei)


22nd March 2022
Sloth at Manuel Antonio

You looks great in to the waterfalls!
By the way, capuchino monkeys probably are named because remember the clothes of a monastic order "the capuchinos". Capucha in Spanish mean hood. Here a picture https://www.alamy.es/foto-frailes-capuchinos-los-monjes-franciscanos-de-la-nueva-regla-de-1528-105292897.html

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