Exploring Manuel Antonio with Arenas Del Mar's Naturalist Guide
Meet Julián, the Naturalist Guide at Arenas Del Mar Resort, who helps guests discover the hidden wildlife of Manuel Antonio.
The forest is still waking when Julián begins to look for movement.
Where most people see leaves, he sees clues.
A branch trembles, though the air is still. A distant call disappears into the canopy. Leaves overlap in a wall of green, hiding whatever moved behind them.
Most people keep walking. But Julián stops.
He studies the angle of a leaf, follows the direction of the sound, and waits. Then something comes into focus: the bright bill of a Yellow-throated Toucan, the curious face of a monkey between the branches, or a camouflaged creature that had been there all along.
In Manuel Antonio, wildlife rarely announces itself. It appears in fragments—a footprint, a shadow, a sudden silence, the slightest movement overhead.
Julián knows how to read those fragments.
With the patience of a careful observer and the instincts of someone who grew up among these trails, he helps guests notice what they might otherwise miss, one nearly invisible clue at a time.
Growing up in Manuel Antonio
That ability did not begin with formal training. It began with a childhood spent in Manuel Antonio, surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest and the Pacific Ocean.
As a child, he was fascinated by the way the forest seemed to speak. He listened for the calls of motmots and Orange-collared Manakins hidden among the trees, the movement of white-faced capuchin monkeys through the canopy, and the deep, haunting call of a Spectacled Owl after dusk. Over time, he learned that each sound offered a clue to what was happening nearby.
During walks, an unfamiliar call would make him stop. A sudden silence would draw his eyes toward the treetops. A trembling leaf might reveal a red-eyed tree frog, a basilisk, or a bird tucked among the branches.
Those small moments taught him patience. They sharpened his curiosity. Over time, they became the foundation of the way he moves through the forest today: observing, listening, and always wondering what might be just out of sight.
The forest never tells the same story twice
Today, Julián leads a range of nature experiences at Arenas Del Mar, from guided walks through Manuel Antonio National Park and nocturnal explorations beneath the canopy to birdwatching excursions at first light.
His advice is simple: leave the checklist behind.
The forest rarely follows a plan anyway.
“By day, the forest might reward you with a three-toed sloth slowly descending through a cecropia tree, a troop of howler monkeys crossing the canopy, or an endangered Central American squirrel monkey moving through the treetops.
After dark, an entirely different cast emerges. Delicate glass frogs cling to leaves illuminated by a flashlight, while other nocturnal animals, such as kinkajous and opossums, are often detected first by a rustle in the canopy or a call from deeper in the forest.”
Manuel Antonio protects a rich meeting point of very humid tropical forest, coastal vegetation, mangroves, beaches, and marine environments, each supporting its own community of wildlife.
Even after a lifetime in Manuel Antonio, Julián still finds reasons to be surprised. Animals he has observed countless times can suddenly behave in unexpected ways, revealing something entirely new.
That unpredictability is part of what makes every walk different. Around every bend in the trail, the forest offers a different story—and it never tells the same one twice.
Reading the canopy
Birdwatching is one of Julián’s greatest passions.
Years spent exploring Manuel Antonio have given him a deep knowledge of the area’s birdlife—and an instinct for spotting species most people would never notice on their own.
A distant call from a Great Tinamou. The slightest movement in a fruiting fig. A flash of electric orange and black from an Orange-collared Manakin, or a sweep of red as Scarlet Macaws cross an opening in the canopy.
For Julián, these are not small details. They are invitations to look closer.
His familiarity with the landscape helps him read the forest: where to look, when to pause, and which subtle clues might reveal a Riverside Wren in the dense undergrowth, an Orange-billed Sparrow searching through the leaf litter, a hummingbird hovering beside a flower, or a raptor watching quietly from above.
But birdwatching is not only about expertise. It is also about sharing the search.
Julián enjoys guiding birders of every level, from curious beginners to seasoned enthusiasts who have spent decades chasing rare species. Along the trail, sightings become shared discoveries and observations turn into conversation, giving Julián the chance to reveal the birds and habitats he knows by heart while rediscovering Manuel Antonio through each guest’s eyes.
Every tour finds its own rhythm
There is no fixed script when Julián steps into the forest.
The experience follows the moment—the movement in the trees, the questions that come up, and the energy of the people walking beside him.
With his warmth, humor, and easygoing nature, exploring Manuel Antonio feels less like following a set itinerary and more like discovering it with a local friend.
Julián pays attention.
Some guests arrive curious and full of questions. Others prefer to slow down, look closely, and let the forest do the talking. He adapts as he goes, allowing each tour to develop its own personality and pace.
More than just sightseeing
For Julián, the experience is about more than the excitement of spotting wildlife. He hopes guests leave with a deeper understanding of Costa Rica’s relationship with nature—not simply as scenery, but as part of everyday life, the country’s identity, and a shared responsibility to protect native species and the habitats that sustain them.
Through his eyes, the forest becomes more than a place to visit. Guests begin to notice the connections between the animals, plants, and habitats around them—and leave with a greater appreciation for the ecosystem as a whole.
Perhaps that is the real art of finding what hides: not simply learning where to look, but understanding why these forests—and the wildlife that depends on them—are
worth protecting.
For more information, contact us at [email protected].
