Tag Archives: Tourist Attraction

Hiking to the Christ of the Mercy Statue in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

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One of the first things I noticed when exploring San Juan del Sur, was the colossal statue of Jesus that sits high on the hills overlooking the beach.

There it is!

There it is!

From the beach it looks like it is miles away, so when Colleen mentioned she wanted to try to climb up to it, I thought she was loco. But, Colleen and I are FAMOUS for our attempts at adventure (insert story of how we once randomly ended up on the set of the X-Men move). Given our history of adventure success, I figured we would give it a go.

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There were lots of jokes about our tans that week!

We decided to try and beat the heat, and got up bright and early to start our trek. We knew there was some sort of path as Colleen’s Mom had taken an ATV to the statue in the past. So we wandered in the general direction of the statue, glancing up occasionally to ensure we were still on the right path.

ya, it got a little steep

ya, it got a little steep

As our adventure progressed, the road started getting steeper, and steeper. I guess that is the thing with going to see a statue that rests high up on a gigantic mountain, you’re going to end up with some hills to climb. As the heat and the hills continued to climb, our little stroll turned into a  full on sweaty workout. As you can imagine, some of us (me) were more excited about that then others (Shaun and Colleen). I ran up a couple of the big hills, and it took 3 days for my calves to fully recover. Woops!

 

 

We made it!

We made it!

After an endless winding road of hills, and lots of sweat, we turned a corner and saw the backside of the statue looming before us. We found a sign the explained it was a 2 dollar entrance fee to go in. We sort of hummed and hawed as to whether we were going to pay to go in, but after doing such a big hike, we sort of felt like we had to.

In the end we were so glad we did. The view was absolutely breathtaking.

The statue looks out over the beach and entire town of San Juan del Sur. It was the perfect vantage point to see the town that we would spend the next four days exploring. Colleen and her Mom are just putting the finishing touches on their house in San Juan. We were able to spot it from way up on the hill.

Checkin out the view

Checkin out the view

The money from the entrance fee is used to maintain the area surrounding the statue as well as the small church/museum underneath the statue. It was really great to be able to learn a little bit about the statue, and the whole process that they went through to build it.

The statue was built in 2009, and has quickly become one of the most notable statues of Jesus in the world. It’s about 25m high, making it one of the largest in the world.
P1020927It is without a doubt, one of the more impressive touristy attractions I’ve seen during this trip. When you stand at its base it simply towers over you.

We spent about 30 minutes wandering around, exploring and enjoying the gusty wind that was rushing by. It was a perfect way to cool off our sweaty selves before the walk back.

I would say it was about a 2km walk from the heart of San Juan del Sur to the base of the statue. Leave early in the morning so it is not to hot, and wear good walking shoes. The road is paved, so it is an easy hike, but the hills make it a doozy. Make sure you bring lots of water too!

P1020944All in all, I would say this is a very worthwhile little adventure. If walking is a problem, lots of companies in town offer ATV tours that will take you up to see the statue. Regardless of how you get there, I would say that walking up to the Christ of Mercy statue in San Juan del Sur is well worth it.

 

Have you ever seen a statue that is really impressive? Where?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Manuel Antonio National Park Part 2

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I know you are just waiting on the edge of your seat after yesterday’s post, so here ya go!

When we left off, Shaun and I had decided to hike the Punta Cathedral Trail. This outcrop of land was once an island, but over time silt has built up, and connected it to the land. It’s created a perfect little loop for a trail that boasts amazing views of both of the major beaches in the park.

As we left for the hike, the park had started to fill up, but people were mostly milling around the beach. The hiking trail was the perfect way to get away from the crowds. Now to say this was a rustic hiking trail is a little bit of a stretch. It was an amazingly maintained gravel walkway with stairs, and bridges. Very unusual for Costa Rica, but I wasn’t complaining. We wandered deeper into the trail, being as quiet as possible. Every time we heard something we would stop, and peer into the jungle, hoping to sneak a peak at some sort of fantastic creature.

Shaun hiking up the very well maintained trail

Shaun hiking up the very well maintained trail

We didn’t have to go far before we saw our first little animal, but we had no idea what they were called. They were small little rodents, with hind legs like a rabbit. We looked at the map we had been given at the entrance, and noticed a picture of one, but the caption just said Costa Rica. So, we just called them Costa Rica’s from there on out. We ended up seeing them all over during our hike. (I literally just spent 10 minutes trying to figure out what they are called, turns out, they are Agouti’s! Knowledge is Power!)

Our "Costa Rica" or Agouti.

Our “Costa Rica” or Agouti.

About 25 minutes in, we noticed a couple stopped ahead of us looking into the trees. It didn’t take long to realize what they were looking at, a family of about six monkeys were playing around in the trees right about them. We crept towards them, and started snapping photos.

I swear I probably stood there in awe for over 15 minutes. These monkeys just went about their business, completely unperturbed by our presence. They wandered around like we weren’t even there. It was totally one of those surreal moments that I’ll never forget. I later told Shaun, that no longer how long we are in this country, I will always turn into the biggest “tourista” whenever I see monkeys. I can’t not take a zillion photos of them. They are so fascinating! As a result of this affliction, you will now be subjected to the best monkey photo’s we took. I probably have 60 more on my camera, I have no shame.

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After tearing myself away from my Monkey friends, we carried along the trail, stopping at the viewpoints along the way to look out over the cliffs. The views were insane. Huge ocean, huge beach, so much tropical beauty

As we continued along, I snapped photo’s of some of the crazy trees that I saw. I was mesmerized by how they twist, and grow around each other. Everywhere I turned there were feats of nature that I didn’t know where possible. As a result, you will not be subjected to numerous photos of foliage of trees. At least I know my Mom will appreciate these!

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Shaun also laughed as I stopped, and desperately tried to take a good photo of a raccoon. Obviously, I could just go outside at home, and find those everywhere, but this one had red in its tail, and they probably speak Spanish. Totally different!

See the tail! Different then at home!

See the tail! Different then at home!

Although the terrain was easy, there were lots of stairs, and we had both worked up a good jungle sweat by the end. Once we got to the end of the trail, it was deemed that a dip in the ocean was extremely necessary. We set up our stuff, and took turns jumping in. Although the beach is relatively safe to leave your stuff on, we had lots of camera stuff with us, and didn’t want to risk it. Plus, you have to be really careful with the bold wildlife. By the time the hike was over, the monkeys and raccoons were out in full force. They will blatently walk right up to your bag, open the zipper, and take out your food. Shaun just wasn’t willing to risk having his PB&J’s swiped, so we played it safe.

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After a couple swimming sessions, and some lounging in the sun, we decided to call it a day. It was lunchtime, and I was also itching for a coffee. We left the park, making a quick pit stop just outside the gates for a Pipa.

It was a great day, and I certainly felt like we got our money’s worth. If you are visiting the park, make sure to bring lots of water, and food as there is nowhere to buy anything once you are inside. The park does have bathrooms and showers though, so you could easily spend the entire day there if you wanted.

All in all, a raging success, and a must visit for anyone visiting Costa Rica!

Have you ever seen a Monkey?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Manuel Antonio National Park Part 1

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Today we got another of our “Must Sees” checked off our list! Our visit to the National Park in Manuel Antonio is complete, and was a huge success.

Touristy Photos!

Touristy Photos!

Our morning started bright and early. The park opens at 7, so we wanted to beat the rush. This is actually a good tactic for several reasons. One, the park only admits a certain number of people per day. In high season, going later in the afternoon could result in being turned away. Two, it is way cooler. There is a 25 minute hike into the park, and the combination of sun, and jungle can make it a scorcher.

We took the local bus to the park entrance. It costs us a little over a dollar for the two of us. A steal if you ask me! The bus runs every 15 minutes so no matter where you are staying in Manuel Antonio it is a great way to get around. The roads are very hilly, windy, and without sidewalks, not the safest for strolling!

The bus drops you off in front of Playa Espedilla, on the main drag in town. It’s about a 5 minute walk around the back of the town to the park entrance. Along the way there are lots and lots of people trying to sell you tours in the park. Now, it’s my personal opinion that these tours aren’t worth it. With all the wildlife roaming around the park, you’re going to see lots of exciting things without having someone point it out to you. I also like the challenge of creeping around slowly, and stopping to look around whenever I hear something.

That being said, if you are dying to see every piece of flora and fauna Manual Antonio has to offer, then by all means hire away! Just make sure your guide has a certified park badge so you know they are the real deal. Most guides I saw were charging about $25.

Shaun, and I each paid our 10 dollar entrance fee, and started our guideless hike. I did creep on a couple tours just to see if they were pointing out sloths, those things are impossible to spot on your own!

Although we didn’t see sloths, we did see tons of gigantic butterflies on the way. These things were the size of a saucer, and super colourful. They reminded me of the butterflies on wires that you would see on the Muppet show. They would slowly flop around the trail, heading straight for you. I may have squealed a couple times. Here are my three best attempts at trying to capture them!

First attempt!

First attempt!

Second Attempt

Second Attempt

Third Attempt

Third Attempt

Prior to entering the park, the ranger had told us the first beach was closed because there was a crocodile. When we arrived at the beach, people were taking photos. We hung back, and decided to just head straight to the second beach. There was just too many people, and we knew the beach was closed. We started down the trail, and took a moment to stop and look at the first beach one last time. I snapped a photo, and we were just about to leave when Shaun noticed the actual reason for beach closure. It wasn’t a crocodile warning; it was a gigantic crocodile lounging in the sun right in the middle of the beach. Pretty good reason to close the beach if you ask me!

Shaun going in for a closer look. Makes me nervous just looking at this photo!

Shaun going in for a closer look. Makes me nervous just looking at this photo!

I took a couple pictures from the trail, and Shaun asked if he should get in there for perspective. We were pretty far away, so I figured he would just walk in front of the camera, but no. He marched right towards the ole croc. He kept looking back at me, and I kept motioning for him to stop, but he went a little closer anyways. I nervously snapped some photo’s, and motioned to him to make the ole croc jaw motion with his hands. Anything for a cheesy photo op. I was so thankful when he started heading back in my direction.

Ah tourists....

Ah tourists….

We think we're so funny...

We think we’re so funny…

Of course, he wanted to take a look at the photos right away, and deemed them way too far away. So, he grabbed the camera, and headed out again. I could barely watch. At this point there were a couple other tourists starting to get a little braver, and getting closer for photos. I was pleased to see Shaun didn’t get as close to the rest of the people. He snapped a couple of amazing photo’s and headed back.

Working on his tan lines

Working on his tan lines

From this angle, I can totally see why Croc's are often mistaken for sea monsters!

From this angle, I can totally see why Croc’s are often mistaken for sea monsters!

I think that is one really important thing to keep in mind about Manual Antonio Park. You are literally surrounded by wild animals, and you need to remember that you are in their home. Keeping a safe distance, and avoiding direct contact is really important, and a rule that many tourists seem to forget. I’ve read a lot of blog posts that talk about how much of a problem it is becoming. It’s something to keep in mind if you ever visit the park yourself.

But I digress…With our infamous croc photos, we headed to the second beach to check out the water. There were no monkeys out, which seemed odd, because last time I visited the park there were monkeys everywhere. I chalked it up to the fact that it was only 8am, and they were all still asleep., Since it was still fairly cool, Shaun and I decided to go on one of the short hike’s the park has to offer. I was on a hunt to find me some monkeys.

And so you might ask…did we find the monkeys I so desperately wanted to see?

You’ll just have to wait to find out. Tomorrow on Hostels and Hot Rollers- Manuel Antonio Part 2

Same blog time, same blog channel (sorry, but I felt an old school Batman reference was needed).

What do you think about allowing tourists to interact with wild animals? Any family out there want to share their thoughts with Shaun about his love of being close to crocs 😉

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress