Manuel Antonio National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio) is a small national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and 157 km (98 mi) from San José, the national capital. It was created in 1972 when the local community worked to protect the natural environment by stopping development and damage. They also opposed beach rules that limited local people’s access to beaches owned by foreigners. The park covers 1,983 hectares (4,900 acres) of land and 25,634 hectares (63,340 acres) of water, totaling 27,587 hectares (68,170 acres). Although it is one of the smallest Costa Rican national parks by land area, Manuel Antonio is the most visited of the 30 national parks, welcoming 4,388,460 visitors between 2012 and 2022.
In 2011, Manuel Antonio was named by Forbes as one of the world’s 12 most beautiful national parks. The park is famous for its beaches, rocky islands, hiking paths, tropical forests, and a wide variety of wildlife.
Features of the park
This park has beautiful natural areas, including several coves, many white-sand beaches, and thick green plants. These areas are surrounded by large mountains and forests that extend to the beaches. The park is also located within a tropical forest.
The park is known for its pleasant weather and striking views, which attract many visitors from nearby areas and other countries. To support visitors, the park is building better facilities while working to protect the environment. This includes following strict rules to reduce harm to nature. Some buildings, such as the Visitor Centre and the Casa de Guarda Parques, were designed by bioclimatic architects Ibo Bonilla and Rafael Víquez. The park also has a network of trails with paths that are easy for everyone to use, including people in wheelchairs. These trails include rest areas and spots where visitors can enjoy scenic views.
Beaches
Four beaches are located inside the park: Manuel Antonio, Espadilla Sur, Tesoro, and Playita. Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur are connected by a "tombolo," which is a natural land bridge made of sand. It takes about an hour to hike from Espadilla Sur to the top of Punta Catedral, which is 100 meters high. Both Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur have tidal pools and are good places for snorkeling.
A lifeguard program is in place, but visitors should take safety measures because rip currents can occur.
Biodiversity
Manuel Antonio National Park is small, but it has a lot of different animals. The park covers 19.83 km (7.66 sq mi) and includes 109 mammal species and 184 bird species. Both the brown-throated three-toed sloth and Hoffmann's two-toed sloth live there, along with three of Costa Rica's four monkey species: the mantled howler monkey, Central American squirrel monkey, and Panamanian white-faced capuchin monkey. Other animals in the park include the black spiny-tailed iguana, green iguana, common basilisk, white-nosed coati, and many types of snakes and bats. The 184 bird species include toucans, woodpeckers, potoos, motmots, tanagers, turkey vultures, parakeets, and hawks. Dolphins can be seen there, and sometimes migrating whales pass by. Activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, sea kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking let visitors experience the wildlife that lives in the area.
Before, Manuel Antonio was the second most visited park in Costa Rica, after Poás Volcano National Park, which is near San José, the country's largest city. However, because of recent eruptions, Poás Volcano is closed indefinitely, making Manuel Antonio the most visited national park in Costa Rica.
Access
The main entrance road to the area is Route 618, which connects to Quepos.
The park is open daily except on Tuesdays. It is also open on holidays such as Christmas, New Year's Day, and Easter. However, if a holiday occurs on a Tuesday, the park will be closed on that day.
As of May 4, 2021, SINAC is the only organization that sells park admission tickets. Tickets must be purchased online and require a valid ID.