Hiking in Costa Rica

The totally awesome Punta Catedral Trail, Manuel Antonio National Park

In getting ready for the Punta Catedral Trail , I slipped into my hiking boots as the morning sun just started to crest over the Manuel Antonio National Park.

The air was heavy with humidity; a Costa Rican rainforest in its full splendor. The heat was setting in already and the sea salt of Pacific acted as a freshener, strong but not overwhelming. This was one such adventure that I had been waiting for since weeks now — hiking the Punta Catedral trail in Manuel Antonio National Park.

Maybe the first I saw you in this green, or felt every time was a sight of virgin magic. The park was a unique jungle/forest and breathtaking views of the ocean that I had never experienced in my life. It turned into a bit of an informal tradition to do at least one new trail everywhere I visited, and Punta Catedral with its beautiful views and promising wildlife had been beckoning me for a while.

OK, so I had not even gotten to the steps of any trail and yet Manuel Antonio is famous for its flora and fauna, that as well was waking up all around me. Howler monkeys bellows erupted from the forest canopy, along with piercing chirps of tropical birds hopping in and out through the giant trees.

The park was awake, humming with critters sloths, monkeys and other fluffy animals. I stepped onto the trail, only to feel that in this quiet world everything was teaming with life. The circular Punta Catedral walk, which snakes around a spectacular peninsula and offered sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.

• A gentle climb

Much of the way was a gentle climb and it started in thick jungle. They trees stood tall and imposing around them, lush flora growing up their limbs. These trunks were so thick it seemed impossible that any of us would be able to circle our arms around them. Ferns slapped my legs as I walked, what a wonderful sensation that was.

It was magical to be alone and walk outside in nature. I walked slower, listening to the sounds: shuffling feet crunching dirt and leaves under my boots. A gusty wind whispering through lazy branches in canopy above; waves breaking against rocks not too far away.

The trail grew steeper and I finally emerged from the trees. Glistening, turquoise-blue water took my breath away. At a spot just below the summit, I stopped and rested against an old tree trunk to take in my surroundings.

• The wild of the rainforest

This, I realized was what drove me here. The mix of dense jungle and wild, uncultivated coast seemed like the right kind of blend. Looking down, I saw miniature beaches hidden within the craggy rock formations glistening with golden sands. This place truly lived up to the ideals of paradise, even more than just a postcard.

The trail continued and narrowed, becoming steeper. With roots, jutting rocks and a step that you had to watch where your feet landed so the erosion underfoot did not swallow me whole… but every 5 minutes my eyes would flick back towards the ocean!!! The blue of the water turns to green around the shallows and then there is a point where it changes again, everything so vibrant, particularly as the coast curls in on itself.

As I worked my way down the trail, a group of hikers were coming up.  their faces red but radiant with the same awesome experience. We had all come here for the same thing, to feel that sense of awe and belonging.

My path along the ridge to the top of Punta Catedral began closing in again more deeply into forest as I drew near. It was a bit cooler in the shade of the high canopy here. Searching the treetops for signs of life, I stopped and listened to shuffling above. A troop of white-faced capuchin monkeys perched high in the branches. They danced around, rocketing from branch to branch like gravity didn’t effect them. Some of the little ones dangled by their legs from creeping vines on nearby trees, their inquisitive eyes peering down at me. I watched them, marveling in their sense of youthful play.

• Beauty all around me

I snatched up a smooth rock to sit on and retrieved my water bottle that I had stowed in my backpack. Taking little sips and my mind began to drift to nature, and all its delightful mysteries.It seems unimaginable that the cares and burdens we had carried with us homeward bound were laughably minuscule. I only wish that I could pack this feeling into my rucksack and never let it go.

I wasn’t alone for long, the butterflies were here too.  They had two large sprawling wings, sparkling like sapphires under the rays of dappled sunlight. I saw it twinkle as it pivoted in air and then sprint back into the depths of trees. It was moments like these that nature offered up an unexpected and perfect view of its beauty.

• The way back

The return down the trail was just as spectacular, even if it did mean turning my concentration up a couple notches. The moisture made the rocks smooth and I was careful to descend down the steepest points. But still, I found myself pausing over and over again because I did not want to leave this place right away. It was almost as if it were a goodbye with every step away, even though I knew this is not the end.

Towards the end of our hike, we finally saw what I had been really hoping to find,  a sloth tucked at the top of a tall tree. It was only its slow careful movement that betrayed it. It had one long arm which was slowly extending to grasp a leaf, going on for awhile while I observed. Sloths had always intrigued me,  totally unconcerned about the hustle and bustle of what was happening, truly astounding creatures.

I sat down on a felled log, the wind rushing cool against my skin as I gazed over the path from where I came,   Punta Catedral had become the experience my heart desired- a trek through some of the most spectacular formations.

Manuel Antonio National Park has a way putting everything in perspective making me feel so incredibly small and insignificant, yet undeniably alive at the same time. It was a sensation that I would keep in my head throughout the decades.