Elsewhere Together

Our next destination was the beach town of Manuel Antonio. We saw so much of the countryside (as well as so many weather conditions) over this 5-hour drive, it was hard to take it all in. We passed through highland mountain towns full of hydrangeas and flowering vines. We found ourselves driving a deeply rutted road, full of potholes in a cloud-forest region high up the mountain where white masses of clouds blew in front of the car and obscured our visibility almost totally for moments at a time. There were no guardrails, and steep drop-offs down the mountainside. I was white-knuckled as Nate drove, even though he was in full control of the vehicle at all times. We crossed over so many rivers I want to remember- inland, they were rocky and cascading, tiered like mini waterfalls. As we drew closer to the coast, they became dark and green and mossy, secretive and mysterious. And by the time we reached the beach, they were wide and flat, open, with milky, muddy brown water. After the mountains, but before we really reached the coast, it began to pour– that heavy tropical downpour that seems to come every day in the rainy season. We saw people on bicycles, carrying small children, bracing against the deluge with ponchos and umbrellas, or just pushing through on the side of the road, soaked to the skin. We reached Manuel Antonio just before evening- it’s less a downtown then a collection of restaurants and hotels set up high in the densely forested hills above the beach. We noticed a definite expat Bohemian aesthetic to it all. We stayed at the Tulemar Resort, which is set on a massive property, part hotel resort, part time-share community, in individual bungalows set up in the hills amid winding paths and roads. Our room was simple, with a clean, modern décor. The highlight for us was large windows facing out on the jungle, with a spacious balcony with chairs and a hammock.

We had two full days in Manuel Antonio, which felt like enough. Years ago, Nate and I visited Tamarindo, a surf town on the west coast, and I was picturing something similar. Manuel Antonio defied my expectations of what I pictured it would be- its neither better nor worse, just very different than what I was imagining-visually, topographically, and in terms of the overall aesthetic and spirit.

 In the morning, we experienced Manuel Antonio State Park. We woke very early, just after dawn, and Nate was immediately sounding the alarm- “Monkeys! Monkeys in the trees! Right here!” There was one particularly tall, fruit-bearing tree directly in front of our balcony, and we soon discovered that there was often a passel of howler monkeys hanging around on it! Manuel Antonio ended up being the stop on our trip where we saw the most wildlife at the closest range- monkeys and sloths everywhere!

The approach to the state park was a bit gritty. There were a number of aggressive parking scams, and people in fake uniforms actually rapped on our car, trying to get us to stop. We had been warned of this in advanced- there is an official lot closer to the entrance. We had to arrive early to buy a timed ticket- this park is small, and there is a limit to how many people may be admitted per day. Once on the trails, we saw lots of animals, even without a guide- we saw a whole cluster, a tangle of monkeys, hanging from the tree branches, an agouti, deer. We stopped for coffees at the caged-in cafeteria, which is to prevent monkeys from stealing people’s food! No outside food is allowed in the park, as the consumption of junk food has led to health problems for the animals. We checked out Playa Manuel Antonio, one of the public beaches, and then walked along the longer and rougher Playa Espadilla, which is known for its dangerous rip currents.

Tulemar actually offers its own private beach, on the same cove as calmer Playa Biesanz, and so we decided it was more appealing to spend our beach time there. Undeveloped, it has the look of a wild, jungle beach, with a tangle of palm trees and dense foliage spilling right to the edge of the rocky coastline. The beach was a narrow strip of fine dark sand that stuck everywhere. The surf was more turbulent than I had pictured, with low, opaque breakers rolling in, a milky aqua color. Asher and Delphine were happy to play with the resort-provided boogie boards and sand toys. Best of all, there was a cold little freshwater stream that came out as a trickle from a tiny cascade on the rocks, cutting a little channel through the sand and boulders, meeting the surf and forming some colder, interesting tide pools. Through the day, we saw so many monkeys- howlers, white-faced capuchin monkeys, and a party of adorable little ones with golden- orange faces. They travel in packs, and seem so busy- scurrying up and down trees, fighting! There was actually a vicious fight while the kids were swimming in the pool and I was actually afraid the monkeys were going to fall in there with them, scratching and biting!

On the property is the Tule Café, which we frequented for both breakfast and lunch several times. It has a sweeping view of the Manuel Antonio coast from up in the hills, and offered delicious huevos rancheros for breakfast, and a fancy, frothy limonada for citrus-loving Delphine served in a tall glass.

We enjoyed a dinner at El Avion, a unique spot that seems like it could only exist here. A vintage 1950s-looking airplane, with a bar and restaurant festively set in and around it. I enjoyed my caipiriniha and falafel burger, but the food was almost beside the point- the setting, with its throwback sense of adventure in foreign lands, under colorful strands of café lights- was the real draw here. Tulemar offered a shuttle, which we declined, knowing that the restaurant was just steps away. But we quickly understood why a shuttle was recommended- walking into town with the kids was difficult- there was no sidewalk to speak of on the main road, and cars speed around the dark hilly curves. We noticed that the side of the road was full of bits of trash and broken glass. When we visit a place, we prefer not to feel confined to the resort we’re staying, and while we didn’t feel confined, per se, our mobility was a little more limited than we thought it would be. There’s no shortage of good restaurants in Manuel Antonio- we also had a great dinner at Victoria’s, an Italian restaurant where I had a greatwhite pizza with burrata, pesto and pistachios.

On our final full day in Manuel Antonio, we took a tour of the mangroves at Isla Damas with Manuel Antonio Expeditions. Our tour guide, Pablo, was a tall man with an American or Canadian accent and a fast-talking Harold Hill quality. The first thing of note that we saw was a sloth hanging starfished from telephone lines! The guide pulled over so we could all hop out and take a closer look. Then, we moved to the boats. In the mangrove canals, there we boarded a low, covered pontoon boat. The water was murky brownish-green, and the mangroves were enormous- their pale roots spread out like giant fingers in the water. Pablo introduced us to his boatman, Lalo, and his wife. Their scruffy little white Pomeranian accompanied us on the boat, and Delphine was obsessed. We glided slowly through the canals for some time, and Pablo pointed out all kinds of animals- a silken anteater, a group of monkeys- angry ones, this time!- and a black boa constrictor, spotted by Nate! Midway through the tour, we stopped at the farm of boatman Lalo. We pulled up to a dock and disembarked onto a muddy farm, which was jarring to my American eyes. There were pigs in a paddock, and cows, and to entertain Delphine, Lalo’s wife climbed, barefoot, into their tented agouti paddock, and grabbed one of the huge-eyed rodents, offering it to Delphine to hold or pet. Lalo chopped three yellow-green coconuts right off the tree and bored holes in them, and we drank the sweet coconut water right from the fruit. Then, we were back in the boat, and bobbing and bouncing faster over the water as the brackish canals met the Pacific in a crashing and churning of waves. We came back down the canals, and then it was time for the included lunch, in Quepos. We went into a Costa Rican home. On the front of the house was lettering that said “Casa Nayla”. But whose house? The floors were polished tile shining almost like glass. A woman was cooking us Casado in a black, shiny kitchen. All 6 people on the tour sat around a heavy wooden table. Delphine kept getting up to stalk another dog she found. I had so many questions!

 In the van driving back to Tulemar, we passed through kilometers of palm trees planted in perfectly straight, parallel rows. Between the trees was a dark and shadowy blankness receding to the horizon. It was very mysterious-looking. “I wonder what’s in there?” I thought. Pablo told us it was a palm-oil plantation. Another woman on the tour voiced the same question, “What’s in there?” “Snakes,” Pablo answered, “Lots and lots of snakes. They love it!”

All in all, Manuel Antonio was an interesting stop- different than I thought it would be. Memorable. I wouldn’t avoid it, but I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to return.