Hotel Parador, Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Whether you just want to relax, stay busy or both, the tour desk of Hotel Parador offers a wide variety of excursions.

SPORT FISHING TOURS
The small town of Quepos is quickly becoming one of the most popular fishing destinations in the world. Between the months of December and April, Quepos is protected from the winter winds typical of nothern Costa Rica, and is blessed with some of the best fishing in the world. It is not uncommon to hear tales from tired fishermen of ten to fifteen sailfish being released in a single day, along with scores of tuna, dorado, wahoo, red snapper, rooster fish and the Iist goes on. There are all sorts of boats to choose from, but it is wise to make your reservations in advance since many boats are completely booked months in advance during this time of the year. During the rest of the year there is still good fishing in Quepos. In 1997 Hotel Parador hosted the First Don Johnson Celebrity Fishing tournament and more than 30 celebrities enjoyed the facilities of Hotel Parador.

WHITE WATER RAFTING
The nearby Naranjo River offers exciting Class II/III (half day) rafting trips.

RAIN FOREST TOURS
Come and be one of the first to experience one of Costa Rica's largest and most biodiverse private reserves either on foot or on horseback. Experience the jungle as it was discovered hundreds of years ago by Costa Rica's first visitors. Ride up through primary and secondary rain forest, looking for toucans, poisonous dart frogs and jaguars. Swim with your loved one or friends in a pristine waterfall and taste some of the fresh tropical fruits that Costa Rica is famous for. Our professional guides will take you on the adventure of a lifetime.

MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK
Have an experienced nature guide take you on an informative hike through Manuel Antonio National Park. Our guides are very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of Costa Rica and provide an excellent day of exploring the trails that wind through the park. This is a two-hour walk that includes bilingual guides and transportation to/from Hotel Parador. Guests are welcome to remain in the park after the tour and enjoy one of the white-sand beaches.

SEA KAYAKING
Paddle the protected inland waterways of Isla Damas. This is a perfect place to learn the magical way of exploring coastal mangrove areas and seeing wildlife. A special treat is a hot local-style lunch along the side of the mangrove canals. The pace of this trip will be according to your abilities.

MANUEL ANTONIO COASTAL PADDLE
A more challenging open ocean paddle along one of Central America's most beautiful coastlines! Nearby islands are nesting sites for boobies and frigates. We'll picnic with the pelicans at a secluded beach. Some experience or reasonable fitness is suggested as waves and surf are common.

lSLA DAMAS MANGROVE TOUR
Don't miss Isla Damas just because you don’t want to kayak. Treat yourself to a launch tour of the estuary with a professional biologist-guide. There is great birding and wonderful vistas on this mangrove lagoon. Then enjoy a restaurant lunch or dinner overlooking the mangrove canal.

ZODIAC TOURS
Discover the treasures of Manuel Antonio's pirate coast such as Manuel Antonio National Park and its islands. Watch sea turtles, dolphins, frigate birds, boobies and pelicans, as well as blow holes, limestone cliffs, pre-historic Indian turtle traps, and a sacred lndian burial island.

SUNSET SAILING
Come with us and discover the coast of Manuel Autonio the way Christopher Columbus did. The peace and serenity of sailing these pristine waters is an unforgettable experience and viewing the sunset from the deck while anchored in a beautiful secluded waterway is truly romantic. Dolphins regularly play off our bow and it is not uncommon to see whales and giant sea turtles.

WAVE RUNNER SAFARIS
Truly experience the "Rich Coast." Our guided personal watercraft safaris are an adventure unique in the world. Cruise the spectacular Pacific coastline, exploring virgin hidden bays and navigate the park’s many islands and cliff sides. Dolphins, turtles, sea birds, fish, monkeys, crocodiles and more can be seen.

HORSE BACK RIDING
Select from several exciting area rides and stables. These rides will take you through the jungle and on the beach.

THE HISTORY OF QUEPOS

At least one population of Indians predates the 10th century. Between the 10th century and the mid 1700s a population lived here with a dispersed form of settlement. They lived in circular houses and lived off the ocean as fishermen, divers with a tremendous lung capacity and skillful trappers.

In 1519 Espinosa was assigned the task of exploring north of Panama to discover new territories, and Ponce de Leon was the chief pilot sent ahead. This was the first person of European descent to set eyes on Manuel Antonio.

He called the Indians who lived here "Indios Bravos," and although about 1000 of them were gesturing from the beach for him to come ashore, he thought better of it and continued north to Nicaragua. He then returned to Panama and gave his report. The Spanish decided to explore for riches in Costa Rica and assigned the nobleman Gil Gonzalez de Davila the job. He was impressed with the wealth of the Quepos Indians - gold from the rivers, purple dye from mollusks, pearls from the oysters.

The church entered the scene to supervise the taking of the wealth and encountered bitter conquistadores. The king had allowed them to take Indians as slaves, and the populations began to deminish as slaves were sold in Peru, and after 1589, the decline had accelerated.

The first mission in Costa Rica was located here, opening in 1570 with their main interest the gathering of wealth. In 1601 Gonzalo Vasques der Coronado was made provisional Governor of Costa Rica, and one of his first acts was to open an international highway from Nicaragua to Panama. Part of this route was through Quepos territory. The "Paseo de los Indios," near the mission is still observable today. The road (Camino de las Mulas) is the oldest European constructed highway in the Americas.

Before Henry Morgan burned, pilaged and looted al1 the wealth from Panama City in 1671, the Spanish loaded 700 tons of gold, silver, emeralds and other jewels and set sail, destination unknown. The treasure needed to be unloaded in a safe place with trustworthy people while Morgan sacked Panama. British captain John Clipperton was convinced the treasure was unloaded at the Quepos mission near the Naranjo river, possibly hidden in underwater caves. He spent five years looking for it and it's never been found.

Problems arose between the Indians and the Church, and in 1747 the mission closed. From then until 1924, the area was nearly deserted except for a few isolated families.

In 1909 Agaton Lutz Stiegle came from Germany to learn Spanish and married in the little village of Parrita in 1922. He formed the Paris Farm Trading Company, planted bananas and was the first to export 5000 bunches out of Costa Rica to the United States.

At the time, the whole area was forested mountains, with developed flatlands near the mouths of the river. Then in the 1930s, the United Fruit Company came into the area and built the pier and railroads. To build the town of Quepos, they had to dig up the mangrove swamp and fill it with sand.

Diseases hit the bananas in the '40s and United Fruit brought in teak seedlings as an experiment for other income. The long time for teak made it difficult for the company to recoup its investment. In the '60s United Fruit became United Brands. More banana diseases prompted the company to plant African palm, from which it extracts oil, and in the '90s the company became what is now known as Palma Tica.

While You Are Here!