Manuel Antonio Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio is reputedly Latin America’s top tourist destination with more than 700,000 visitors annually. It is perfectly located in the center of the Pacific Coast, making it an ideal base for exploring coastal beaches and wildlife parks, with Manuel Antonio National Park being the premier attraction. The Manuel Antonio National Park receives approximately 150 inches of rainfall annually and enjoys a year round temperature of between 81 and 86 degrees. The National Park's two white sandy beaches, Espadilla Sur and Manuel Antonio, are among the most visited beaches in Costa Rica. The small offshore islands opposite the park provide excellent sanctuaries for seabirds.

Jutting out on a sandy belt from the mainland park is Punta Catedral which was an island at one time; with an accumulation of sediments the island was eventually joined up to the main land, forming a Tombolo. Dolphins and migratory whales are sighted here at times.

Within the Manuel Antonio National Park, trees such as black locust (an endangered timber-yielding tree), balsa, monkey comb, bastard cedar, wild plantain, Manzanillo (a tree that oozes a milky substance and bears poison fruit) and Mayflower, are common. There are more than 100 mammal species and 180 species of birds here including the rare white ibis. Squirrel monkeys (another endangered species) play in the trees above the trails in the Park. So do the two-toed sloths, raccoons, white-nosed coatis, howler and white faced monkeys and squirrels.

You can meander through the park on any one of several short trails, passing scenic overlooks and white-sand beaches. The second beach, Playa Blanca, is one of the safest for swimming of all Costa Rica beaches, and is also good for snorkeling. The most popular trail is the small loop that takes you around Punta Cathedral and pays off with a wonderful view of the Pacific. El Perezoso trail takes you to Playa Blanca. El Puerto Escondido and El Mirador trails take you through the dense humid tropical forests to Playa Puerto Escondido.

On the road from Quepos to Manuel Antonio you will see many small hotels and restaurants. Arriving in Manuel Antonio, more upmarket hotels and restaurants begin to appear. There is a huge variety of recreation activities and tours being offered. World class sportfishing is among the most popular activities in the area with more than 45 bill fishing boats running charters out of nearby Quepos port. Whitewater rafting on a selection of rivers offer class III, IV, and V rapids; horseback riding tours through the jungle or on the beach; sea kayaking tours; dolphin and whale watching; jet ski tours; mangrove tours; National Park hiking tours; jungle canopy tours; ATV adventures; massage therapies and spa services; surfing lessons; paraplane rides; rainmaker suspension bridge and nature tour; secluded hot spring; the list goes on.

In addition to its natural beauty and the abundance of recreation activities in the area, Manuel Antonio offers countless international restaurants, supermarkets, a full service hospital, daily commuter flights to and from San Jose, four car rental agencies, high speed internet connections, good roads, banks, ATMs, art galleries and a host of specialty stores, all together making it an extremely appealing destination for play and for rest. 

Back to Main Page