Victoria's Voyage

No hangover was going to stop me from visiting the Manuel Antonio National Park on the penultimate day of my travels in Costa Rica.

We entered along a wide track, where we spotted a gorgeous sloth hiding high in the trees and an unusual reptilian-looking creature right by the side of the path. The walk then took us down a much narrower jungle track, with wooden bridges and winding stone walkways. Here though, I saw very little.

And then, the wow moment. The moment we reached the beach. Our group found a shady spot by some trees and settled in for the morning, making sure to take a dip in the crystal clear waters – the warmest sea I’ve ever swum in.

We even saw several more monkeys in the trees lining the beach, one of which came close enough to swipe something from a stranger’s bag and shimmy up a tree with it!

Venturing on, we found more trails and more beach coves, each as beautiful as the last. Well worth the visit, in my opinion.

Finally back at the hotel and with the persistant sand all showered off, there was only one thing to left to think about. Our farewell dinner – a bittersweet moment for sure.

We ate at a beachside restaurant, but none of us were really feeling the initially planned next club spot. Instead, we ended the night all sitting on the beach, chatting and drinking and just chilling to the soothing sounds of the crashing waves that penetrated the surrounding silence. A blissful end to an incredible Costa Rican holiday.