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Travel. Costa Rica. Wildlife
Falling for Manuel Antonio: A Three-Day Love Story
My biggest travel regret? Not staying longer in this Costa Rican gem
I didn’t expect to fall madly, deeply in love with Manuel Antonio (the place, not the man!). Sure, I’d lusted after photos of its beaches and knew the national park was supposed to be spectacular, but I wasn’t prepared for how quickly this place would feel like home. Three days turned out to be nowhere near enough time in this corner of Costa Rica that surpasses all expectations.
Day 1: An Unexpected Welcome
Our hostel offered a free guided tour to a local waterfall on our first morning, and on a blistering hot day, we gratefully escaped into the shade of the trees. This was my favorite kind of walk — no manicured pathways, just hopscotching over stones across rivers and clambering over tree roots, our faces dappled in green pools of sunlight. We brought the hostel dog along, who was so completely in his element, skipping joyfully through the forest.
We reached the waterfall from above, where you could either jump down or take the tricky path along the side. I chose the path, which ended up being somewhat treacherous and even scarier than just jumping! But the morning was sweet…
