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Honeymoon at Hotel Parador
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While You Are Here!
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.
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