AdventureManuelAntonio.com

The new Costa Rican Idol Maria Jose Castillo

Costa Rica’s new idol,  Ms. Maria Jose Castillo has won the heart of most of the country.  She made the finals of the Latin American Idol in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with her humble way of being on stage and powerful voice, she was a true favorite all the way to the end of her participation, were she came in second to Ms. Margarita Henriquez from Panama.

Music in Costa Rica has been always been a really important topic, more in recent years with bands such as Mal Pais, Escats, Swing en 4, Evolucion, Gandhi, Humberto Vargas, and many more bands and artist on the rise.   In San Jose there are some in venue sites to catch live music with Costa Rican artist and international invites that offer concerts.

Jazz Café
Tel. # 2253-8933
Located in San Pedro and Ezcazu,
with two clubs Jazz Café  offers
a wide range of music, from Jazz to Rock, Reggae & Blues
http://www.jazzcafecostarica.com
National Theater
Tel. # 2221-5341
In the heart of the city of San Jose,
from theater to live bands.
http://www.teatronacional.com

Melico Salazar Theater
Tel.  # 2257 6005
http://www.teatromelico.com

Latino Rock
http://www.latinorockcafe.com

Endangered Titi Monkey

Manuel Antonio is Costa Rica’s most well known and most visited national park, despite the fact that it’s also the smallest. The Manuel Antonio National Park is a small biological peninsula, recently the National Park system and the local conservationist created a corridor to connect the beaches of Playa del Rey to Manuel Antonio, this has added the rich biodiversity of the lowlands of the southern coastal beach, also protecting the nesting site for the Pacific Ridley Sea Turtle.

Manuel Antonio National Park is situated on the pacific coast of Costa Rica 7 kilometers south of the town of Quepos. It was created in 1972 and funded primarily by foreign interests. Prior to 1972 the land constituting the park had gone through several different foreign owners. Controversy over foreign ownership of the land and restrictions placed on access to the beaches by private owners, led to the Costa Rican Government taking control of the land and turning it into a National Park. Today, the park protects a beautiful remnant piece of the tropical forest that once covered a wide variety of marine life.

Among its most important fauna you will find the raccoon, coatamundi, agouti, two and three toed sloths, howler monkeys as well as the the white-faced and the highly endangered Mono Titi squirrel monkey. Also found are brown pelicans, brown boobies, tyrant hawk-eagles, gray-headed chachalacas, solater’s ant bird, anteaters, and ocelots.

Manuel Antonio offers a uniquely Costa Rican blend of breathtaking Rainforest Jungles, Sun Kissed Beaches, a vast array of activities offered in the area. In Manuel Antonio you will find hiking, rafting/kayaking, canopying, ATV, sailing, bird watching, sport fishing and much, much more.

The town of Quepos is the hub of the area, most residents live in nearby homes around the town where you can find supermarkets, banks, shops and all the most important government offices.  Also the port town of Quepos has a dock that will soon be opening a new marina that will host slips for local boat owners.