Costa Cruises

Costa Rica: Botanical Island

Posted by CostaRica | Costa Rica Guide | Posted on December 24th, 2009

One of the natural jewels of Costa Rica: Manuel Antonio National Park is located south of San Jose in the central Pacific Ocean. The 1983 hectares of land has four beautiful beaches and heady tropical moist forest ecosystems.

Perhaps it is a magical combination of sea and forest, as well as a variety of animal species, including monkeys, sloths and birds, attracts more than 200,000 people to this place every year. Among the variety of places is allocated Punto Catedral, which was an island in the past, but has joined to the mainland due to the accumulation of sediments. On the right side of this peak you can see La Trampa, building, made by Indians to catch turtles and fish.

Beside, the 55200 hectares of marine waters of the park is inhabited by dolphins, sea stars, and sometimes whales.

Extensive Flora
Manuel Antonio National Park is located in the area of tropical forests.
It includes areas of primary forest, secondary forest, mangroves, beach vegetation and marine environments. The most characteristic species of flora are Guácimo Colorado, American locust, balsa, monkey comb.

Guava
The height of guava is up to 40 m. Its wood is very hard. Every day new leaves appear on the tree, forming a kind of magical calendar.

Manzanilla
This tree has a fleshy fruit and bark of the tree provides a poisonous sap, which causes irritation to the skin and eyes.

Large fauna
In the Park of Manuel Antonio, there are 352 species of birds, 109 species of mammals and an unknown number of marine species. Among the birds you can meet pelicans, guakko, and sparrow-hawk. Also the park is home to iguanas, snakes, raccoons, monkeys. In its waters you can find angel fish, sea urchins and stars.

Raccoon
These creatures appear on the beaches at sunset and sunrise to search for crabs.

Pelican
This bird inhabits in the coastal waters and feeds on fish which it catches from a height of 10 m. In general, birds live in small flocks.