Costa Rica’s coastal splendor is celebrated globally, as it encompasses some of the most incredible, verdant rainforests and pristine beaches the world has to offer. Yet, the allure of this tropical paradise extends beyond its scenic landscapes all the way beneath the waves, as witnessed during the annual whale watching season.
Spanning from August to October, this is the best time of the year to glimpse nature’s grandeur. Humpback whales, undertaking their migration from the Arctic’s chilly waters to Costa Rica’s warmer environs, make these coastal waters their temporary residence. Seeing these colossal beings breaching and playing is an experience that holds itself in memory, a testament to their majestic power.
For those looking for a hub for their marine adventures, Quepos and Manuel Antonio emerge as prime destinations for this annual spectacle. Situated on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, these areas boast attributes that enrich the whale-watching journey. One of these features is how the waters around these tourist hotspots harbor a multitude of marine life, including dolphins, sea turtles, and colorful fishes.
Additionally, both Quepos and Manuel Antonio uphold a steadfast dedication to responsible tourism. Many local tour operators adhere to stringent guidelines to minimize disturbances to the whales and their habitats. This eco-conscious approach lets visitors relish the spectacle while nurturing the fragile ecosystem and even provides an abundance of natural diversions beyond the whale-watching exploration, like the rich biodiversity of Manuel Antonio National Park or other water-centric adventures like snorkeling and kayaking.
With their captivating landscapes, eco-conscious ethos, and unparalleled amenities, this iconic area of Costa Rica’s Central Pacific shines as an exceptional setting to witness these gentle giants in their native habitat.
For many years now, Costa Rica has been one of the preferred locations for scientists, filmmakers and TV producers that focus on biodiversity and natural history.
Be it the legendary voice of British natural historian and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, or the iconic baritone of former United States President Barack Obama, Costa Rica’s natural wonders have been praised and examined in an almost immeasurable amount of ways over the years, and perhaps the most engrossing of all of these have been nature documentaries.
From a vast back catalog of Natural Geographic specials fully devoted to some of Costa Rica’s most impressive biodiversity hotspots, to the new advent of the format via streaming services, this Central American nation has fully cemented itself as one of the most visually and aurally enthralling corners of the globe for some time now. And as technology in video recording advances, the country’s wide array of motions and textures have never been better depicted.
In the BBC-Netflix joint production of Life in Color, cameras with revolutionary color-capturing technology were created specifically for the project, in order to depict some of the colors invisible to the human eye and how they play a vital part in rich ecosystems such as Costa Rica’s rainforest.
Netflix’s Our Great National Parksplays with slow motion and breathtaking drone shots to contrast the beautiful and vast landscapes of the natural world with some of its stunning inner secrets, such as the infamous habitat that is the Costa Rican sloth’s fur.
The locations and species featured on these works have become so popular that many of the country’s tourist offers have incorporated them into their repertory. From night tours to live first hand the miraculous turtle nesting, to fun trips to sloth reserves, the great thing is that Costa Rica’s natural attractions are so vast and varied that there’ll always be something new to discover.
So if you’re a fan of nature documentaries, there’s no better time to create your bucket list, search for a comfortable rental option, and see for yourself what has enamored scientists, filmmakers and TV producers for decades.
One of our favorite tours, which offers a perfect combination of nature and adrenaline, is the waterfall rappelling tour by Quepos Canyoning. The tour begins with a 20-minute ride from the company office in Quepos to the town of Villa Nueva, where the company base camp is located. Here the guides will fit you with the gear you need for your trek–safety harness, helmet, belts and clips.
From base camp, it is another 15-minute ride, in an open air 4wd vehicle, over hilly unpaved roads, to the tour starting point. First a short, uphill hike through thick rainforest, until you arrive at the first platform. To reach the 30-foot high platform, you must climb a suspension ladder. But safety comes first, and you are secure during the climb, thanks to your safety harness. Once atop the platform, you take the first of 2 ziplines, soaring over the forest canopy. Then comes a new challenge– a 25-meter cable walk. This is done at your own pace, as you are walking across a single suspension cable, but with shoulder high support cables on each side to assist you. And of course, you are secured by belts in case you slip along the way.
Then you arrive at the summit of the waterfall. This is the tour highlight, a 75-foot descent, alongside and then through a refreshing waterfall, until you arrive at the pool at the base. After some snacks and water, a brief hike to the final zipline, and then the final thrill, the ‘’monkey drop’’ where you are suspended out about 25-feet in the air, and then do a controlled free-fall to the pool below.
All activities during the tour are done with the assistance of the professional, English-speaking guides, and always with the use of safety belts and harnesses to prevent injury.
The Quepos Canyoning tour is recommended for all ages (the guides informed us that the oldest person to go on the tour was a 91-year old woman); as long as you are reasonably fit, have no issues with mobility, nor fear of heights. A Costa Rica style lunch is included once the tour ends. This tour is recommended for outdoor enthusiasts and is suitable for 10 years of age and up.
The pandemic has changed life for us all in many ways, from the way we travel to the way we shop and socialize. Since the pandemic started, Costa Rica has been working hard to prevent the spread of the disease from large vaccination campaigns (with so far 67.21% already vaccinated [1] ) to migration of certain services into online systems. Restrictions for driving and business operation times have also been imposed, currently restricting cars to drive one day during the weekdays and one of the weekend days, and for driving and places only being able to do so between 5am and 9pm. Driving restrictions do not apply for rental cars. So what do you do on a Friday now?
Don’t worry! There are still many things to do in the area that will allow you to enjoy the local scene, gorgeous views and overall beauty that makes Manuel Antonio the magnificent place that it is. Here are a few of our favorites places to hit this coming Friday:
Farmers Market
One of the nicest things to do on a Friday afternoon is to visit the local farmers market. It’s held in downtown Quepos and you can go as early as 3pm. Here you can spot many tropical fruits and vegetables that are endemic to Latin America, and the best, they taste incredible! Forget the bland flavors of the fruit you might have encountered back at home, here you can find the fruit freshly picked and naturally ripened, it will be like nothing you have ever tasted before.
The produce is available depending on the season, and so even when having visited the market before, you might encounter on your next visit a fruit or vegetable that you might have not tasted or even seen before.
There are many shops that sell products other than produce, like the Menonite stand that sells the traditional Pennsylvania-Dutch whoopie pies, apple pies, granola, goat milk’s yogurt and homemade peanut butter; the German butcher stand who sells grass-fed-hormone-free meats like ribeye, prosciutto and wursts, and you can even buy a freshly made German hot dog with horseradish mustard right from the butcher; the cheese stand that sells locally made cheese and many souvenir jewelry and clothes.
Make sure not to miss this experience and don’t worry if you can’t make it on Friday, it’s held until Saturday morning, but make sure to get there early so you don’t miss some of the stands who run out of product or leave earlier.
Cafe Agua Azul
This spot is worth visiting for either lunch or dinner. Our recommendation since the pandemic, is to go here for lunch. One, it’s less busy than their dinner service so you won’t risk not being sitted or having to wait too long (they do not take reservations) and two, you can spot the incredible view that the place has to offer and eat some of the best food in Manuel Antonio.
Make sure to try their calamari appetizer, the tuna or shrimp tower or their delicious pollo napolitano.
If you’re not in the mood for food but some good drinks, make sure to try their amazing passion fruit margaritas or Paige’s monster drink. They also have happy hour specials so make sure to ask them for those.
Ape Bar
This chic and eclectic bar has an amazing atmosphere and even better food! It’s just a short walk from Café Agua Azul and so you can easily move from one place to another. Most Friday nights they have a DJ (or great music) and it’s open from 6pm on to 9pm (in non pandemic times it was 2am -oh the good old times!).
If you’re a fan of decadent yet affordable food, you are going to love this place! Make sure to try their cheese bourekas, vegetarian carpaccio, dolmas (rice stuffed grape leaves) or Moroccan cigars. All the dishes are designed for sharing so you can start with at least a few and go from there.
Drinks here are also tasty and they have plenty of options, from top shelf whiskey to whiskey sours and delicious mojitos.
Yes, the pandemic has certainly made the nightlife of Manuel Antonio a bit slower and earlier but certainly not dull, there’s still plenty of cool fun things to do in town. Make sure to give these recommendations a try.
