“WOOOOOOOWWWWW” was all I could think as I drove along the road through Playa Espadilla, glancing through the row of palm trees as the dark pink ball of sun melted into the Pacific Ocean, painting a rapidly changing coat of oranges, pinks and reds across the softly clouded sky and gently rippling sea.
What an incredible surprise this place was!
After leaving Playa Tamarindo, I studied my map and decided that Manuel Antonio National Park looked like a worthwhile place to visit, so off I went. It was only 3 hours away, so I figured I should be able to get there before sunset and find a hotel.
Again, I knew nothing about the place and was playing it by ear.
I arrived in town just as the sun was setting and instantly fell in love with the place. Not quite as over-developed as Tamarindo, but with incomperable beauty both in the rainforest-covered hills behind the town, the long, sandy beach and the gorgeous little islands scattered about the calm, azure sea.
I saw a sign saying “Rooms $30″ and needed to find somewhere to stay quickly, so I pulled in and enquired. The only room left was for 5 people and was $70. I said I’d take it for tonight and paid by credit card. That incurred a 13% tax (because if you pay by cash then they don’t have to declare the income). It ended up being US$95 for the night. The hotel was very run down and smelly and hadn’t been maintained for at least 20 years. It is called Coco Beach Hotel and run by an old Korean woman. There are no $30 rooms, they are $50, $60 and $70 per night and for what you get, are way over-priced for that area. That price doesn’t include breakfast – not even coffee.
The beauty of this location is incredible. The cute little islands give it a classic look of Thailand.
Manuel Antonio National Park
The walk through the park is an absolute must – just be warned that it is closed on Mondays. If you want the full experience, it is best to go with a guided tour, as they carry a telescope to let you see the sloths and other things in the trees that you otherwise wouldn’t see.
But don’t worry about not seeing the monkeys because when you get to the first beach where the guided tours stop for a snack of fruit you will see lots of little monkeys up close as they try to raid the fruit.
What an incredible surprise this place was!
After leaving Playa Tamarindo, I studied my map and decided that Manuel Antonio National Park looked like a worthwhile place to visit, so off I went. It was only 3 hours away, so I figured I should be able to get there before sunset and find a hotel.
Again, I knew nothing about the place and was playing it by ear.
I arrived in town just as the sun was setting and instantly fell in love with the place. Not quite as over-developed as Tamarindo, but with incomperable beauty both in the rainforest-covered hills behind the town, the long, sandy beach and the gorgeous little islands scattered about the calm, azure sea.
I saw a sign saying “Rooms $30″ and needed to find somewhere to stay quickly, so I pulled in and enquired. The only room left was for 5 people and was $70. I said I’d take it for tonight and paid by credit card. That incurred a 13% tax (because if you pay by cash then they don’t have to declare the income). It ended up being US$95 for the night. The hotel was very run down and smelly and hadn’t been maintained for at least 20 years. It is called Coco Beach Hotel and run by an old Korean woman. There are no $30 rooms, they are $50, $60 and $70 per night and for what you get, are way over-priced for that area. That price doesn’t include breakfast – not even coffee.
The beauty of this location is incredible. The cute little islands give it a classic look of Thailand.
Manuel Antonio National Park
The walk through the park is an absolute must – just be warned that it is closed on Mondays. If you want the full experience, it is best to go with a guided tour, as they carry a telescope to let you see the sloths and other things in the trees that you otherwise wouldn’t see.
But don’t worry about not seeing the monkeys because when you get to the first beach where the guided tours stop for a snack of fruit you will see lots of little monkeys up close as they try to raid the fruit.
Sunset Sails Tours
For a really nice, relaxing experience, get the sunset boat cruise with Sunset Sails tours. www.sunsetSailsTours.com. For US$50 you get around 5 hours of cruising, snorkeling amoungst the colourful fish on a reef, nice lunch, unlimited alcohol and softdrinks, then watch the sun set over the the ocean.
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