Everyone get out of the water! Manuel Antonio National Park

We spent most of yesterday at Manuel Antonio National Park.  It was time very well spent.  The park is just a 10-15 minute walk from our hotel so getting there was easy.  As a general rule our "night life" is staying up until around 9:00 at the latest.  This means we're always up early, which allows us to get an early start.  The park opens at 7:00 AM and we were there well before it opened.
As I had mentioned in a previous blog, Manuel Antonio National Park is one of Costa Rica's smallest, but also one of it's most popular national parks.  The popularity is because of the diversity of plants and animals that can be found within the 7.5 square mile park, as well as the fact that there are several really nice beaches.
By the time the gates opened there were quite a few folks heading in, but we were ahead of the crowds, as well as the heat.  Unlike La Fortuna and Monteverde where the highs were around 70, the temperatures here are currently topping out close to 90.  The trails throughout the park were plentiful and easy to follow and mostly under the canopy of huge trees.  We made our way straight towards the beach area which is located some distance from the entrance.
When we arrived at the beach there were only a couple of people there.  The temptation of the warm, clear water easily got the best of us and we were soon enjoying a refreshing dip.  As the morning wore on a few more people joined us, including a nice young lady who is traveling independently.  We enjoyed sharing travel stories with her, learning a few things from her and hopefully giving her a few useful ideas.  When we got out we were surprised to learn that we had been in the water for around two hours, proving once again time flies when you're having fun.

Happiness is an empty beach!

We wanted to try the other beach for a few minutes before showering and changing clothes to explore some more of the park.  We had been in the water for about 10 minutes when suddenly there was a loud whistle and a park service employee motioning everyone out of the water.  He seemed rather insistent and somewhat frantic so we, along with everyone else who was enjoying the water complied without hesitation.  As we exited and took a quick look back we understood his urgent command as we spotted a crocodile enjoying a morning swim.  He wasn't real big like the ones in the picture a blog or two back.  He was probably around five or six feet in length, but clearly not something to be messed with since salt water crocodiles are known to have pretty bad attitudes, and who knows, momma may have been somewhere close by.
Beth did a little research on crocodiles in the national park.  While it's not a common occurrence they do show up there occasionally.  There was even an attack on an American tourist a few years back that sadly resulted in a partial amputation of his leg.  We hadn't planned on staying in the water much longer but obviously this cut our swim a little short.
We enjoyed several more hours of hiking the hilly and well maintained trails.  In addition to the crocodile encounter, we spotted several sloths, small deer and several large multicolored butterflies whose wing span looked to be around 8 inches.  The most plentiful animals were the white faced monkeys who would scamper about in the trees and on the ground within a couple of feet of us.  It was after 2:00 PM when we left the park and made our way back to the hotel.  Lunch and lounge chairs in the shade were calling our names and we had to answer.

That's a sloth doing what sloth's tend to do...…….not much of anything but munch leaves and sleep.

The iguana photobombed the picture

There were a couple of small deer and a mom near the entrance to the park.

A few helpful hints if you're visiting Manuel Antonio National Park:
As I had mentioned, the park opens at 7:00 AM.  Be aware that it closes early (4:00 PM).
Go early if possible to get a head start of the heat.
The park is closed on Mondays.
Tickets are purchased in a building on the right hand side just outside the park entrance.
They only accept cash.  US dollars are accepted (this is true throughout Costa Rica).  There is an ATM near the ticket windows.
Check on what you can bring into the park.  Water and drinks seemed ok but we don't think they allow food.  There is a small coffee shop inside the park near the beach area.
Other than sand trails near the beach, the trails are paved or boardwalks.  Comfortable walking shoes are all you need.  Be advised some of them are quite hilly.
THE MOST IMPORTANT HELPFUL HINT: If you're in the water and you hear a whistle and see someone waving their arms frantically head for the shore!

Dairy, Chocolate and Fruit......all known to have significant health benefits.  This must be a "super food"