Chasing Waterfalls - Day 5: Manuel Antonio National Park / Jaco Beach / Herradura Beach (Costa Rica Hiking Expedition)
Hello guys!
This time I will be recapping our Day 5 of our Costa Rica hiking expedition
which was in fact our last day here in this amazing country.
We visited the famous Manuel Antonio National Park along with many
beaches around this area such as Jaco Beach and Herradura Beach.
Since Manuel Antonio National Park was 4-hour drive South of Costa Rica from
Arenal Volcano we had to start driving early that night all the way through to mid-night.
Once we arrived to the park we needed a place to rest for the night,
so we just decided to park our camping van at the beach to sleep for the night.
To our surprise, there were several camping vans and other people parked at the same location,
which told us this was an usual spot for campers to stay for the night.
The next morning we woke up to the sound of waves and the beautiful beach view of Manuel Antonio,
and I have never experienced such an amazing moment before.
Early in the morning we started exploring all the caves and strolled around the
beach while still making some time to enjoy the water.
We were able to do a short hike around some of the rocks and beaches but due to many
environmental restrictions within the National Park you only have access to certain trails.
The main activity to enjoy here at Manuel Antonio is the wildlife,
here you can find an absolute vast of wildlife all around park from capuchin, howler and squirrel monkeys stealing your food and snacks to frogs and iguanas on top of the trees, yes, is that wild!
Don't be scared about an incident with some of the wildlife animals because
you barely see them but be cautious with your personal stuff or food.
After spending most of the day in Manuel Antonio, we decided to visit the next location Jaco Beach.
Jaco Beach was just 1-hour drive from Manuel Antonio and
offered a realistic view of the ports in Costa Rica.
Jaco Beach has many activities from the walking down the strip, shopping places,
bar hopping, surfing and other tours available around the strip.
We were surprised how many surfers we spotted out there in the water and several kiosks
around the beach for surfing lessons if you are into this kind of water activity.
Another thing to look out for is how beautiful those big mansions or houses over hill look like,
as you can spot on some of my photos I was able to capture some very nice houses on the horizon
which makes it a perfect place to come back and live at Jaco Beach as your retirement plan.
Even though we had a great time in Jaco, I must say I was not fond of the town and environment,
not that I had a bad experience with anyone but I was concern with the lack of security around the
strip and beach; however, don't let this stop you from enjoying the amazing beach and its activities.
Next stop was Herradura Beach only a 20-min drive and close to Jaco Beach.
This was a more private and deserted beach but with few local people living in it.
Since Herradura and Jaco Beach are neighbors they seem to have the same beach texture,
they are both located in the Southwest area of Costa Rica and close to the ports.
Although Herradura Beach was not my favorite beach of the ones we visited this day
it didn't hurt us to get to know and explore a different beach before we went back into the city.
Well guys these were all the beaches and locations we visited on our last day in Costa Rica,
and to be completely honest I couldn't have asked for a better week.
The fact that I lived before here in Costa Rica and I was not aware of the amount of wildlife,
waterfalls, national parks, beaches and many other local spots is unbelievable.
I was more than excited to have spent a full-week hiking expedition in Costa Rica,
and I know this hiking trip will one I'll never forget.
I hope you guys enjoy all the photos and content on this post.
I'll catch you guys on my next blog!
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