PARQUE NACIONAL MANUEL ANTONIO

This park of 682 hectares, which bears the name of a conquistador buried here, is one of the most visited in Costa Rica, and we understand why. The Manuel Antonio National Park, although one of the smallest parks in the country in terms of surface area, offers a rich biodiversity which seduces for sure the travelers of this destination, in great majority amateurs of nature and adventure! And this is not its only asset since the park is home to beautiful beaches and a plethora of activities for all tastes. In 2011, it was elected one of the twelve most beautiful parks in the world by Forbes magazine. In 2019, the four beaches even obtained (after losing it a few years ago ...) the Bandera Azul certification. The surroundings are clean, but we feel that the wave of visitors in high season does not contribute to the optimal conservation of the place. Fortunately, the tangle of vegetation defends the integrity of the forest and the animals are friendly enough to approach: sago, birds, lizards, blood-red and midnight blue crabs, yellow spiders in the center of webs glistening in the sun, and iguanas that emerge from the thickets in the late afternoon and run away between your legs. In some places, there are openings to access the beaches and picnic areas.

You can swim without any problem, but watch out for raccoons and monkeys (more greedy than greedy), who will come and help themselves to your backpack; everyone ties their belongings to trees high up! All these long sandy beaches are also perfectly suited to observe the fish that abound near the coast. All you need is a pair of fins and a snorkel, and you're ready to explore.

Access and guide. In the past, tickets were purchased at a secure bank counter 75 meters before the entrance to protect the rangers (true!) since the park makes a lot of money from tourism. Today, security is total since tickets can only be purchased online, on the SINAC website. If you plan to take a guided tour, the agency or your guide will buy them for you.

Parking. There is no official national park parking, but several private parking lots are available near the entrance. It costs 4,000 to 5,000 colones per day. Beware of people who will try to sell you a parking space and overpriced guided tours when you approach the park entrance.

Path to the beach. The sendero paralelo, parallel as its name implies, with car access for the disabled, is very popular and leads to the famous Manuel Antonio beach in about 20 minutes, a family favorite. If you see a crowd, it means there is an animal. Usually it's sloths that are around, if not raccoons. They are known to come and steal in the bags of the tourists just like the capuchin monkeys. They are ready to do anything to eat. Even if the picture will make you smile (and you will get dozens and dozens of "likes" on social networks, do not feed them! It is anyway forbidden to enter the park with food (drinks are accepted on the other hand). By doing so, you protect them and contribute to their survival for years to come. Think about it)

From Manuel Antonio Beach, there are several lesser-used paths leading to different beaches. The closest one, on the other side of the path, is Playa Espadilla. It is one of the most pleasant. If you decide to walk along it to the south, keep in mind that there is no access to the exit, which was the case a few years ago. Continuing on the main trail to the left after Manuel Antonio beach, you come to a small rocky cove and then to Puerto Escondido (in half an hour), a gap in the secondary forest that borders a piece of primary forest, the last one. No access to this beach.

From the beach of Manuel Antonio, a path leads to the Catedral point, which, long ago, was an island (72 m high). For about a hundred thousand years, the sand was deposited between the island and the coast to form what today allows access to it. This phenomenon is called "tombolo", and the tombolo of Catedral Point is said to be one of the most remarkable in the world.

Another path on the left, at the entrance of the park, leads to a waterfall during the rainy season only. Finally, the short Los Congos trail is for those who love the mountains. To enjoy all these trails, spend the day in the park; for a single trail and a swim, two hours will suffice.