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Manuel Antonio: From Fantasy to Nature's Magic |
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An industrious marine biologist with experience on the coasts of QUEPOS and MANUEL ANTONIO revealed that, in pre-Columbian times, a mollusk that produced long-lasting, purple dye lived there. The dignitaries of the indigenous cultures wore it on their chests, on the side of their hearts.
 If a large pearl was placed in the center of the purple inscriptions, it was a symbol of the highest dignity among governors, clergy, and noblemen. The pearl was also found in the neighboring seas, and they were very large and beautiful; they were the pearls Cleopatra liked. Mollusk dye was craved by Japanese and Chinese textile producers, and it became famous. There was, for example, the Tyrian murex, which played a role in ancient, or Baroque, Spanish History.
The conquistadora fell in love with these extraordinary charms and told that Juan Ponce de León traveled the coasts of Quepos and Manuel Antonio in search of the "Fountain of Youth." |
Ecotourism and Nature 
