Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s many national parks. It boasts a wide variety of different animal species and beautiful white sand beaches to relax on. While it is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, it is actually one of the most biodiverse places in the entire world. The opportunities to see wildlife here are endless & the combination of dense rainforest and some of the most beautiful coastlines in the country make Manuel Antonio the perfect place to spend the day. Read more for some essential tips to make your visit perfect!
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What to expect
Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the very best places to visit on your trip to Costa Rica. Just like Costa Rica as a whole, it is perfect for nature lovers! It is easily accessible for people of all ages and is also great for families. The park is very well-maintained and easy to navigate. It’s also very small compared to other National Parks and it can be explored in just one day.
Helpful things to know
- Pets are not allowed inside the park
- The park is closed on Tuesdays
- Purchase your tickets in advance online at the official website. The park only allows so many visitors per day, so it is recommended to book in advance, especially if you plan on visiting during the weekend.
- Adult tickets are $18 and children from 2-11 years old are $6.
- outside food and drinks are not allowed except for water. There is a counter-service-style restaurant in the park.
- We have a full, detailed travel guide for visiting the town of Manuel Antonio
How to get there
We recommend staying in Manuel Antonio town or Quepos town. Not only is it super close to the park, but there are a lot of things to do in and around Manuel Antonio. Check out our 3-day Manuel Antonio Itinerary and our post on the best things to do in Manuel Antonio!
A day trip to Manuel Antonio National Park is totally doable from Jaco, Dominical, or Uvita.
Renting a car is best when visiting Costa Rica. There is paid parking available near the park. Be on the lookout for locals trying to charge you high rates for parking that is not very close to the entrance. These are the first lots that you will see as you drive to the park but if you keep going further up the road, there are plenty of lots with fair prices much closer to the entrance.
We booked a tour guide on Airbnb and they kindly let us know where they recommended for us to park. Chalo is the name of the owner of the lot. He is a trustworthy guy and will take care of your car. You must leave your keys with him and this is because he moves the cars in front of one another to optimize space. The lot is right next to the entrance and the cost for the day is 5000 colones or 9 USD. This is the location!
If you do not plan on renting a car during your stay, we recommend booking a tour with transportation to and from your hotel or rental home.
Wildlife in Manuel Antonio
There are so many types of animals that live in and near the park. The best way to see them is to visit the park with a guide. We were so impressed with the way our guide could point out the animals. We would never have been able to spot them if we went alone.
Please be aware of the people standing at the entrance of the park pretending to be wildlife guides. This is a common scam in the area. In reality, certified guides have to go through a specific process that confirms their abilities as wildlife guides. Do not spend your money on people who are pretending to be official guides when they are not. The best place to book a guide is through your accommodation, Airbnb experiences, or a website like TripAdvisor.
We booked our wonderful guide, Jason, through Airbnb and we had a great experience with him. We spent 2 hours walking the main trails of the park while he spotted countless animals for us. After the tour, we walked down to the beach and were able to stay in the park for as long as we wanted. Book with Jason here!
Beaches in the park
Manuel Antonio has 3 main beaches for people to visit. Playa Espadilla South, Manuel Antonio Beach, and Playa Escondido. The first two are very close together and easy to walk in between.
Manuel Antonio Beach
The most popular beach in the national park is Manuel Antonio Beach. This small but beautiful swimming spot has calm waves and clear water. It is perfect for swimming and for families to hang out. This will most likely be the most crowded spot in the entire park.
Playa Espadilla South
Sitting back to back with Manuel Antonio Beach is the gorgeous Playa Espadilla South. These two beaches jut out from the main coastline and form a small peninsula with walking trails in between the two sides. Playa Espadilla South is also connected to Playa Espadilla Norte, which is the free public section outside of the park. It is one of the things that we recommend you see in our Manuel Antonio Travel Guide.
As for the south side of the beach in the park, you will find a bigger sandy area with a long stretch of coastline. When we visited, there were far fewer people on this side of the peninsula compared to Manuel Antonio Beach. The waters were a bit rougher with noticeably taller waves, but swimming is still allowed here!
Other beaches in the park
There are a few other beaches that you can visit such as Playa Escondido Beach and Playa Las Gemelas Beach, but they are harder to get to and require longer and more difficult hikes. If you do decide to visit them, you will definitely be rewarded with more privacy and that “off the beaten path” feeling.
Where should you stay in Manuel Antonio?
Since there is no overnight accommodation and only one small restaurant inside the park, we recommend staying in Manuel Antonio Town or Quepos. Check out our Manuel Antonio Town Guide to plan your visit!
Comment your Manuel Antonio National Park tips and experiences below! 🙂
