Butterfly garden of Manuel Antonio

A Sight to behold – Butterflies of Costa Rica

I was embraced by the soft tropical breeze as I left the confines of a small shuttle and arrived at the butterfly garden of Manuel Antonio. I had long heard about this garden of butterflies. Those tiny, graceful creatures that somehow represent transformation and grace all at once and wanted to experience it myself.

Manuel Antonio is Costa Rica’s gem on the Pacific coast that offers gorgeous beaches, lively green and lush rainforests full of life. Though most visitors come for the monkeys and sloths, I was entranced by a quieter corner of the national park: it is home to a Butterfly Garden. It seemed like the ideal way to start a tranquil mornin, surrounded by the most graceful, colorful creations of nature after days of adventure, hiking and beach-hopping.

I walked into the garden, and felt the air shift. The air was warmer here, more humid, but it bore a crispness that soaked through me as soon as I stepped out. There was nearly constant rustling of leaves, the distant call of a bird or two, and a low hum that you know is insects but which sounds like silence over all the rest.

• Butterflies galore

As I continued, aimlessly but not mindlessly,  to walk further on into the garden, I was reminded of the meaning of butterflies. They symbolize the nature of metamorphosis, in which something so little and nothing-looking like a caterpillar can turn to something lovely able to fly. It forced me to turn my gaze inward, consider the events of my life, former and current. It was kind of soothing to have these fragile beings around you, a gentle reminder that the most radical changes could be lovely.

Walking further down the path, I came to an open space with different kinds of butterflies. They were all in different shapes and sizes, but equally beautiful. A few seconds later, one of the most famous species in Costa Rica — a stunning blue morpho with shimmering wings, casually fluttered by me. Small and similarly-patterned, a second butterfly landed on the next flower and started to feed.

It was mesmerizing to watch. The wings fell slowly, like snowflakes settling gently to the ground around me. It was serene in a way that verges on dreamy, as if I had somehow wandered into an alternate reality; one where time moves slower and more purposefully.

• The famous Glasswing Butterfly

The guide told us that in the reserve of Manuel Antonio was easy to see various species of butterflies, lots of them native to Costa Rica. Other species would make use of camouflage like the owl butterfly (landing), using the eyespots on its wings to deter predators, while some practice mimicry. Some, like the glasswing butterfly, were nearly invisible against the lush greens due to their clear wings.

• The Wonders of nature

Our guide pointed out caterpillars as they chomped away on leaves and explained the life cycle of a butterfly. An egg hatching into a caterpillar, how could something so simple turn into something so fragile and pretty and quite miraculous ?

• Feeding the butterfly

He even insisted that I hold a mini-fruit of some kind out at one time. A split second later, a butterfly swooped past me and landed on my hand. It was so light that I could hardly feel it, a tickle  against my skin. Upon closer inspection, I was able to see how thin its wings were and the beautiful elaborate pattern that has decorated it. I will always consider it an honor to be touched by a butterfly even in the slightest way.

The guide engaged the kids in informative conversation as the butterfly flew off after feeding. The fact that butterflies are just as important to pollination in an ecosystem as bees helping it to grow.

The path eventually led us to a cavernous, greenhouse-like structure bursting with flora which had been specifically chosen to attract butterflies. It was practically like walking into a butterfly nirvana. Every direction I turned to, butterflies fluttered about the air, either perching on plants to feed or sitting in the sun. Natural light flooded the space from the glass roof above, enhancing the colors these magnificent creatures.

 

 

As I sat on the bench in the green house a brightly blue morpho butterfly glided past me, another new Costa Rica Ecosystem symbol, showing all its colors. Followed by some tiny white butterflies flitting in between the flowers, their translucent wings almost camouflaged against the vivid blossoms they flew beside.

• Costa Rica Manuel Antonio butterfly garden

Standing inside that enclosure, surrounded by the gentle loveliness of them all, I was overwhelmed with a simple feeling of peace. The quiet of the garden and the way the butterflies gracefully flitted about could not have felt more in sync with how everything seemed just as it should be as well.

As I was leaving the garden, I decided to have a break and went into a little coffee shop just near the entrance. The guide joined me on the patio and I enjoyed a gin-tonic for the first time in forever; listening to the wind rustle through the leaves of my sleepy garden with only a bird calling from time to time. The peace of the garden stayed with me like  a quiet whisper that sometimes the most beautiful things are the simplest like a butterfly passing by on gentle wings, a tranquil garden bed in silence, and moments when it is enough just to exist and watch.

• A wonderful place to be

The Manuel Antonio Butterfly Garden is a hidden gem, deep within the forest of Manuel Antonio where time appears to slow down and nature exposes itself at its most gentle form. Walking back to the beautiful beach with ever appreciating love.

By the time my visit to Butterfly Garden had ended, it wasn’t just a holiday memory- it was a gentle leaning forward and back into living slower, living in awe of each small wonder around us, finding our own beauty in every evolution.