Manuel Antonio NP - Costa Rica 1972

 

Manuel Antonio National Park, in Spanish the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, is a small national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and 132 km from the national capital of San José. 

Established in 1972 with a land area enumerating 1,983 ha, it is considered the smallest of any Costa Rican national park. The park caters to as many as 150,000 visitors annually, and is well known for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails. In 2011, Manuel Antonio was listed by Forbes as among the world's 12 most beautiful national parks.

Features of the park

This park has impressive landscapes and several coves with many white-sand beaches and lush foliage amidst great mountains and forests that reach the beaches. Additionally, it is located in a tropical forest.

Known for its excellent climate and scenic beauty, the park is visited by a large number of national and international tourists. The park is currently developing adequate infrastructure to support visitors, with emphasis on harmony with nature to reduce visual impact and follow strict environmental protection. 

Some buildings have been designed by renowned bioclimatic architects Ibo Bonilla and Rafael Víquez, including the Visitor Centre and the Casa de Guarda Parques. The park is also crossed by a network of trails equipped with universal accessibility facilities, rest areas, and scenic overlooks.

Beaches

Four beaches are contained within the limits of the park: Manuel Antonio, Espadilla Sur, Tesoro, and Playita. The first is separated from the second by a "tombolo", or natural land bridge formed by sand accumulations. 

It is a roughly hour-long hike from Espadilla to the top of Punta Catedral (100 m). Both Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur contain tidal pools and offer the possibility of snorkeling. In the past, Punta Catedral was an island and has a geomorphological formation called Tómbolo, where many species passed from the coast to the island. Walking through the interior through the path we can admire patches of primary and secondary forest, as well as excellent viewpoints, from where you can see several islands located in front of the continent.

Biodiversity

Although Manuel Antonio National Park is Costa Rica's smallest national park, the diversity of wildlife in its 6.83 km2 is unequaled with 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds. Both brown-throated three-toed sloth and Hoffmann's two-toed sloth are a major feature, as are three of Costa Rica's four monkey species -  the mantled howler monkey, Central American squirrel monkey, and Panamanian white-faced capuchin monkey. 

Other species found in the park include black spiny-tailed iguana, green iguana, common basilisk, white-nosed coati and many snake and bat species. Included in the 184 bird species are toucans, woodpeckers, potoos, motmots, tanagers, turkey vulture, parakeets and hawks. 

Habitats

Manuel Antonio National Park has the perfect mix of habitats for easy wildlife viewing. Positioned on the central Pacific coast, you can find primary and secondary rainforest, mangrove, wetland, and beach all within a short walk. Within these environments is an incredible diversity of plants and animals. Over 346 plant species provide food and shelter for more than 350 species of birds and 100 species of mammals.

Wildliffe

Anyone visiting Manuel Antonio National Park should expect to see at least some wildlife. How much depends on the day, conditions, and of course, some luck. Seeing a lot of wildlife on your own is possible, but a good guide can help you get even more out of your visit.

Over generations, the wildlife inside Manuel Antonio National Park has grown accustomed to living with people around. Tourists and guides are part of their everyday life. This allows you to get some great, close-up wildlife encounters without stressing the animals.

For those with limited mobility, wildlife is still within reach. The first trails inside the park are along a flat boardwalk, which is handicap accessible. There are resting benches and shady spots to sit and observe the wonderful flora and fauna.

Monkeys

In Costa Rica there are four types of monkeys. Inside the park, you should be able to find two or maybe even three of them. The two most common monkey species to encounter inside Manuel Antonio National Park are howler monkeys and white-faced monkeys. You’ll likely hear the howler monkeys before you see them. These blackish-brown monkeys spend most of their time in groups high up in the trees. They occasionally let out loud bellows to mark their territory and communicate. Once you hear their call, you can usually pinpoint their location.

Sloths

Costa Rica has two species of sloth. The three-toed sloth and the two-toed sloth. Both live inside Manuel Antonio National Park. The three-toed sloth is the easiest to see. These sloths have grayish, rough fur that can sometimes appear green because of algae growth. They also have a distinctive black mask. Three-toed sloths are more likely spotted along the inland trails in taller trees. However, they do move around into lower branches.

Two-toed sloths are less common or maybe just better at hiding from us. Two-toed sloths have whitish fur and sort of a pink face. When we do see them, they are usually in trees near the beach catching an ocean breeze. If you are set on seeing sloths, we would highly recommend a guided tour of the park. Guides know what trees they prefer to sleep in and what leaves they like to eat.

Reptiles

Many species of reptile call Manuel Antonio National Park home as well. There are larger reptiles like crocodiles and caiman inside the park’s swampy lagoon and salty mangroves. These can be tricky to see, though, because of the dense vegetation. More easily observed are smaller species like spiny-tailed iguanas, green iguanas, Jesus Christ lizards, basilisk lizards, whiptail lizards, and anoles. Less common species like the helmeted iguana and some species of skink also can be observed with a little luck.

Birds

With over 350 species of birds living in or migrating through Manuel Antonio National Park, you’re sure to see at least a few exotic feathered friends. Two types of toucan, the Yellow-throated Toucan and Fiery-billed Aracari, are common inside the park. You also may be able to see a few trogons, antbirds, flycatchers, tanagers, motmots, and birds of prey like hawks as well.

Other Critters

Other things you may see on your own are racoons and coati. Coati are sort of like racoons but have longer snouts and walk with their tails in the air. Agouti are small, brown rodent-like animals that can sometimes be seen scampering along the forest floor.

Keep a lookout for white-tailed deer too. These quietly stroll through open areas or across the trail. Halloween crabs, with their bright orange and black color pattern, are easy to see near the mangroves and on the edges of the boardwalk. They make burrows in the mud.

Best Beaches in Manuel Antonio

The Manuel Antonio region of Costa Rica is home to some of the best beaches in the country. From their golden sand to their emerald waters to their underwater life, these beaches have it all.

Playa Espadilla Sur Beach is the largest/longest of beaches within Manuel Antonio National Park. It is a beautiful long stretch of beach with the rainforest meeting the beach. There will be some beautiful views of the coastline in both directions along with some rock formations further out in the water. 

Just on the other side of Playa Espadilla Sur Beach we will find the smaller, but just as beautiful Playa Manuel Antonio Beach. The crystal clear waters hitting the golden sand, which meets up directly with the rainforest behind it is quite a place to enjoy within the park. Since this is in the National Park, the beach is very clean and the water is a great place to swim in. Relaxing on the sand here with the wildlife all around, makes Playa Manuel Antonio Beach one of the best in the area.

Towards the far end of Playa Manuel Antonio, there are additional trails that head further into the National Park. One of those trails leads to the small and secluded Playa Las Gemelas Beach. This beach is certainly smaller than the previous beaches mentioned.  

The waters from the creek merged with sea currents, the wind and the movements of tectonic plaques have given life to these twin beaches, making them change with time. Even though it seems to be moving slowly, the beach is alive and home to many species.

The last beach within Manuel Antonio National Park is called Playa Escondido Beach. This also happens to be the least accessible one and can only be accessed during low tide. It is no longer on the hiking trails of the National Park. However, you can still get a great viewpoint from above at the end of the Puerto Escondido Trail. You would recommend speaking to a park ranger to understand what the safest route would be.

Out of Manuel Antonio National Park and towards the beaches just nearby the town center. The main beach around Manuel Antonio is called Playa Espadilla Beach. This is by far the longest of beaches around the area and spans 3 kilometers in length. Along the outskirts of the beach there are hotels, bars, restaurants and more to enjoy during your time in the area. 

The beach itself will in turn also be the busiest of beaches around Manuel Antonio. Here we will find plenty of tourists and locals alike setting up umbrellas, chairs, games and more all along the beach front. There is also a lifeguard on duty making it a safe place to swim depending on conditions. Looking southbound along the beach, the Playa Espadilla Sur Beach out in the distance in addition to the National Park rainforest.

One of the local’s favorite beaches outside the National Park is called Playa Biesanz. The beach is located on what is called Quepos Point, where we will also find one of the best hotels in the area – Parador Resort & Spa. Along the way to the resort, there is a turn off point towards this “hidden beach”. The beach itself though is surrounded by lush greenery all around and beautiful clear water to enjoy. We can also rent paddle boards, kayaks, chairs, and snorkeling gear from the folks who look after the beach. In addition, there are even guided kayak/snorkeling tours.

Manuel Antonio Beach is the most beautiful of all and also the most visited. With a length of 450 meters, it is the most appropriate for snorkeling. Scuba diving, snorkeling, sea kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking provide opportunities to experience the tropical wildlife that enriches Manuel Antonio. 

Dolphins can be observed there, as well as the occasional migrating whale. 

Manuel Antonio was previously Costa Rica's second most visited park behind the Poás Volcano National Park which lies very close to San José, the country's largest urban area. 

However, due to recent eruptions, Poás Volcano is closed indefinitely, making Manuel Antonio the most visited national park in Costa Rica.

Here’s a quick video of our first time at the national park. Video taken before the sloth and universal trail and cafeteria were built.

You can visit Manuel Antonio National Park with a guide or without a guide. Whether you hire a guide is completely up to you and depends on the kind of experience you want at the park.