Costa Rica: Monkeys

In Manuel Antonio is the area where we really got to see the monkeys and not just a blob in a tree! These howler monkeys were playing on the telephone poles right across the street from our hotel. These monkeys definitely live up to their name!

And then like magic we also saw a sloth right by the monkeys!🦥 he didn’t do much 😆

Oh and this guy lived in the porch of our hotel room

But these were the monkeys we saw most: white faced capuchin monkeys. I believe there was a path from our home to wherever they go during the day because we only saw/heard them after dawn and before sundown. It was so fun to just sit on our porch and watch them jump in the trees.

I was worried that Logan might not get the chance to see any monkeys, especially after we missed our first sighting in Monteverde. It would have been such a disappointment, knowing how much he was looking forward to it. So, when these monkeys appeared and put on an incredible show for us, I couldn’t have been happier! Watching them leap from branch to branch, chattering and playing, felt like a special moment, almost as if they knew we needed the experience. Watching them every evening was one of the highlights of our stay in Manuel Antonio.

Costa Rica: Waterfall Tour

Our first morning in Manuel Antonio and this is the view we woke up too 😍 simply gorgeous!

Our first day in Manuel Antonio we went on a waterfall tour. It was an unforgettable adventure as we explored stunning waterfalls, each offering a unique experience. At some, we either leaped into crystal-clear pools from rocky ledges, or waded in and played under refreshing cascades. We also visited Whale’s Tail National Park, where the iconic sandbar shaped like a whales tail stretched into the turquoise ocean.

Our first waterfall was incredible! We jumped in on the right-hand side and let the rushing water carry us downstream, it felt just like a natural waterslide. Perfect way to kick off our adventure.

Whales Tail national Park sky view:

On the beach:

So many little crabs 🦀 

We spent about a half hour playing on the beach, splashing in the waves, and soaking in the breathtaking views of the coastline and the tropical forest.

Walking through the forest part of the beach:

Next stop on our waterfall tour:

This waterfall we just swam in the pool

And put on mud masks! This spot has some famous purifying red clay that spas use for treatments.

During the trip, we discovered that Logan is quite afraid of deep water, so he didn’t join us in the waterfalls but instead stayed on the sidelines. Our tour guide was incredibly kind and made sure Logan still felt included, which was really sweet to see. 

Our guide! He was so fun!

Next waterfall! This one had a high jump spot that looked both thrilling and intimidating. I was a bit hesitant at first, but I finally worked up the courage to leap. While my jump wasn’t the most graceful and I ended up with water shooting up my nose it was still worth the experience. One jump was enough for me, but Carson, Tanner, and Brad couldn’t get enough of it! There was also a smaller jump that was much more my speed, and I had a lot of fun there. Our guide wowed us all by doing an incredibly high jump it was amazing to watch!

For lunch we stopped at this amazing restaurant with a spectacular view to go with it:

The view:

In our way back, this guy was tired and fell asleep on my shoulder. I gotta soak up these little moments when I can!

Before we got back to our hotel our guide drove us through the famous hippie/surfing community to see if we could see any red macaws that are well known there. We unfortunately didn’t see any then, but we did see one the next day…

 

Costa Rica: Don Olivo chocolate farm

On our last morning, we visited a chocolate farm, but before heading out, we savored a peaceful morning in our cozy treehouse nestled in the rainforest. During our stay, it rained almost nonstop, a stark contrast to the clear skies we enjoyed in La Fortuna. The rain added a magical touch to the rainforest experience. Though sad to leave, we’re excited for our next adventure.

I loved sitting on this porch, watching the rain and soaking in the soothing sounds of the rainforest.

Carson preferred the hammock

Playing games while we eat our breakfast.

They would also feed the birds like it last place did. Loved seeing all the different birds especially the Toucans and hummingbirds that would come.

Even butterflies enjoyed the fruit

Brad and I took a pleasant walk along the trails, joined by the dogs who happily tagged along. I believe the trail leads to a waterfall, but we didn’t have enough time to explore further.

Last picture In front of the monkey house before we leave! 

Before completely leaving La Fortuna we stopped at Don Olivo chocolate farm. It is a family owned farm business and the grandson of the family gave us the tour.

After we arrived, we had the chance to sample a variety of fresh fruits straight from the plantation. Among them were star fruit, bananas, pineapple, and a unique type of orange. Did you know that the rinds of oranges in this region are actually green when ripe? It was such a surprise to see them look so different from the bright orange ones we’re used to.

What made it even more fascinating was the way they prepared the oranges. Instead of peeling them, they cut them in a specific way—almost like creating a little juice cup. You simply squeeze the orange and suck out all the fresh, sweet juice. It’s such a fun and refreshing way to enjoy fruit, and it made the experience even more memorable.

Sucking on some sugar cane. It brought back memories of Brads missing in Peru.

Then we walked along the farm to learn about how the grow the cacao beans.

The fruit start out as these cute tiny flowers

Then grow into the fruit

And then when it’s yellow it’s ripe

Our tour broke open one of the fruits and we got to try it. It’s a slimy fruit with a big seed, and you suck on it and spit out the seed.

I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to try this at first—it honestly looked like a giant snot ball. And since slimy foods tend to make me gag, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to handle it. But to my surprise, it turned out to be really pleasant! It had a light, refreshing taste with a subtle hint of citrus. It was a reminder that sometimes the most unexpected things can end up being quite enjoyable.

Carson loved it the most

After the pick the fruit they put it in a vast tub to let it ferment for a couple weeks, then they put it on this to let it dry.

After it’s dried, then they roast it

Seeing some animals among the farm:

Logan finds all the Tacans, there was also a sloth 🦥 high up in the tree, but it just looked like a black blob so no picture.

After we learned about the rotating process we came to see how they turn it into chocolate.

A filter for making coffee.

Grinding the beans. It was hard!

After grinding the beans super fine we got a little taste (it’s nasty) I don’t know how I’m the ancient civilization days they thought this was a delicacy. It’s extremely bitter.  It was much better when they gave us samples with sugar in it.

After we sat down, we enjoyed a comforting cup of hot chocolate made from a cubed piece of rich, farm-fresh chocolate. Carson absolutely loved the fresh chocolate—it had a texture similar to a brownie, dense and fudgy, but with an even more intense chocolate flavor. It was so delicious that we couldn’t resist buying some to bring home.

Then we were on the road again! After explaining our experience driving into town with Tanner, the owner of the tree house hotel recommended stopping at a pharmacy for motion sickness medicine. She said to make sure he takes it only shortly before we hit the road. So that’s what we did, they lady at the pharmacy asked how old tanner was, gave Brad exactly 2 pills and right after we left the farm Tanner took his medicine and then just conked out. It was about a 4 hour drive and Tanner slept almost the whole way.

Got stuck in traffic due to an accident so it felt like a really long drive, but we made it to Manuel Antonio! We checked into our hotel and then immediately went across the street to dinner at a brick oven pizza place. You can tell the kids are just tired 😁 but we were happy to have made it!