Manuel Antonio National Park
Editor Pick
Manuel Antonio National Park
- April 1, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
nmagann from Ventura, California
I took a local bus for a few miles to reach Manual Antonio Park around 9 in the morning. I had barely passed the kiosk when I ran into the first group tour. Something that appeared to be a camera with a telescope was set up for the people to view animals so hidden and far away they couldn’t be seen by the naked eye. This reinforced that my decision not to go on a tour was a good one. I wanted to see the creatures for myself and be able to take pictures. I passed a couple more groups and then seemed to be alone. The tours were a couple of hours in duration so they didn’t cover much of the trails.
Shortly after the entrance is one of the nicer, but more popular beaches. The local iguanas, raccoon, geckos, and lizards make it popular with the tourists and tour guides alike. The raccoon will check out your bags to see if you brought anything to eat, but worse are the monkeys who will check out everything. This beach is also popular for the fact it is has an outdoor shower, bathrooms and picnic tables. A small pond hidden a short distance from the path is home to egrets, kingfisher and herons.
The trail continues along the beach until you reach a fork in the road. To the right is the trail that circles the perimeter of Punta Cathedral. While the map distributed at the entrance implies beach access, the high cliffs would make it impossible. The density of foliage and proximity to the ocean creates a muddy trail. There were a couple of areas where grasping a nearby tree trunk was necessary.
Going left from the fork in the road while end the same place as taking Punta Cathedral one-way and this is to another beach. This one is more secluded and calm enough for snorkeling. Should you be lucky enough to be there at low tide you can see the remains of pre-Columbian turtle traps along the rocks.
Beyond this beach is another fork. To the right will eventually end abruptly, overlooking an inaccessible beach. To the left is Sloth Trail that traverses some of the inland areas of the park. Although, sloths were high in the trees during the midday making it difficult to see, I did spy a couple. More to my delight was the deer. I saw young deer so I squatted low with my camera hoping not to scare it. I keep snapping pictures as it came closer; seemingly responding to my coaxing. Eventually it was so close licking my arm and cheek a passer by took my camera to get me a photo. That made my entire day. I returned the way I came and left the park.
Important! The park closes on Mondays and is limited to 800 visitors on weekends and 600 weekdays.
The entrance fee is $7 and there is no place to purchase food or drink. Feeding wildlife is prohibited.
From journal Magnificent Manuel Antonio
Jet Ski Rentals in Manual Antonio
- March 13, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
mysharonany from Atenas, Costa Rica
The beach in Manual Antonio is one of the most beautiful in Costa Rica. In addition to the National Park, there is also the main beach in town which offers a variety of adventures including individual Jet Ski rentals. This is the only place in all of CR that we were able to rent them. We had a blast! Bill, the man who hooked us up was a great guy who filled us in on what we can and cannot do and where we can and cannot go. . . and then we were off. Each jet ski can hold upwards of 3 people so you can either ride alone or sit close with your significant other. We spent an hour cruising up and down the coast and seeing things we might otherwise have missed. It is truly an adventure you shouldn't miss on your next trip to Manual Antonio and it won't but a huge dent in your pocket. Be sure to tell Bill that Sharyn sent you!
From journal Fun in the Sun in Manual Antonio, Costa Rica
Manuel Antonio National Park
- December 19, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Linda Hoernke from St. George, Utah
Manuel Antonio became a National Park in 1972. Even though the Park is the smallest in the country, its combination of rainforest, beaches and coral reefs make it the most beautiful. We walked to Manuel Antonio National Park from our hotel and hiked the Cathedral Trail into the rainforest. The trail took us up and over the top of a peninsula to Playa Manual Antonio. We saw large iguanas, birds and scorpion tail geckos. The view of the Pacific Ocean were only enhanced by the sparkling springs and dense jungle around us. The water is crystal clear and we swam off a rocky point before continuing along the coastal part of the trail and back into the jungle. We reached Playa Espadilla, a horse shoe shaped cove of white sand lined with palm trees. We swam the waters and watched colorful crabs the size of my fist scamper across the rocks . The humidity and heat were extreme on the hike back. We saw a coati tear apart a wooden log to feed on the insects within. Another one followed us down the trail before climbing a tree and disappearing. This place had a magic to it and was at the top of our list of favorite places within the country.
From journal Costa Rican Road Trip
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio is hard to categorize because it offers a little bit for everyone. When we arrived at the location, there were many tour guides available to offer us a tour of the animals located inside the park. We opted to wait till we got to the park entrance to get a tour guide. I highly recommend doing this. Our tour guide was roughly $15. He was great. He really took the time to show us the animals. In the amount of time we walked around the park, we saw the tourguide outside the park who wanted us to use him. He had taken two groups of people through in the time our guide took us through once! During the tour we saw many iguanas and sloths. We got really good at finding the animals after a couple of tips on how to look for them. He took us a little off the main path to a waterfall. When we were done, we were so thirsty. There's a little shop for drinks and we bought our tourguide a drink. He was so grateful. The tourguide and the drink were both so refreshing. After we parted, we went a short hike to get to a nice look-out point. Here we could see the beaches and the pacific ocean. It was truly amazing. When we were done with all of that, we relaxed on the beach.
From journal Costa Rica
Manuel Antonio
- January 20, 2006
- Rated 3 of 5 by
polaroidcupcake from Apple Valley, Minnesota
A convenient and easily travelled park, Manuel Antonio is great for day hikes and families. You will take some great wildlife photos and there's a beach to relax on. However, this park is not for those wanting a more "wild" experience. There is high tourist traffic through this park, and Quepos becomes more developed by the day. For the adventure seeker, try the Osa Peninsula.
Overall, I say this park is great for its ease of access and for being family-friendly. But for true wilderness, you'll need to look farther.
From journal Manuel Antonio Beach and Park