With a large group of friends, we visited Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. Situated on the Pacific Coast; the beaches are protected, and pristine. With a plethora of wildlife who have become quite accustomed to generous tourists, there is no short of photo ops.
To get there we traveled south on the Costanera Highway about an hour south of the well known towns of Jaco and Playa Hermosa. Once again with a van full of kiddos (our own) we needed to have a lot on hand. We packed for this trip in our one and only Make It a Great Day Bag! I knew it was the only bag to reach for because I can wear it as a backpack and once we reach our picnic area I can switch it to a tote bag. I also knew this bag could hold everything we needed for the day in the National Park!
In our bag went:
- 5 towels
- 2 bottles of sunscreen
- 2 large water bottles
- 2 changes of clothes for the little kids
- my wallet
- iPhone, hopefully the soon to be 6s…
- my keys, his keys and their keys (all in different pockets)
- a large, large, large bag of snacks
Glad our bag closes well, even when it’s THIS full
Park officials stress to visitors the importance of keeping your bags closed at all times, curious white faced monkeys like to take off with sparkling items. The items can hurt them and leave you wondering where your watch, keys or wallet went. An easy meal is by far the greatest danger for the wildlife surrounding this national park. The beautiful creatures must find their own food.
As we approached the entrance to the park, we joined the line waiting for some guests to exit the park. They cap the maximum number of park visitors to ensure both the enjoyment of park visitors, and the protection of the natural landscape and the wildlife within the park. From the gate entrance to the first beach front covered in gorgeous “white” sand, was about a 30 min trail. A moderate walk for adults but a long walk for little legs. Our group took a few more breaks than the others, but we enjoyed the amazing scenery and I enjoyed the convenience of having our Make It a Great Day Bag comfortably on my shoulders with the large padded straps!
From the beach, tourists can continue hiking on or return the same way through mangroves and Native Flora and Fauna.
Once again the Make It a Great Day Bag was the perfect solution for a Day Trip!
We filled it full of everything we needed for a day in Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica! We didn’t worry about weighing it down because the comfortable padded straps handle the weight and keep it comfortable to wear! We knew the durable canvas would wash well, so beach sand isn’t a problem. Reaching for the Make it a Great Day Bag just makes sense, it is the best travel and vacation bag!