Part 2 of our epic trip in Costa Rica was spent on the Central Pacific coast in Manuel Antonio! Manuel Antonio is known for its world famous beaches and one of the few national parks in the world that meets the ocean! We stayed in a "treehouse" (so we liked to call it, for its 5 floors) about a mile from the beach. It had spectacular views of the ocean and national park!
We spent 5 days here, 3 of them at the beach and two of them horseback riding and rafting! It was the perfect mix of relaxation and thrills! One of our favorite things was swimming in our pool at the house everyday, hanging out with the resident iguana "Senor Samba" and the monkeys, having dance parties every night, playing games, and making pineapple milkshakes.
First day at the Playa Manuel Antonio. It was even more beautiful in person. And the water? So perfectly warm.
Our happy place.
The kids played for HOURS in the sand and surf. I love how much kids love the beach.
This kid boogie boarded most of the day. He was in HEAVEN in those waves! It was so fun to watch him!
Oh, you know, just a random monkey hanging out by the beach!
This kid loved the fresh coconut water. Could've been colder though.
Sister, sister.
One of my most favorite shots of the whole trip. The sunset, this boy soaking up the rays and waiting for a wave=PERFECT. We had to practically drag him out of the water when we were ready to go home!
Family selfie. ;)
That sunset!!
Day 2 in Manuel Antonio: We drove down to Dominical to go horseback riding up to some waterfalls. They fed us breakfast on the way up and lunch on the way down too!
The boys greeting their horses.
A natural. This kid had a perma-grin on his face the whole time.
Meet "Bob", Carson's horse (which he named). Carson fell in love with Bob and cried when we had to leave him. He wanted to bring him home!
When in Costa Rica, one must buy matching headbands.
We were glad to be able to ride up the trail instead of hike. It was very muddy AND hot.
Just some random parrots hanging out in a tree.
Monkeys galore!
Nauyaca Falls. Pictures don't do a justice. Probably the most spectacular waterfall I've witnessed in person. There were two falls, upper and lower. We spent most of our time in the lower falls where you could swim and cliff jump!!
First jump off the cliff! A bit treacherous climbing up, but SO fun jumping off!!
You should see the video pretty funny. ;)
Monkeys DO like bananas.
One of the best days! It was fun to ALL be together for this activity. The kids loved it, the horses were perfectly behaved, the guides were awesome and super helpful, the food was delicious, and the sights were out of this world!!
Love how cute these two littlecousins are with each other.
Nights at the house were spent playing games (like the "whip cream" game), having dance parties, and playing lots of pool!!
A view of our house, which we named "The Treehouse"
Our pool. Not large by any means, but so fun to jump off the ledge and relax on a raft and admire the view.
Every day (no joke), our monkey visitors would come to the house. Their shenanigans included messing up the pillows, playing in the pool, stealing pool table balls and throwing them on the roof, and wrestling with each other! This was a highlight of the trip, for sure. So entertaining they were!
Our downstairs outside patio aka living room (love how everything is open there)
What's not to love about an outside shower?!
The fourth floor patio aka "Game Room" to include a TV, pool table, and an indoor pool
The view from the game room
Meet our resident iguana, Senor Samba, whom greeted us each day in random places around the house. Mostly the patio and the roof, but man, he's a mean sucker! Austin was even dared one day to pull his tail while he was hanging out on the roof. He about bit his finger off!!
The stairs from our front gate leading up the house
View from the master bedroom on the second floor
Outside view of the house, looking up
Day 3 was spent back at the beach, although this time we went to a different beach, Playa Biesanz. This beach was tucked into a cove that you hiked down to. It was calmer water, perfect for kayaking and snorkeling!
Austin's first real experience snorkeling. He was a pro and loved seeing all the ocean life!
Eric taking a siesta
We were told to eat at Emilio's Café and to order their passion fruit pie. It was probably one of the most amazing pies I've ever had! We even came back the next day and ordered a whole pie to take home!
Day 4 at Manuel Antonio: Rafting the Savegre River. What an adventure! Our guides were super fun and entertaining and the other tourists on our tour also made it more fun! We ended up singing 80's songs on the bus ride back!
Love Eric's expression on this one.
Let's get one thing straight: Costa Rica rivers are a heck of a lot warmer than Idaho rivers.
On the bus ride back, we stopped at this overlook to get drinks and go to the bathroom. The scene was absolutely stunning with the palm forest and the sunlight hitting it just right. In Costa Rica, their motto is "Pura Vida", which means "pure life". They are ranked the happiest people in the world, and I believe it because they truly live up to their motto. We could learn a thing or two from them!
One of my favorite photos, even though I look like a drowned rat (I had just gotten out of the river). The view and lighting were breathtaking and we were so happy in this moment.
I spy a sloth!!!!
We spent our very last day in Manuel Antonio at the National Park in the morning and the beach in the afternoon. We saw a sloth, more monkeys, crabs, spiders, birds, and more!
Love this shot of Grandpa with his grandkids
The third (and private) Manuel Antonio beach. Gorgeous!!
Love this little niece of mine. ;)
I'm obsessed with trees. I loved this one in particular while in the park.
So precious!
Last lunch in town so we had to get one last tropical drink, of course!
Shopping for souvenirs in Manuel Antonio
Surfs up! I had to surf (finally) on my last day at the beach! And it was too short-lived!
Eric's first attempt at surfing. He admitted that it's harder than it looks. And who got up and stayed up the longest?! ME! ;)
We will miss your stunning sunsets, Costa Rica!!
In San Jose, on our last day before heading home, we spent a couple of hours at the flea market. We scored some good finds and gifts!!
Our guide took us to an animal preserve/sanctuary for injured wildlife in San Jose, where we were able to see more wildlife up close and personal! The toucans were a favorite.
We never got sick of seeing iguanas. And they are EVERYWHERE.
The San Jose Temple!!
So long Costa Rica! You were more than good to us and we will definitely be back again and again! What an incredible trip it was and the memories we made were absolutely priceless!!
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