You don't have to choose between the forest and the beach because at Manuel Antonio National Park you can have your cake and eat it too! Located three hours from San Jose, the popular reserve protects 1,685 acres (682 ha) of tropical rainforest lined by blue ocean waters and packed with the most unbelievable animals, birds and plants.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Well-maintained trails lead you to a lookout point offering breathtaking panoramic views of the park and the surrounding ocean. Walk through the forest and you'll come across cheeky white-faced capuchin, spider and howler monkeys, sloths resting in the trees, iguanas, coati scampers, toucans, parrots, and scarlet macaws just to name a few.
Back on the coast, you have a selection of four white-sand beaches. Most visitors agree that Manuel Antonio Beach is the prettiest of them all, featuring a receded bay, coral reef and soothing tidal pools. Pacific green and olive ridley turtles seem to agree because they pick this location to lay their eggs just like they have for centuries. Traps set during pre-Columbian times can still be seen on the rocks surrounding the beach, but the site is now under careful surveillance to protect the endangered species.
The Pacific meets the park on three sides because it's located on a small peninsula called Punta Catedral. The former island is now connected to the land by a natural sand bridge. Entrance to the park is limited to 600 people per day in order to minimize human impact on the ecosystem so rise up early like the birds and head to Manuel Antonio.
With the establishment of Manuel Antonio National Park in 1972, the people of Costa Rica decided to preserve, for future generations, one of the most beautiful and bio-diverse areas in the world. Although it is the country's smallest national park, the stunning beauty and diversity of wildlife in its 683 hectares is unequaled.
Everyone that travels through the mid Pacific zone has Manuel Antonio on their list. It’s located 98 miles South of San Jose and 4.5 miles from Quepos. It's of easy access, and one of the most beautiful parks in Costa Rica.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Inside, paths, an estuary, a lagoon, and beaches seem to have it all. A mangrove swamp, with the red, buttonwood and white mangrove species, covers 44.5 acres. If you walk through the tropical forest, you'll find mosses, ferns, flowers and epiphytes growing on every tree. Along one of the trails you'll come upon an observation tower; on the very top a 360 degrees view will take your breath away. Licensed local guides are available at the park's entrance and are worth the investment. They will help you see all the wildlife Costa Rica is famous for, as they help you understand the habitat and the roles played by the different animals, plants and insects. Be sure to follow any ecosensitive advice you're given.
This way you'll contribute to the country's conservation efforts and you'll enjoy the park to the fullest. If you visit the park during high season, try to arrive early, since it usually welcomes a lot of visitors.
Manuel Antonio contains a charming combination of rain forest, beaches and coral reefs. These beaches are the most beautiful in the country, lined with lush forest, and the snorkeling is excellent too. The forest is home for sloths, iguanas, the rare and adorable squirrel monkeys and millions of colorful little crabs. And the trail that winds around Punta Catedral affords some spectacular views. The park is easy to reach, south of the town of Quepos, and is near a good selection of hotels and restaurants.
Visiting the park, one is treated to an abundant diversity of wildlife. Cathedral Point, with its forest topped cliffs was once an island, but is now connected to the coast by a thin strip of island. This land bridge now forms the spine separating the parks two most popular beaches, Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio.
The southern facing beach, Playa Manuel Antonio, is a picturesque half mile long, white sand crescent bisecting deep green foliage to one side and a private, secluded cove to the other. Standing with your feet dug into the sand and watching the wave crash against the rocks on either side of the lagoon, it is easy to believe that you are a thousand miles from anywhere.
The Manuel Ant National Park is part of a Humis Tropical Forest life zone. It's home to many species of endangered flora and fauna, and it protects primary and secondary forests, the mangroves, beach vegetation and marine resources.
Some of the species of flora in the primary forest are the bully tree; cedar; black locust (a tree in danger of extinction); cow tree; silk cotton tree; and many more. The raccoon; white-nosed coaties; agouties; the two-toed sloth; white.faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys are some of the most common, yet impressive animal species.
Birds are also abundant. Keep your eyes open for the brown pelican; laughing falcon; black-collared hawk; and green kingfisher.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Chances are you won't want your stay in the town of Manuel Antonio to end. It not only offers restaurants, lodging and souvenir shops, but the friendly atmosphere and teh laidback lifestyle are hard to leave behind. Manuel Antonio National Park's 683 hectares boast some of the country's most varied and breathtaking scenery. Surrounded by lush, very wet tropical forest, the park's trails offer sightings of white-faced monkeys, sloths, coatis, raccoons, iguanas and many bird species, as well as the Costa Rican squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus), which is endemic to Manuel Antonio that is, it is found only in this part of the world. Increasingly endangered, at last count these monkeys numbered only 1,500.
The park also protects 12 islands that serve as excellent refuges for several seabird species, as well as several stunning beaches (Espadilla Sur, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Escondido), a 14-hectare lagoon and a mangrove swamp. Connecting Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur beaches, Punta Catedral is a place of great natural beauty. Visitor services include information, a park ranger station, trails, restrooms, drinking water, signage and several natural viewpoints.
Manuel Antonio National Park is perhaps the most visited park in Costa Rica. The picturesque Punta Catedral was once an island off the coast. Over the years, sedimentation filled in a bar of sand, connecting it to the mainland. The locals call this stretch of white sand beach Tombolo.
The volcanic-sedimentary cliffs rise steeply from the shoreline, providing scenic vistas and hiking trails. The forested hillsides are home to many of the animals, plants and flowers that are Costa Rica's unique attractions: Monkeys, sloths, iguanas, toucans and scarlet macaws,
The islands and islets of Manuel Antonio provide an important refuge for a variety of sea birds. Olocuita and Mogote Islands are mating and nesting sites for brown pelicans, frigate birds and ahingas.
The three primary beaches of the park are Playas Espadilla Sur, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Escondido Costa Rica. The mouth of the Rio Naranjo forms the southern border of the park.
Manuel Antonio National Park contains several short trails (see map below), all of which are easily accessible and well maintained; most trails are either sand, or cement. These trails provide the best opportunity in Costa Rica to see both white-faced and squirrel monkeys. The trails tend to follow the coastline, supplying beautiful views and easy access to the white sand beaches. Some of Costa Rica's most beautiful white sand beaches, in particular Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio are located in Manuel Antonio National Park. One particular trail, the Punta Cathedral, heads up to the tip of the point providing beautiful vistas of the ocean and islands which are situtated of the rugged coastline. This particular trail, while not very demanding, has a short quick incline to the top of the peninsula.
In addition, Manuel Antonio includes 12 islands located a short distance from shore. Most of them lack vegetation and serve as excellent seabird sanctuaries; they are an especially important nesting site for the brown booby. The pacific waters contain numerous dolphins and, at times, migrating whales are sighted. There is a wide range of marine flora and fauna. So far, 10 species of sponge, 19 corals, 24 crustaceans, 17 algaes and 78 fish species have been identified.
The parks flora and fauna is impressive, with the dominant trees being the black locust, balsa, monkey comb, bastard cedar and mayflower. Some 109 mammals species, including two-toed sloths, raccoons, white-nosed coatis, and all three species of monkey, and 184 species of birds have been spotted within the park. Of particular interest is the beautiful and delightful squirrel monkey, an endangered species now restricted to a very small territory in Costa Rica.
Just outside the park, several local vendors offer a wide range of activities, i.e. scuba diving, kayaking, surfing and more. In addition, rafting, dolphin and sailing excursions can all be booked through local travel agencies, or by your hotel. Short day trips to Caño Island are available, which is popular for those interested in scuba diving. Several eateries, bars, souvenir shops and fruit stands are also situated along the beachfront. One could easily go to the beach for the day and not need to return to the hotel room until the day is over.
Protected Areas 
