The people of Costa Rica decided to preserve one of the most beautiful and biodiverse areas in the world for future generations, and therefore in 1972, they established the Manuel Antonio National Park. Even though it is the smallest national park in the country, in an area of only 683 hectares you can experience unspoiled Costa Rican nature. The park is a combination of rainforest, beaches, and coral reefs.
There are three beaches. Playa Manuel Antonio – situated in the park visited by some people only to spend there the whole day, which only makes sense to me when you go there in the morning. Then it gets crowded, which takes away the charm of this idyllic place. Playa Espadilla – the main public beach which offers decent surf waves at the north end and smaller ones – perfect for an afternoon swim. And Playa Biesanz, a great place for snorkeling at certain times of the year, the northernmost of the three.
Many believe that beaches surrounded by lush tropical forests here are the most beautiful in the country. In my opinion, they are very nice, but in Costa Rica, there are many other local beaches that are magical and far from the crowds of tourists (I will compile them in the next posts).

Manuel Antonio – the animals of Costa Rica in a one place
However, Manuel Antonio Park’s diversity of wildlife cannot be denied. The park is home to sloths, iguanas, rare squirrel monkeys, white-headed monkeys, and millions of colorful crabs. However, keep in mind that as is the case with wildlife – to see animals in their natural environment, several factors must occur including patience, appropriate equipment (binoculars or a lens with a long focal length), and lots of luck.


I will be honest with you. I have seen more animals and birds in the places where I live. Off the beaten track, far from the crowds of tourists, where mainly locals live. The irony is also that in Manuel Antonio I waited to see monkeys with my camera for three hours and I had a chance to only see two, and 15 minutes after leaving the park, about 20 of them appeared next to the local cafe :)
In addition, there is a myth, unfortunately, reproduced on the Internet, that in Manuel Antonio Park you can find large, colorful parrots. People blog about it and post pictures of parrots supposedly taken in the park, so you expect a close meeting with them. I was one of those people who counted on it. However, after talking to the employees of the park, it quickly turned out that this is just an internet legend because parrots have never lived in these areas. Not to mention the fact that there is a red parrot in the logo of the park and every employee has it on their T-shirt. This is just confusing! The lesson here is as follows: when reading blogs and posts always be somewhat distrustful, because people love to color stories so that they are more attractive.



Manuel Antonio Park – walking trails
The main trails in the Manuel Antonio National Park give you the opportunity to see nature from different perspectives. None of them are difficult or dangerous. These are rather walking paths than hikes. The infrastructure allows you to walk through the entire park even in flip-flops. You can choose from the following trails:
La Catarata
The main point of the trail is 200 meters from the entrance to the park. The trail is 900 meters long and, as the name suggests, leads to a small waterfall (catarata in Spanish).
El Perezoso
It is one of the shortest trails. It leads to various beaches and the main infrastructure of the park – restaurants, showers, and toilets. This is where you can most often see sloths.
Punta Catedral
In addition to the beautiful beaches in the park, Punta Catedral is one of its most iconic parts. The trail is only 1,4 km long and there are several viewpoints from which you can admire spectacular views, including the view at Cathedral Point, with its wooded cliffs, which used to be an island but is now connected to the coast by a thin strip of the island. This land bridge now separates the two most popular beaches of the park – Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio.

Playa Gemelas
This short trail will take you to Playa Gemelas and also connects to other trails in the west part of the park. If you visit it at low tide, you will have the opportunity to enjoy an incredible view of Punta Catedral.
Mirador
The 1,3 m long trails will take you to the viewpoint from which you will be able to observe the majestic beauty of Punta Serrucho – a saw-like landmark thanks to numerous tectonic movements.
Kongo
This short trail connects Playa Gemelas and the Mirador trail; can be used as an alternative way of returning.




Manuel Antonio village and park area
The village of Manuel Antonio is full of shops, restaurants, bars, and street souvenir sellers. For me, it is a far too touristy and crowded place to stay there for longer. In addition, prices in restaurants and stores are three times higher than the local prices. During a short visit, I tested the brilliant The Fringe cafe. It has a beautiful boho decor, serves great iced coffee and warm banana donuts. Totally worth it!
The hill that connects Manuel Antonio with the port town of Quepos, in turn, is full of luxury hotels, spas, restaurants, and bars with breathtaking ocean views. If you are looking for something a bit more luxurious, then having a cocktail at sunset in one of the cocktail bars sounds like a good plan.
There are plenty of cheap accommodations in Quepos, you can also find great restaurants specializing in typical local food and international cuisine, and bars that lively on the weekends.
I decided to live further down the coast – near Uvita and Dominical. I spent over two weeks here and I was delighted. It was local, quiet, close to nature, and the places where I stayed turned out to be real gems.
As I used a car to get around Costa Rica, it was not a problem for me to get up in the morning and drive about 35 minutes to the park, and in the afternoon to come back to my place of stay in the jungle.

What you should know before visiting Manuel Antonio Park
Opening hours: every day from 7.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. except for Mondays, also open on all public holidays. From April 1, the park will be closed on Tuesdays.
I recommend you to be in the park at 7.00 in the morning, which means right after opening. This is what I did and thanks to that I was practically alone in the park until 9.30 am. It was one of the reasons why I was able to see few deer on my way.
The entrance fee to the park is $18.08, children from 2 to 11 years old pay $5.65. Tickets can be purchased at the park entrance with a credit or debit card. You can also buy them online HERE.
Guided tours are available at $55 for adults, $40 for children, and $38 for locals and residents. Private tours are available at $76 for adults and $60 for children. All guided tours include round-trip transportation from MA/Quepos hotels and holiday homes; entrance fee; bilingual certified guides with telescopes; 2.5-3 hours guided walk, including a stay at the beaches. The rest of the day can be spent in the park and beaches, but you may need to use the bus or taxi in order to get to your hotel.




Beware of scammers!
If you decide to visit the Manuel Antonio National Park on your own, be aware that on your way there you will be hustled and stopped by people claiming to be “guides” or pretending to sell parking or entrance tickets. They will be dressed like official rangers or guides and may have badges identifying them as employees of the park, but they are scammers and have no relation to the park. They will try to sell you tickets, tours, and parking spaces, which are usually located kilometers from the main entrance to the park.
Don’t get scammed. You can drive up to the entrance to the park by car and park there for 2000-3000 CRC (less than $4-6), and buy a ticket at the ticket booth at the entrance. Tickets can also be purchased online (that’s what I did and I recommend the same to others – not only do you have a guaranteed place for a particular day, which is important with covid restrictions, but also you don’t waste time standing in the line).



How to get to Manuel Antonio Park
There are several ways to get to the park. Depending on how you like to travel, you can choose from the following:
Private Transfer – available between most places in Costa Rica. Comfortable door-to-door air-conditioned minivans to and from most hotels for $45-60 per person. Detailed prices and reservations at: Interbus
Public transport: The “Colectivo” buses stop outside the airport (10:15, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15 and 17:15), a four-hour ride costs $8. The “Directo” buses depart from the Tracopa bus terminal in the city center (20 minutes by taxi or Uber) at: 9.00am, 10.30am, 12.00pm, 1.15pm, 2.30pm, 4.45pm*, 6.00pm and 7.30pm (* = excluding Sunday) for $10/person. The ride takes 2.5 hours. Get off the bus on the beach in MA.
By car: I was getting around Costa Rica by car and I highly recommend this option. More about the technical side of renting a car and sightseeing in such way can be found here: How to rent a car in Costa Rica – the ultimate guide