Manuel Antonio National Park
More monkeys than tourists!
The Manuel Antonio National Park is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, but still one of the most popular ones. The National Park is part of nearly every tourists route through Costa Rica, whether you are traveling on tour or on your own. What can be found here that is so special? An undamaged ecosystem with plenty of wildlife, jungle and palm trees right next to the beach, the most beautiful beaches of the Pacific coast and a well-developed tourist infrastructure.
The main town of the Manuel Antonio National Park is Quepos, but it has no particular attractions. Nevertheless there are plenty of accommodations, particularly in the lower price category.
The more expensive accommodations, resorts and spas, are all close by the national park, in the area named Manuel Antonio. Accommodations that provide some excellent views of the blue waters of the Pacific nestle, are located on the mountain slopes.
At the beach settlement Manuel Antonio, you will find the very attractive public beach "Playa Espadillas". Almost white sand, relatively small waves and plenty of space make this beach a very popular destination. Therefore, you will find restaurants, bars, Internet cafes and other offers on or next to the beach. Guests arriving by car have to pay for a secure parking.
Accommodations in and around this beach area are all mid-class Posadas, which are usually performed very personal.
To visit the National Park the visitor must pay an entry fee. This is only possible at the main entrance. Anyone who bought a ticket can entry the National Park several times in a day and then through the lower entrance, you can reach the beach.
The National Park has several trails and paths that lead to attractive beaches and coves. During the hike you have to keep your eyes wide open; you may discover many animals.
Signs are constantly asking not to feed the animals, as this can have a serious impact for their ability to survive by themselves. We ask you to respect this request. Even taking pictures with flash lights can fright wild animals, so you should necessarily avoid this.
Costa Rica is happy about the judgment of Forbes magazine in September 2011, where the Manuel Antonio National Park is considered one of the finest in the world. The classification was carried out by Matt Villaro, a naturalist for DiscoverAmerica, and Jack Ezon, a national park expert. Among the 12 national parks on the list, the "Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio" is the only National Park from Central America.
