Manuel Antonio may be the smallest national park in Costa Rica, at just under eight square miles—but it’s big, big, big in biodiversity. In fact, with more than 100 mammal and 180 bird species, it’s one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. A four-hour drive from the capital of San Jose, the park serves up a charming combination of pristine rainforest and some of the most beautiful beaches lining the country’s Pacific coastline. A short walk here unveils everything from sloths and moths to tree frogs and toucans—followed up by a heavenly plunge in the emerald-green Pacific.
Consider our recent jaunt there in November, which we added onto a week-long paddling itinerary whipped up by Amazing Vacations Costa Rica.
“It’s by far my favorite national park in all of Costa Rica,” says company founder Jason Tonioli, whose outfit specializes in trips to the country. “It has incredible jungle and wildlife—and then you get to hang out on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.”
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Reptiles & Rivers
Shuttling us from our hotel in San Jose in a comfortable van is Gustavo and our lead guide, Arnaldo. Stop number one: Fresh mango and pineapple smoothies at a roadside stand, which we sip while walking across a bridge over the Rio Tarcoles to see crocodiles sunbathing below.
“Don’t worry,” says Arnaldo, “there won’t be any where we’re paddling.”
We pass through the surf towns of Jaco and Quepos, stopping at a beach overlook with a plaque of the Costa Rican Olympic Surf Team that competed in Japan. We’re in total surf country, but on our way to run rivers—only in Costa Rica.
Passing towering Guanacaste trees standing sentry over rice fields (they’re Costa Rica’s national symbol, also called “elephant’s ear” for their seedpods), we soon arrive at the Hotel Manuel Antonio at the end of the road in the town of the same name. Located on a jungle-lined beach, it abuts Manuel Antonio National Park which is just a short walk away. We walk on the beach and swim, followed by a sunset cacique cocktail (featuring local sugar cane) and a delicious carne asada dinner.
In the morning, we stroll to the park’s entrance and meet our guide, Andre—quickly confirming the benefit of taking a guided tour versus going it alone. A few steps into the tour, our equipped guide sets up his Swarovski spotting scope on a tripod to reveal the stick-like head of a snake (a non-venomous coachwhip) protruding branchlike from a vine. A few steps later, he whips it out again and dials in a tiny bat clinging to the underside of a giant leaf.
Courtesy Image
Rainforest Revelations
The guides here work together—radioing back and forth to inform each other where the prize wildlife is hiding. How else could one explain how Andre easily points out the tiny, red eye of a tree frog? A few steps later, he spots the frogs’ sparkly, waterdrop-like eggs clinging from a vine. A turn farther on and it’s a Jesus Christ lizard next to a creek—so named for its ability to run across water.
Andre continues to point out an amazing array of insects, flora and fauna we would’ve otherwise missed, explaining everything from their symbiotic relationship with other plants and animals to survival mechanisms even Darwin would be hard-pressed to discern. Of course, we also spy plenty of bigger critters, from Jurassic Park-like iguanas and slovenly two-toed sloths to squirrels and whiteface monkeys—beelining for visitors’ backpack zippers. The sloths, we learn, play host to as many as 100 different types of insects in their fur who get affordable housing in return for cleaning duties. The meddlesome monkeys, meanwhile, are even smart enough to rub themselves with poisonous millipedes to evade predators.
Andre gets most excited when we spot the elusive toucanet, a smaller toucan whose beak is still the size of Andre’s grin. “This is very special,” he enthuses. “This is the first time I’ve seen one all year.”
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Beach Bliss
At the end of the tour, after Andre bids us adieu and we hike a few more trails on our own, we’re turned loose at a trio of spectacular beaches—one ranked among the most beautiful playas in the world. After refueling on the sand with a quick snack, we hike a trail that winds around the forest-topped cliffs of Punta Catedral—once an island but now connected to the coast by a thin strip of island.
The land bridge forms a spine separating the park’s two most striking beaches, Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio—a half-mile-long white sand crescent bisecting green jungle to one side and a secluded cove on the other. After exploring the isthmus, we take the plunge and savor a refreshing swim in the ocean.
Monkeys, sloths, frogs, iguanas, snakes, toucans, pelicans, hummingbirds, and now a dip in the emerald waters of the Pacific. How many national parks offer that?
Stefan Neumann / Shutterstock
Park Beta
The park is open year-round, every day except Tuesdays, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entrance tickets can only be purchased online. Group guided tours are available at $65 for adults, $50 for children (private tours: $75/adults, $60/children), including round-trip transportation from area hotels and vacation homes, entrance fee, bilingual certified guides with telescopes, and time to spend at the beaches. Hint: Beware of scammers trying to sell overpriced parking and tours near the park entrance.
Getting There
Manuel Antonio National Park is located 165 kilometers from San Jose on the Pacific Ocean (about a four-hour drive). Domestic flights, five daily between San Jose and Quepos, cost $75-$95 one-way.
Park Tip
Go with a guide. They’re experts, know the animals’ habits, and where they are in the park. You’ll see way more wildlife, thanks to their expertise and high-powered spotting scopes, and learn interesting facts about both the flora and fauna. Bonus: you can take beautiful close-up photos with your smartphones through their scopes.
Other Things to Do
River running
Book a trip on one of three rivers that dump into the Pacific nearby—including the family-friendly, jungle-lined Sevegre. Step-it-up-a-notch on the Class III-IV Naranjo or, if it’s running, the creek-like Guavo which you can paddle right into the ocean.
Waterfall plunging
Take a side trip to “Cataratas Nauyaca,” one of Costa Rica’s top waterfalls, where a steep, hour-long hike leads to a massive, two-tiered bridal veil worth every drop of sweat for the plunge into the avocado-green plunge pool at the bottom. Tip: Swim behind the veil at looker’s left.
Surfing
Tack on a day or two and hit the waves at Manuel Antonio or the nearby surf towns of Jaco, Quepos, or Domincal, which serve up shore break for short boarders and points for long boarders. Hint: Longboarders, try Domincalito a mile down the kiosk-lined boardwalk from Domincal.
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There’s no doubt when the weather turns colder as we settle into winter, stouts take center stage. And while we enjoy all its iterations: standard stout, imperial stout, and robust barrel-aged stouts, we think this malty, chocolate-filled beer’s close cousin deserves a little respect as well. Of course, we’re talking about the oft-overlooked porter. And the best porters, oh buddy, they’ll have you rethinking your seasonal bevvie of choice.
For those uninitiated, the porter style had its genesis in England like many other iconic beer styles. It first appeared in the 1700s and is (you guessed it) named after porters—individuals tasked with transporting luggage.
A confusing origin story
“Stout is the direct descendant of porter. In the 1700s, it was common to use the word ‘stout’ to refer to a bolder, higher-alcohol version of any beer style, much in the same way we use the word ‘imperial’ today,” says Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, AZ. “Porter was the most popular beer of the day, and over time, “stout porter” became a popular variant. But by the late 1800s, demand for regular porters evaporated, and stout porter shortened simply to stout.”
But more has changed between the 1800s and today than just our penchant for wearing top hats. “Today, most brewers seem to market beers as either stout or porter based on vibes, rather than on any notable stylistic differences,” he says.
Specifically, porters are known for their dark, almost pitch-black color and rich, sweet flavor profile. If you were to drink a porter and a stout side by side, you might even have difficulty discerning the differences between the two.
Stout versus porter is an enduring topic of discussion in the brewing industry. “While there’s no debating the porter came first—and stout used to be called stout porter, so it was a stronger version of a porter—the lines have become very blurred over the years,” says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, CA.
“I would venture that even among professionals, a blind taste test would often yield inconclusive results,” says Lightner.
The difference between porters and stouts
Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, Lightner says, whereas stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasty. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule
Fowle agrees, “Porters tend to be fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter than stouts, with cocoa and caramel flavors in balance with dark malt bitterness. And stouts are usually hoppier, drier, maltier, and more coffee-forward—and may even have a touch of acidity.”
Whether or not they fit neatly into boxes, one thing’s for sure: both make for incredible cold-weather brews.
“As the nights grow longer, drinking a light, summery beer just doesn’t seem right,” says Fowle. “Porter is the perfect style for the transition to winter: warming and toasty yet not too heavy, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pie crust that correspond with autumn weather and holidays.”
It’s the perfect time to broaden your repretoire. Sweet, robust, warming, and well-suited to the season, here are the best porters to drink now.
Courtesy image
1. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
There are few porters more well-respected than Deschutes’ iconic Black Butte Porter. It’s brewed with Cascade and Tettnang hops as well as 2-row, Chocolate, Crystal, and Carapils malts as well as wheat. This 5.5% ABV year-round offering is great for cold-weather drinking because of its mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s a robust, subtly sweet beer perfect for imbibing on a crisp fall night.
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
Marius Bugge
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
Marius Bugge
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
Marius Bugge
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Marius Bugge
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
Marius Bugge
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top. Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since elementary school, you’re missing out on a fantastic cardio workout. Not only will you burn a ton of calories in a short amount of time—200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes—but jump ropes can also improve your coordination and agility. Better yet, jumping rope doesn’t require much space, so it’s easy to do at home, and it’s often more mentally stimulating than jogging or swimming.
Choosing a Jump Rope
When deciding which jump rope is best for you, it’s important to determine what your goals are. While lightweight speed ropes are popular for cardio-focused training, weighted or drag ropes will be best for those focused on strength training.
No matter what your training goals are, we’ve got you covered with this roundup of 10 jump ropes from top brands including Crossrope, TRX, Rogue, and more.
The Best Jump Ropes of 2022
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