I was just looking at past threads that mentioned the MA guide that qwovadis recently recommended (Juan Brenes) and he sounds great. It looks like he does both a morning and an afternoon tour. One of the comments (I'm sorry I forgot who posted it) was that you should definitely do the p.m. tour as opposed to the morning. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? We're going mid-June. We'll be in MA 5 days so I'm not that worried about being able to spend the afternoon in the park if we did the morning tour. I just want to optimize our chances to see the wildlife. Thanks!

Hmm, when I was in MA I found the wildlife to be in greater abundance in the AM. But then when I traveled to Monteverde for a couple of days, a sloth and a frog was about all that I sighted and I went out with guides during both times of the day. I honestly think sometimes wildlife viewing is a crapshoot. I also was there during the dry season, not the green season when you would be there so maybe that makes a difference. Just my opinion. Good luck!

traveltalesfromtheredheadedtraveler.blogspot.com/
(My travel wrting blog)

Our guide told us that PM was better because that's when the monkeys are most active. We certainly saw a TON of them--both white-faced and squirrel. Also about a dozen sloths, even a basilisk running across a small pond.

Morning is the best time if you're doing a bird tour, but Manuel Antonio is a really poor birding park. There are few predators in there, which means all of the little critters that eat bird eggs are fairly abundant.

We went early to avoid the crowds, but the monkeys weren't out then. It seemed like they came out when we were leaving, late morning. It was like they knew when people were coming with food in their backpacks.

I think my kid's head would explode if he saw a basilisk running across water. He's dying to see that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eonlkylvF0Y

Right around 4 pm.

It sounds like you're planning to hire a guide and that doing so would be worthwhile for you. I would line one up now and ask them.

I already tried lining up our guide for Arenal and he couldn't really commit to any June bookings -- too far in advance and unsure what the schedule will be. I'll just try and contain my OCD planning and wait until it gets a bit closer to schedule tours and guides. Thanks for the link, RAC. I can't wait to show it to my kid tonight.

The monkeys are generally on a schedule! The guides typically know the best times for what you want to see.

EG the free tour at Arenal Observatory Lodge is timed to catch the troop of spider monkeys.

At MA I walked through in the morning and we saw tons of sloths, lots of hummingbirds on the main trail, and finished on the beach with the ever present whitefaced capuchins and racoons, who were waiting fo the handouts. However I never did see any squirrel monkeys, so they may be on a different schedule or more erratic.

We saw the squirrel monkeys about 2:30 pm or so. It was really sad, though--they ran into a troop of capuchins, who wound up killing a baby squirrel monkey.

BAJJ, I think you missed my point. Whether or not a guide can commit their schedule now, a guide is in a much better source than a travellers for comparing morning to afternoon. They'll have a far broader base of experience in both periods than any tourist, and most of the people reading this forum are in the latter category. Moreover, if a prospective guide can't or won't answer that comparison question, you should probably look for another guide.

Sheesh - I can't ask a question of the CR Fodor crowd? Probably 90% of the questions on this board can be answered by consulting maps, guide books, and/or professional guides. I thought the responses that were given were pretty informative AND I got a great youtube link to show my kid. Yes, I can email the guide and ask which tour he would recommend more - a.m. or p.m. - but I thought I'd just ask for opinions here. No harm in that, right?

Sheesh - I can't make sure that a poster on the CR Fodor board who's already hiring a guide has thought to ask that guide something they presumably could answer? I thought the responses that were given were moderately informative but I couldn't be sure you'd thought of the best source of information. So I thought I'd add that suggestion here. No harm in that, right?

Sheesh, if TFC had actually BEEN to Costa Rica he might realize that the answers here are actually pretty helpful.

Sheesh, at the time I posted that suggestion, the question on this thread was "Manuel Antonio -- morning or afternoon?" and the answers, in substance, were:
(1) morning,
(2) afternoon,
(3) in between, and
(4) hey look! a lizard!
So, I submit that my own answer suggesting asking a guide this particular question -- which involves COMPARISON of experiences and thus is not the kind of question for which cataloging individual experiences does much good -- was also one of the helpful answers.

When you finally make it to CR, TFC, you may find that the answer to any question will be whatever is most likely to ensure that your business is secured.

So actually it is a good idea to seek some information from those who have preceded in your footsteps, even if they are merely tourists.

Well yes, I've noticed that.
Of course, the question I was suggesting was revenue-neutral.

Who's Sheesh?
I think his or her posts have been deleted.

That's true, but there are those who believe they'll be resurrected at some point.

We went in the a.m. and saw tons of wildlife. Sloths, raccoons, lots of capuchin monkeys, cool insects, bats, crabs. We traveled during rainy season and a.m. was recommended to us because the rain usually comes in the afternoons and often sends the animals into hiding. In June, I would opt for the morning tour.