Its not a hard walk at all and the views are incredible. Always lock your doors and roll up your windows. Its still the same white sand, sparkling turquoise water beach but more cozy and intimate due to its smaller size. It was all very rude and a disappointing experience. Changes have been promised for 2020. Overcrowding led the park service to limit the number visitors to 600 on weekdays and 800 on weekends and holidays. Only a few parks in Costa Rica are handicap friendly (Cahuita and Carara) and this is one of the nicest ones Ive seen! There are two parking lots at Manuel Antonio National Park we recommend. The bus is around 335 colones (.50 USD) for a one-way ticket. No trails are necessary for some other interesting walks in the park. Mytanfeet is full of local tips, detailed guides, photos, videos and maps to help you plan the perfect trip to Costa Rica. It does get really humid in the park, so shorts and a t-shirt will help keep you cooler. See the park come alive in the dark with a night tour. During the rainy season, it is common for the mornings to be sunny and the afternoons to have storms. If youre visiting in rainy season, make sure you have a waterproof backpack or backpack cover. Known as one of the mostspectacular national parks in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park is a place you dont want to pass by. They dont offer a package option to purchase one pass for several days, you will need to buy them every time you want to go to the park. You can bring your original passport or bring a photocopy or photo of the passport ID page. Its a good way to relax after a busy morning of hiking. Manuel Antonio National Park | A Guide To Its Untamed Beauty If you want to avoid paying for parking or dont have a rental car, you can easily take the bus from Quepos to Manuel Antonio National Park. Near the entrance, a small area of mangroves boasts three species, red, buttonwood, and white. About Manuel Antonio National Park Manuel Antonio National Park was established in 1972 as a way to protect this area of rainforest and all the animals inside. If you dont do the other trails, this one is pretty short so you can wander over there to check it out if youre short on time or arent interested in hiking the rest. The admission fee is $18.08, children from 2 to 11 years old pay $5.65. Related Read: If youre hoping for somegreat surfing in Costa Rica, head to Espadilla Beach in Manuel Antonio town. When you get to Playa Espadilla Sur, you can see Playa Espadilla Norte and all the hotels on the hill on the other side. Everyone must start leaving by 330 PM. ElevationsFrom sea level to about 160 feet (50 meters) Lauren works full-time in supply chain management for a global food company. When you get to the end to Beach Trail, you will see the Coopealianza ticket booth to the left and the park entrance will be to the right. The beaches and trails inside the park are open from 7:00am to 4:00pm. Snorkeling Manuel Antonio 8. You dont need a tour to enjoy the beaches here, so I recommend having a guided tour in the morning and then enjoying the beaches for the rest of the day on your own. The park is actually too small to support a viable population, and the monkeys travel to surrounding areas aided by aerial bridges over the road sponsored by local school children. We provide 15 luxury vacation rental homes, along with our condos at our Manuel Antonio Estates location, for all budgets, and also 2 vacation rentals 10 minutes from Quepos at our Palmas Pacifica location and 1 vacation rental in the Central Valley of San Jose which is only 15 minutes from the Juan Santamara International Airport. You must purchase Manuel Antonio National Park tickets here. Youll certainly see brown pelicans fishing offshore, and five species of kingfishers (martn pescador) including the brilliant emerald amazon (amaznico) species working the streams and lakes. Transportation: If you are not parking, you can take the local bus and walk to the ticket booth. There are bathrooms at the entrance of the national park and inside the the national park at 3 different points. January and February are the driest months; August through October are the rainiest. Also read the information boards they have at every stop. 2022 Guide To Visit Manuel Antonio National Park Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the best national parks in Costa Rica for hiking, wildlife and beaches. From the entrance the main trail, Sendero El Perezoso runs for 1.4km down to Playa Manuel Antonio. Ticket Price:Please click HERE for current ticket pricing. The beaches are one of our favorite places inside the park. If you need to fill up your water bottle, the caf can help you with that. You can hire just a naturalist guide or you can book a full tour. Keep your eyes in the tree tops to spot them, sloths are notoriously hard to see since they camouflage so well and move so little. Manuel Antonio beach was voted one of the top 25 beaches in the world by Tripadvisors Travelers Choice Award 2019, Important information to know before visiting the area, Welcome to Manuel Antonio Park Costa Rica, Important environmental places for tourism in Quepos, Costa Rica, a climate success story in the world (FRANCE 24 Espaol), Fauna & Flora Chapter 2: The Beach almond tree, The beaches and trails inside the park are open from, Entrance tickets can only be purchased online, and your passport number is required for registry at If you have any other questions about this park or traveling to Costa Rica in general, dont hesitate to reach out. Continue on until you see restaurants and stores to your left and you will see a small road on the left after you pass the Super Joseth convenience store. Tickets MUST bepurchased in advance online here. Youll head to the bus station in Quepos or you can wait at a bus stop along the hill in Quepos if youre staying at a hotel there. There are also guides at the national park entrance for hire, just ask for their guide certification (should be a badge with ICT certification). The drive from Manuel Antonio to the national park is 10 minutes and possibly even shorter, depending on where your hotel is. If you want to extend your time here, grab lunch at the caf inside the park and then head to one of the beaches for the afternoon. Visitors are limited daily though, which is why you should buy a ticket in advance (more details on that below.). soumettre votre rservation. Here is an overview of the Manuel Antonio National Park trails. Park Info - Manuel Antonio National Park | Information Center We paid 3,000 colones for parking the whole day in September. As David Rains Wallace describes it in The Quetzal and the Macaw, Despite its relatively tiny size, it was still bursting with biodiversity in 1990. With its unique tropical rain forests, diverse plant life, numerous animals, and beautiful beaches, Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica attracts visitors from around the globe. These arent the highest of quality, and I highly suggest having a big meal before you enter the park. Important: The Park is Closed on Mondays from July to November. You can read more about the guided tour and submit your booking. The guys stay there at the parking lot to watch it but I still recommend not leaving anything valuable visible in your car. Theyll tell you where to grab a taxi or take the bus to get back to your hotel. This is very important. Opening times and entrance fee Manuel Antonio National Park. Things tend to be less expensive and not as crowded during the rainy season from May to November. The longest trail is the Waterfall Trail and its around 5.5 miles (9 kms) and most are much shorter in that 1-mile (1.5 kms) range. The admission fee is $18.08, children from 2 to 11 years old pay $5.65. This one takes you a bit deeper inside the forest. You dont want to worry about driving, parking or buying park tickets. There are washrooms at the main entrance and a few other spots around the park, showers and changing rooms near the main beach, a caf for food, a small shop, and some water refill stations. Note:High season (December 2018 through April 2019) was declared an organizational disaster by national news media with hundreds of tourists waiting in line for hours on a dusty sun baked road for someone to exit and give them a chance to enter the park. This is NOT near the national park! Directions to Ticket Booth: From the parking lot next to Hotel Manuel Antonio, walk past the hotel to Beach Trail. When one of them, Arthur Bergeron, began cutting trees and erecting gates on the road in preparation for constructing a private resort the locals reacted by requesting the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly to protect the area for all to enjoy. If youd like to book a professionally guided tour please click HERE. If you go the guided tour route, double-check to see if it includes admission or not. Get someone (or hire a jeep taxi) to drive you up, then cruise down. This makes the customer service personalized by receiving full information on the flora, fauna, history of the park and information on the culture of the area. Its the smallest national park in the country but one of the most popular. We came in from San Jos by bicycle and only rode down this side, but can assure you that the ride up would be a tough one. Around 3 PM, park rangers will close the beaches and start going around telling people they have 1 hour left. This trail is a short dirt road, and you will walk over a small bridge. Welcome to Manuel Antonio Park - Costa Rica Reviewers warned that there are many people trying to get you to pay for parking whoare reallynot associated with the park at all. Whether you hire a guide is completely up to you and depends on the kind of experience you want at the park. Things to See in Manuel Antonio National Park | Frommer's The park is simple to get to and close to the small town of Manuel Antonio, so its easy to base yourself in the area for a few days. If youre looking for a more hidden beach, head to the secluded Playa Gemelas. 21 Things you NEED to know before visiting Manuel Antonio National Park They are just perfect. Although the lookout point appears to be very close to the beach on the map, you cannot access the beach from the top of this nearly vertical drop-off. The Manuel Antonio Park area also has a number of hotels which average about US$50-60/night. Dont forget to keep an eye out for animals. Les boissons sont autorises (eau, There is a parking lot next to the hotel with two security guards dressed in everyday clothing. and the park is closed on Tuesdays instead of Mondays <<Manuel Antonio National Park Visitor's Guide 2023 - MytanFeet Just a few km from Quepos theres a little known southern sector of Manuel Antonio National Park that joins the Portaln Wildlife Refuge to preserve the mangrove forest, lagoons and wetlands of Estero Rey and the Ros Naranjo and Savegre. Along the shore is a mix of manzanillo, beach almond (an import from the East Indies), copey, and coconut palms trees. Keep your eyes out at the beach, you may even run into some reptile friends who are basking in the sun! All trails are well marked and there are signs and maps everywhere so you wont get lost. 360. This specific spot is really close. The ocean. 5% OFFon your booking with promo code:MAPark. If you go with an organized tour, your entrance to the National Park may be included. Top ways to experience Manuel Antonio National Park and nearby attractions. Vous pouvez en savoir plus sur la visite guide et Id say you need at least half a day (4 hours) to really explore the park and walk along some of the trails. The facilities in the park are minimal, but theres enough so you can stay all day comfortably. High temperatures average 81 F (27 C) to 86 F (30 C) year round. The property is located down the street from the entrance at Manual Antonio National Park and they offer free shuttles both to the park and Espadilla beach. Lauren researches destinations for outdoor activities and food. Manuel Antonio National Park If rain looks likely,pack a rain jacket or poncho. You can do all these hikes in one day but its a lot of walking. You can also bookguided tours like this one. You might spot red-eyed tree frogs, tiny crabs like the orange Halloween crabs, or snakes. The main park entrance is located almost about 1.5km (almost a mile) inland, at the end of the road that leads off perpendicular to Playa Espadilla at the corner featuring the popular Marlin Restaurant. All you have to do is buy a normal entrance ticket and explore. If you dont have a car, there is the bus that runs every 15 minutes for around 50 cents. If theres any trail you should go hiking at Manuel Antonio National Park, its this one. Also be sure to check out more of our in-depth guides including: COMPLETE Guide to Visiting La Leona Waterfall, Fun Things to do in Puerto Limn, Costa Rica, 15 Things To Know Before Visiting Rio Celeste (Rio Celeste Waterfall), Is Costa Rica Safe? Cathedral Point, with its forest topped cliffs, was once an island but is now connected to the coast by a thin strip of island. Many generally do not know the importance of its function and that the mangrove represents a natural. The beach is gorgeous, I could never get tired of the quintessential tropical jungle meets ocean views! available around the park entrance for, Las playas y senderos dentro del parque estn abiertos de, Las entradas slo se pueden comprar en lnea, y se requiere el nmero de pasaporte para el registro Guided tours are available at $65 for adults, $50 for children. This path, Sendero Mirador leads to the view of Punta Serrucho (saw tip). Entrance fee to Manuel Antonio Park? - Tripadvisor 1 [dead link] El Faro Beach Hotel (Hotel El Faro), Manuel Antonio National Park entrance (at the Manuel Antonio National Park entrance 400 m from the beach), +506 2777 5115, info@elfaro.cr. Standing with your feet dug into the sand and watching the wave crash against the rocks on either side of the lagoon, it is easy to believe that you are a thousand miles from anywhere. The bus costs 335 colones one way per person and leaves every half an hour or so starting at 530 AM until 930 PM. Back then, there were concerns about development overtaking it, so establishing the park ensured the area would remain as it is. You can bring food like prepared sandwiches and fruit in sealed bags/containers. Hiking Manuel Antonio Park 5. All of them leave from the Quepos bus station and the buses stop on the hill on the way. Also, the park warns about people along the road leading here that will try to sell you entrance tickets, tours, or parking they are not connected to the park in any way, so dont buy anything from them! But if youre planning to visit on a holiday or weekend, arrive as early as possible preferably right when the park opens. This is the only way to get park tickets, they do not sell them at the entrance. The bus drops off near the beach at a roundabout. Educational Jungle Night Walk - Manuel Antonio Park Especially near the shore, iguanas (garrobo), and ctenosaurs (iguana negra) are easily spotted. Manuel Antonio National Park - Enter Costa Rica Citizens and Residents 1,800 ($US 2.50) Manuel Antonio: 1 of the Top Places to Visit in Costa Rica - MytanFeet Costa Rica national parks open this month Below is a list of national parks and protected wildlife areas open for visitors this month, according to the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). Just make sure to use mosquito repellent. Visit Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica for a chance to spot sloths, monkeys, and almost 200 different species of birds! Best Day Trips and Things to Do in Manuel Antonio - MytanFeet In order to get a parking spot, it is best to visit the park as early as possible. Considering that you are planning a big trip and want to enjoy the park, it is important to be prepared for the typical problems associated with any popular attraction.Continue reading for vital information on how to visit this park if you are driving your own vehicle and how to locate the park entrance. This sprawling area filled with tons of biodiversity and natural beauty is often called Costa Rica's best national park . The park gets around 150,000 visitors every year! It is easiest to arrive as early as you can. Its cooler first thing in the morning and the animals and birds in the park tend to be a bit more active than in the afternoons. It isnt good for them and you dont want them grabbing your stuff either! Large Star = Where I found parking each day, right next to Hotel Manuel Antonio. There are buses that go to the national park. You can choose to spend the rest of the day inside the park to enjoy the beaches but might need to take the bus or a taxi back to your hotel. These guys are not telling the truth and trying to rip off tourists. Yes, you can! You wont be missing anything amazing (there are a lot more beautiful waterfalls in the South Pacific like Nauyaca). Manuel Antonio National Park is the smallest yet most heavily visited national park in Costa Rica. Heart= Park Entrance. Luxurious 1 to 8 bedroom vacation rentals and villas in a safe and private, gated community in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.