What To See – Manuel Antonio
About My Trip to Manuel Antonio
Visiting Manuel Antonio National Park was one of the highlights of my two-week trip to Costa Rica and Panama. I planned my trip so my last stop would be two days at Manuel Antonio, which would include a full day visiting the national park.
I decided to visit Manuel Antonio without hiring a guide. By the time I arrived at the park, I had already toured Monteverde, La Fortuna, Arenal, and the rainforests of Panama with the aid of a guide. I figured that I could apply some of the knowledge I had learned in the various rainforests during my time at Manuel Antonio.
Looking back, I sort of wish I would have spent the additional $50-$100 on a tour. While I was able to learn quite a bit about the plants and animals in Manuel Antonio National Park, I believe that if I’d had a local expert, I probably would have been able to be more successful viewing. the wildlife.
Overall, I had a great time at Manuel Antonio. I highly recommend visiting this beautiful Costa Rican National Park and would put Manuel Antonio as one of the top places I’ve ever visited.
What To See - Manuel Antonio - Table of Contents
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Getting to Manuel Antonio
There are many options to get from place to place in Costa Rica. When choosing how to get to Manuel Antonio, I had two key considerations, cost and travel time. Before I visited Manuel Antonio, I was in the town of Monteverde, visiting the cloud forest. I had booked a shared transfer at the cost of $70. The company was supposed to pick me up at my hotel in Monteverde and drop me off at my hotel in Manuel Antonio. Unfortunately, record rain had made the roads difficult for travel, and the company canceled my ride.
The weather limited my options, so I chose to fly with SANSA Airlines. I had already flown multiple domestic flights with SANSA and thought they offered great service on comfortable planes. Their fleet of Cessna 208B Caravans accommodates up to 15 passengers.
My flight departed La Fortuna (2 hours by taxi-boat-taxi,) and had a brief transfer in San Jose. The nearest airport to Manuel Antonio is Quepos Airport, which was closed due to construction. This closing meant we had to land at an auxiliary airport and then take a shuttle to Quepos. It was quite the journey, but thankfully I was able to make it to Manuel Antonio on time.
You can read a detailed account of my flights on SANSA Airlines by clicking HERE.
Shuttles typically offer services either as shared transfers or private transfers. You can see the price difference below. If you book using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Prices are accurate as of June 2023.
 Manuel Antonio to SJO International Airport - Private Transfer - $165.07 Enjoy the comfort of a private high end ground transportation in a vehicle with full air conditioned, reclined seats, all quick stops you need and friendly driving. |
 Shared shuttle Manuel Antonio to San Jose - $85.00 Our shared transport service is characterized by meeting all the requirements in times of pandemic, you will travel in comfortable minibuses, respecting the space between travelers, with internet connection and space available to store your luggage. Our bilingual driver will take you safely from Manuel Antonio to San José City Downtown in just 4hours. After 2 hours we will make a stop, it will be in a souvenir shop, place where you will use bathrooms or buy something in a souvenir. After that, we will be in San José in the next 2 hours. |
Manuel Antonio's Public Beach
For beachgoers who do not want to enter Manuel Antonio National Park, there are many points to access the public beach off of Highway 618. The beach itself is free, but if you have a car rental, you will have to pay for parking. Once on the beach, visitors have access to food vendors and a variety of beachfront restaurants.
The Manuel Antonio Public Beach was crowded in some parts and virtually empty in others. There is at least one to two miles of access, and those looking for privacy will be able to find areas that are not crowded.
Having arrived in the late afternoon, I stayed at the beach until dusk. After walking around the public beach at Manuel Antonio, I walked towards the entrance to the park and found a restaurant to eat dinner at.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park is the main attraction, and almost everyone staying in the area will be visiting the park. This section highlights my all-day visit to Manuel Antonio National Park.
Getting to Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park is located at the base of a large hill on Highway 618. From my hotel, it was about a 30 minute downhill walk to the entrance of the park. The walk took me past beautiful scenery, and I was quite a few Capuchin Monkeys along the way. To get to the park entrance, there is a cutover from Highway 618. When walking through that cutover, be prepared to be approached by many unofficial tour guides. The best response to them is “no thank you” or “no queiro.”
To get back to my hotel, I chose to take a 5-minute taxi ride at the cost of around $8-$10.
In addition to walking and taxis, Manuel Antonio has a great public bus service. The bus runs around every 30-minutes and costs around $1. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, I chose not to take the bus and instead took a taxi.
During my visit, Manuel Antonio Park required an online reservation. Arrival times were staggered, which meant the entrance line was not too long. My arrival time was 10:00 am, and I was inside the park by 10:15 am.
The picture below was taken as I left the national park. At this time, the entrance was closed. The cost to enter Manuel Antonio National Park was $16.
Manuel Antonio National Park - The Trails
There are a variety of trails at Manuel Antonio National Park. I did not have a plan other than to walk as many of them as I could. It was interesting how different the vegetation became as I got closer to the Pacific Ocean. Near the park entrance, it was a rain forest, but as I ventured towards the coastline, it became a mangrove and grassland. By the time I reached the ocean, it was mostly just a few palm trees and other tropical plants.
The initial trail at Manuel Antonio National Park took me deeper into the park. Eventually, I came to a fork in the trail and chose to head towards the Pacific Ocean.
As I got closer to the ocean, the trail went into a mangrove. Suddenly, I felt like I was in the swamps of Louisiana.
It took about ten minutes or so to reach the Pacific Ocean. Once at the ocean, I had the choice of walking the shoreline or continuing on a different trail.
I chose to walk the shoreline trail, which was a sand trail. The trail was flat and only had a few obstacles along the way.
Manuel Antonio National Park - The Beach
The beach at Manuel Antonio National Park is much less crowded than the public beach outside the limits of the park. There were many times where I had the entire section of the beach to myself. Throughout my visit, I did not see almost anyone swimming in the water due to the dangerous rip currents.
In the photo below, I am looking towards Manuel Antonio’s Public Beach. The public beach is located just on the other side of the rocks that block the shoreline.
The photo below is looking towards the islands. It is common to see people parasailing or enjoying other water activities.
As I stated earlier, many areas of the beach at Manuel Antonio National Park were completely empty. Although these sections are not full of huge sandy shores, they are secluded and private.
As I walked the trials following the shoreline, I found various paths that led to observation points. The photo below is of one of those viewing points and involved walking around 100 steps.
While not the size of the public beach, Manuel Antonio National Park did have a few beaches with large sandy areas. The photo below is one of the larger beaches in the park.
Manuel Antonio National Park - Interesting Plants and Trees
Without the hiring of a guide, I was sort of on my own when it came to identifying interesting rainforest plants. In the photo below, I found some hanging vines and the spikes of a Black Palm.
Heliconia is one of the most common rainforest flowers. There are over 190 species of Heliconia in the Central and South American rainforests.
As I walked closer to the Pacific Ocean, the vegetation changed quite a bit. Below is an area of beautiful ferns in the mangrove.
Tree Epiphytes grow on the trunks and limbs of trees. These unique plants do not harm the tree and can be seen throughout Manuel Antonio National Park.
When walking through the rainforest, I constantly am looking for interesting vines. These vines somehow formed a circle.
Sometimes the vines even tie themselves into a knot.
The vegetation near the ocean was much less dense than near the entrance of the park. The trees below shed their bark to get rid of parasites. They are sometimes referred to as the “tourist tree” as the peeling bark resembles tourists who did not wear enough sunscreen.
Throughout Manuel Antonio National Park, there are poison palm trees that should not be touched. They are typically marked with signs warning tourists of their toxicity.
The palm tree below was on one of Manuel Antonio National Park’s beaches. I thought it created a unique photo opportunity.
The mangrove area of Manuel Antonio National Park had its own type of vegetation. Plants in the mangrove had their roots exposed.
I always found it amazing how the vines were able to knot themselves. When walking through Manuel Antonio National Park, I highly recommend taking your time and observing all of the unique types of vegetation.
Manuel Antonio National Park - Seeing a Sloth
Sloths spend most of their time in the treetops, only coming down to relieve themselves. While at Manuel Antonio National Park, I was lucky enough to see a returning to its tree from ground level.
Manuel Antonio - Meals
There are two large restaurants just before reaching Manuel Antonio National Park. They are Restaurante Buru Seaside and Restaurante Baldi Fresh. I began at Restaurante Buru Seaside, but after waiting for over 45 minutes for my order to be taken, I went across the street to Baldi Fresh.
The service at Baldi Fresh was much better, and I ate the traditional Costa Rican dish of Casado. Casado includes salad, rice, beans, vegetables, plantains, and a choice of meat. I went with beef.
Before my meal, I had chips, salsa, and guacamole. For dessert, I had coco flan. I highly recommend having a meal at Baldi Fresh Restaurant.
Manuel Antonio Tours and Packages
I chose to visit Manuel Antonio without booking a tour. In my opinion, you can enjoy much of what Manuel Antonio has to offer without the use of a guide. That being said, I know many people prefer to tour with a local expert. I have linked a few tour packages below that caught my eye. Please note that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you book using my link. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Prices are accurate as of June 2023.
 Manuel Antonio National Park White Water Rafting Class ll & lll - $155.00 Meet your guide at your hotel in Manuel Antonio or Quepos for pickup. Drive for about an hour to the Savegre River, learning about the area through insider commentary from your guide along the way. |
 Chocolate Tour Manuel Antonio - $60.00 We offer more than just chocolate, Firstly, the chocolate tour begins with the cultural and biological background of cacao in Costa Rica. It further introduces into the collecting, fermenting, grinding and finally the making of chocolate, the drink of the gods. |
 Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tours - $59.00 This company was created to share the love of our family has for this natural jewel of the pacific as is the Manuel Antonio National Park founded in 1972. This place receives visitors from all over the world who feel attracted to the oceans and forests we can find here. Those who want to have the chance to discover it through the eye of an experienced guide to unveil the hidden details that make this place unique and perfect to spend the day. |
 Surf Lessons in Manuel Antonio with pick up included - $59.94 Surfing increases your confidence, balance and fitness. It is an excellent way to outlet stress, tension and get leg and core strength. But, not only that, simply spending time in the ocean positively impacts your health. |
 Horseback Riding Tour from Manuel Antonio - $85.00 This horseback riding tour will help you see what Costa Rica looks like from a different perspective. You will be able to see amazing country towns, great valleys and Costa Rica's waterfalls. Abundant wildlife, exuberant vegetation and an expert nature guide will be your companions on this awesome trip. |
 Sloth Tour Manuel Antonio National Park - $70.00 Manuel Antonio is the favorite National Park for visitors, as far as National Parks & protected areas countrywide. |
 Manuel Antonio National Park Wildlife Tour - $63.52 Our job is the best in the World! |
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