Summary:

If you only have time for one beach and one rainforest, you will find the best of both at Manuel Antonio National Park. Hike the trails and you are guaranteed to see monkeys, sloths, iguanas, birds and a few other surprise forest dwellers.Click on [+info] for more information.

Manuel Antonio is probably the most visited park in Costa Rica. The beautiful white sand beaches along with the exuberant vegetation and animal life make it a convenient and easy access place to visit.

The park has an extension of 4,014 acres. A well maintained network of trails takes you to the three main beaches in the park: Espadilla Sur for surfers, Manuel Antonio for swimmers and Puerto Escondido, rough and rocky. Taking the Punta Catedral trail will let you see some spectacular views of the ocean and the 12 small islands that belong to the park. Visiting Manuel Antonio National Park is an enjoyable experience that will let you cool off in the calm, emerald-green waters and stretch out on the soft, golden sand of this beautiful place. Definitely one of our favorite retreats.

Address (How to get there)

Manuel Antonio is 3 1/2 hours from San Jose. Take Highway #1 from San Jose heading north until the exit to Atenas. From here a curvy but scenic drive will take you past Atenas and Orotina. Soon after Orotina you will be driving along the beautiful warm waters of the Pacific coast going through Jaco, Parrita and Quepos. From Quepos follow the road signs to Manual Antonio, only 7 km. As you drive up to the park you will see numerous places to stay.