Nature’s calling in Costa Rica

By P. J. Ott, Wild Side Destinations

Most people have only a passing acquaintance with nature, but those who are looking to develop a true appreciation for it will find Costa Rica difficult to pass up. When we went there, we arrived  a very limited knowledge of nature, but a desire to learn. Costa Rica soon educated us.

We knew Costa Rica had wildlife in abundance, much of it protected in national parks and reserves. In fact, 20% of the country’s land area is given over to preserves, parks and refuges of one sort or another.

With so many places to see, you can feel pinched for time. On a first trip, it’s often useful to pick a place that many people go to, simply because popularity can indicate both accessibility and beauty. In particular, we made our way to Manuel Antonio National Park, an area that one out of every four visitors to Costa Rica eventually visits.

Drawn by the list of wildlife this world-renowned national park offers, we made our way by car 80 miles west from the Costa Rican capital of San Jose down to the Pacific Ocean, At slightly under 1,700 acres of land, by North American standards this park would be considered rather small. But it also has a marine reserve 80 times the size of the land preserve. 

We paid $35 for a three-hour tour and can attest that without our guide, we would not have seen much at all. The trained eye and ears of the guide, not to mention his knowledge of the area’s particular flora and fauna, allowed us to see and observe animals, birds, trees and flowers that, despite their abundance, we would have easily overlooked.

Many of our furry cousins were there, like the endangered squirrel monkey and white-faced capuchins, along with howler monkeys, which we watched for over an hour as their young climbed about on all the adults. Views from a rope bridge allowed us to look below at this wonder. 

We began listing the animals as we got close to them -- not just in the park, but also alongside the road and even on our hotel balcony.  Manuel Antonio National Park and conservation area led us to raccoons, two and three--toed sloths, white-nosed coatis, brown pelicans, black-collared hawks and green kingfishers, to name a few. 

Being nature lovers, we recognized the great variety of birds, but a birdwatcher would be able to identify more than the few I knew. We saw toucans, mot mots, the banana quit, hummingbirds and more. I briefly considered taking up birding as a new hobby! 

The park had  beautiful primary and secondary forests of cedar, locust and silk cotton trees. By staying silent and following sounds with keen eyes and ears, we were able to locate animals in the forest with our binoculars and often in plain sight.

Inside the park, there are winding paths that can accommodate people of almost every physical ability, so the place is a magnet for hikers and wanderers.  Since my companion was wearing a removable arm cast and was limited in mobility, I can attest to the amazing wildlife we were able to see without having to do canopy tours and other physically demanding excursions. 

Not to be outdone by its wildlife, Manuel Antonio had wonderful, serene beaches, perfect for relaxing, playing and sun worshipping.  We met many Ticos (the term of endearment the people of Costa Rica use for themselves) and enjoyed the clear warm waters, where we swam, kayaked, jumped waves, hugged and laughed.  We concluded our visit by learning about the Morpho butterfly and its life cycle at a butterfly farm, and meeting a blue-jeans frog (named because his back legs are blue like a pair of jeans) at a frog pond. Later, we sat serenely in rocking chairs on a cliff-side balcony watching and listening to dozens of hummingbirds land and take off from feeders just overhead.

Costa Rica is a destination you can visit many times and never do the same thing twice  One visit simply whets your appetite for more. The country has so many spectacular reserves, fine beaches both its Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and diverse activities, ranging from white water rafting to coffee plantation tours, museum visits and volcano climbing. 

Did I mention, the diving and sport fishing?  Well, we'll be heading back to do some of those things once my companion’s arm cast comes off.