Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the best national parks in Costa Rica for hiking, wildlife and beaches. Although small in size, this park offers some of the most stunning tropical rainforest and beaches in the country.
If you’re interested in venturing into the rain forest, here is our guide to Manuel Antonio National Park.
*Notes: Due to COVID, the only trail open right now is the “Sloth Trail.” It goes from the entrance to Playa Manuel Antonio so you can hike and go to the beach. They finally implemented an online system to purchase tickets which we highly recommend. Post updated December 2020*
Click the section to skip to it.
- Location and Directions
- How to Get There
- Entrance Fee, Hours, Getting Park Tickets
- Parking
- Road Conditions
- Facilities
- Video
- Guided vs Self Guided
- Trails
- Tips for Visiting
- What to Wear
Location
Manuel Antonio National Park map
Manuel Antonio National Park is in Manuel Antonio in the Central Pacific in the Puntarenas province, 170 kilometers (105 miles) from San Jose.
How to get to Manuel Antonio National Park
Bus
There are buses that go to the national park. All of them leave from the Quepos bus station and the buses stop on the hill on the way. So if you’re staying at a hotel on a hill and want to take the bus, there are lots of bus stops you can wait at. The bus costs 335 colones one way per person and leaves every half an hour or so starting at 530 AM until 930 PM.
The bus doesn’t go all the way directly to the park entrance. It will drop you off at the roundabout near the beach. From there, you need to walk the “Beach Trail” (You can find it on Google Maps) to get to the park entrance. You will walk on a bridge over a little river with a large sign showing you where to go. It’s about a 5 minute walk from the roundabout to the entrance.
From Jaco, take the bus to Quepos and then the national park. Read our guide to taking the bus from Jaco to Manuel Antonio.
Hours, Entrance Fee
Manuel Antonio National Park operation hours are Tuesday – Sunday, 7 AM – 3 PM, always closed Mondays. When it is around 230 PM, the park rangers will start going around telling people to leave. The park is open during holidays (if it doesn’t fall on a Monday) like Christmas and New Years.
The Manuel Antonio national park entrance fee is $18.08 USD for adult foreigners, no fee for kids under 12. Cash and credit card are accepted.
Online Reservations *NEW as of August 2020*
As of August 2020, the SINAC (government sector for national parks) has FINALLY implemented an online system to purchase tickets. This is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to decrease any unnecessary contact, especially for the country’s most popular national park. You can purchase Manuel Antonio National Park tickets here.
Our Tips for Getting Park Tickets in Person
If you buy tickets in person at the park, the office is right outside the entrance of the national park. Look for the “Coopealianza” office, that is where you’ll buy the tickets. Buy your ticket first, then get in line to go inside the park. If your purchased your ticket online, go straight to the line to enter the park. Make sure you print your ticket and have it ready with you.
At the line to go into the park, there the guards will check your backpacks and tickets. You cannot bring food like chips, peanuts, pretzels, granola bars or snacks in the park so make sure to take those out. The guards will confiscate them if you have any.
We recommend to purchase your ticket online. If you cannot, go at least one or two days before to purchase them at the ticket office. You can buy them Monday – Sunday from 7 AM to 3 PM at the Coopealianza office.
We recently went to the park on Tuesday December 10, 2019 and purchased tickets on Monday which saved us some time. In high season, you may have to wait a long time in line as there are TWO lines. One to purchase tickets, the second to get in the park.
If there is a long line for entering the park, have one person stand in entrance line and another go buy tickets.
Manuel Antonio National Park tickets are a one time entrance and cannot be used for multiple days. They don’t 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 leave the park during the day and come back later but it must be before 3 PM. Do note there is a chance you may not be able to go back in because they only allow 600 people at a time, with a cap of 1600 people total for the day. If they are over the 1600 total cap, you won’t be allowed back in. Make sure to keep your park ticket as you will need to show it since they stamp the back of your ticket with the date.
Manuel Antonio National Park Parking
There are two parking lots at Manuel Antonio National Park we recommend. When you get down to the beach from the hill, you will see a turn to the left right between Bar Las Gemelas and Marlins. Turn left and continue on this narrow road until you are almost at the entrance of the national park.
You will see two parking lots, one on your right and one of your left. There will be guys who will walk in front of your car and wave to you to park. Either one is fine but I recommend the one on the right if you can. The guys stay there at the parking lot to watch it but I still recommend not leaving anything valuable visible in your car. Always lock your doors and roll up your windows.
We paid 3,000 colones for parking the whole day in September. In high season, December – April, it can be more. I recommend to pay in Costa Rican colones, not USD.
MUST READ IF YOU ARE DRIVING TO THE PARK!
Something very important to mention is that when you are driving down to the national park, at the bottom of the last hill, you will see guys waving at you from a parking lot to your right and you will see a beach back there. This is NOT the national park! You are still about 1 mile away from the park and these guys will offer you to park in their “national park” parking lot and try to offer their “guiding services.” Or tell you something like you can’t go in the national park unless you park there. Or you can’t go in the national park unless you hire them.
Do NOT park here. These guys are not telling the truth and trying to rip off tourists. 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. Turn left here and continue on this road past Hotel Vela Bar to get to the national park entrance and parking lots. It is a narrow road so drive carefully. On Google Maps, you can set the destination as “Welcome Center Manuel Antonio” or even Hotel San Bada as this hotel is right next to the entrance.
4×4 necessary? Road Conditions?
The road to Manuel Antonio National Park is completely paved. A 4×4 or high car is not necessary, you can perfectly get there in a sedan.
Just be aware that the road is very narrow and curvy once you pass Quepos so drive slowly.
Facilities
There are bathrooms at the entrance of the national park and inside the the national park at 3 different points. There is a small cafeteria inside Manuel Antonio National Park that sells drinks, souvenirs, water and ice cream between the intersection of Gemelas and Puerto Escondido. The cafeteria also has lockers.
You can find bathrooms, showers and changing rooms inside the national park.
Manuel Antonio National Park Video
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.
Guided or Self Guided?
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. Here are our thoughts.
Guide Vs Tour
You can hire just a naturalist guide or you can book a full tour. The difference is that with a tour, the company will provide roundtrip transportation, include the entrance tickets, and give you bottled water and fruits. They will take care of you from the minute they pick you up to the minute they drop you off.
Hiring a naturalist guide is just that – only a guide. You go to the park on your own by bus, walking or driving, hire a guide who will take you around the national park and then that’s it. They don’t provide anything else, just the guided walk. Good option if you don’t need the full tour because you rented a car or will be getting to the park on your own.
When you should hire a guide
You really want to see wildlife and learn more about the flora and fauna. Your naturalist guide will be able to find animals that are hiding or camouflaged such as sloths. Additionally, many guides have telescopes so you can see the animals up close and get photos through the telescope. The guide will share with you interesting facts and information about the wildlife and Manuel Antonio.
I highly recommend guides for families with curious children and anyone who wants to see wildlife. If you want to see a sloth, then definitely get a guide. Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the best places in Costa Rica to see sloths but you will have better chances to see one with a guide who has trained eyes since sloths camouflage so well!
When you should book a tour
You don’t want to worry about driving, parking or buying park tickets. The tour company will take care of it all for you. I highly recommend this option for young families, big groups or those with only 1 day at the park and want to make the most out of their time in Manuel Antonio.
We did the Manuel Antonio National Park tour with Tucanes Tours and had a great experience. Our guide was incredibly enthusiastic and engaging, making our walk with him highly enjoyable. I learned a lot about the area I never knew even though we’d been to Manuel Antonio several times before. He also found a couple very fascinating birds of prey for us!
We went with Tucanes Tours who charges $59 per adult for the tour. Click here to book the tour and get our discount!
I think having an engaging guide like ours would make an experience for a family with kids incredibly nice as he would ask us questions to make us think and interact actively than just listen.
Tours are usually 2 hours long for the guided walk and they give you the option of going back to your hotel or you can stay at the park to explore more of it on your own. They’ll tell you where to grab a taxi or take the bus to get back to your hotel.
Video
We made a short video of our guided walk which you can watch below.
Something to know about visiting in high season
During December – April, this national park gets crazy because it is the most visited national park in Costa Rica and that is the busiest time of year for tourism. If you go to the park on your own, here are our tips so you don’t get misled, confused, or even scammed in Costa Rica.
- If you drive, make sure you go all the way down to the entrance and park at those two parking lots I mentioned earlier. Drive all the way to the national park entrance to find parking.
- If you take the bus, the bus does not go all the way to the park entrance directly. I got off at the beach first and then walked the “Beach Trail” to the entrance. You can find the “Beach Trail” on Google Maps. You will walk on a small bridge over a river, see a sign for the national park ahead of you and it curves to the right. Continue walking past a couple of souvenir stalls and a restaurant and you will reach the main road. The national park ticket office and entrance is to your right.
- If you hire a guide at the national park entrance, go to the Coopealianza ticket office or right outside the park gate at the “Official Guide Costa Rica” to look for one. Do not find one at the beach or anywhere else. If you are the beach and someone tries to sell you a guided tour, walk away.
- Make sure to ask the guide for their ICT Certification and they need to show you a badge with their credentials.
- If you hire a guide at the entrance, don’t pay them right away. Wait until you have actually started the guided walk.
One of the advantages of booking a tour is that you don’t need to worry about any of this since the tour company takes cares of all of it. No worries about getting scammed or misled.
Who should go on their own
Anyone on a budget or just wants to enjoy the park at their own pace and doesn’t have their heart set on finding animals or learning about the area. We have visited Manuel Antonio National Park 4 times on our own and had a great time each time. We were able to see monkeys and sloths on our own all times except 2. One time we just wanted to hangout at the beach and another time we hiked with friends throughout the whole park at our own pace.
Where to hire a guide/book a tour
If you want a guide or tour, I recommend pre-booking with a tour company, especially during high season.
There are also guides at the national park entrance for hire, just ask for their guide certification (should be a badge with ICT certification). In low season, you can try to barter with them a bit. Once I visited with my friends in September and they charged us $30 per person for a 2 hour guided walk which we turned down as we weren’t interested.
If you want a more personal experience, I highly recommend a private tour, especially during high season and if you’re a photographer.
Please contact us if you’d like to book a guided national park tour! It includes roundtrip transportation, bilingual guide, national park fee, bottled water and fruits and costs $59 USD per adult. We also have a small 7% discount for the tour!
Manuel Antonio National Park Trails
Here is an overview of the Manuel Antonio National Park trails. You can get printed maps at the ticket office (free and you need to ask) but there are tons of maps and signs throughout the park. You won’t get lost!
For hiking the national park, here is all you need to know.
Sendero La Catarata (waterfall trail)
This short trail is just a couple hundred meters away from the entrance of the park and leads to a small waterfall.
If you don’t do the other trails, this one is pretty short so you can wander over there to check it out if you’re short on time or aren’t interested in hiking the rest.
However, since the waterfall is kind of small, you can skip this one. You won’t be missing anything amazing (there are a lot more beautiful waterfalls in the South Pacific like Nauyaca).
I did see a couple of the poison dart frogs on the way so you might see something too. Otherwise I wouldn’t say this trail is absolutely necessary to walk on since the waterfall is fairly small.
The trail is paved for some of it and other parts has dirt.
Sendero el Perezoso (sloth trail)
This short trail runs parallel to the main one through the park (the other name for this trail is Sendero Paralelo).
This one takes you a bit deeper inside the forest, so you can see sloths hiding in the trees.
The trail is a platform that leads to the main fork of the national park where you go to Playa Manuel Antonio or the other trails, so if you decide to take this path, you’ll end up in the same place as the main trail. You could walk one path on the way in and walk the other path on the way out if you want to experience both.
We saw a 3 fingered and 2 fingered sloth on this trail so the trail lives up to its name but make sure you’re looking into the trees since it’s a bit more dense on this trail than the other one.
Keep your eyes out and look up often to see if you can spot one too! Don’t forget to look down too, I saw a mom and baby deer walking under the platform as well as some snakes.
If you look down, you’ll see a lot of the red land crabs scuttling around and we also saw a snake here. Wildlife is seriously everywhere!
Universal Trail
The sloth trail connects to the brand new 2019 universal trail that the park just built. This universal trail is incredibly nice with a well built platform and signs with Braille every 50 meters or so. Only a few parks in Costa Rica are handicap friendly (Cahuita and Carara) and this is one of the nicest ones I’ve seen!
These signs also have super useful information about the surrounding flora and fauna so you can read more about what you’re walking through. This trail also connects to Playa Espadilla Sur, going through the mangroves which is incredibly nice.
Punta Catedral (1.4 km)
Punta Catedral used to be an island but over time, it united with the continental landmass by way of sediment and sand build up.
This strip connects Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur and you can walk the Sendero Punta Catedral all the way around for beautiful views.
You start at Playa Manuel Antonio and you can go either direction since it’s a loop. You can also do the short Sendero La Trampa trail (.2 km) and see the beach there.
This hour long hike gives you views of different parts of the park and islands. When you get to Playa Espadilla Sur, you can see Playa Espadilla Norte and all the hotels on the hill on the other side. You can also walk all the way to the other end of Playa Espadilla Sur (trail 2) which is a dead end.
It’s not a hard walk at all and the views are incredible. If there’s any trail you should go hiking at Manuel Antonio National Park, it’s this one.
Sendero Playa Gemelas
This fairly short path leads to Playa Gemelas beach and connects to the other trails on the western side of the national park. Playa Gemelas is on the other side of Playa Manuel Antonio and is a bit smaller.
If Playa Manuel Antonio gets too crowded, come to Gemelas. It’s still the same white sand, sparkling turquoise water beach but more cozy and intimate due to its smaller size.
If you walk all the way past the rocks, you get a a gorgeous views of the coast, the west side of Punta Catedral and a bit of Playa Manuel Antonio.
When I went to this beach, there were only two other couples there and it was really nice to sit on the rocks and enjoy the ocean views by myself for a bit.
Keep walking on this trail until you hit the mirador (view point) at the end to see Playa Puerto Escondido. The beach is gorgeous, I could never get tired of the quintessential “tropical jungle meets ocean” views!
Keep your eyes out at the beach, you may even run into some reptile friends who are basking in the sun!
Sendero Congo
This is a short path that connects the Sendero Playa Gemelas to the Sendero Mirador.
So on your way back from the Gemelas trail, you can take this path instead of going all the way back to the start to get to the Mirador trail.
It’s named after the howler monkey, so here you can see lots of howlers and white face monkeys hanging out.
This is where I ran into a monkey butt. A few white face monkeys were playing on a branch right above the trail and one of them was dangling in the middle of the path so I unknowingly ran right into his butt!
So when you’re walking this trail, keep your eyes open for those little guys!
Sendero Mirador (1.3 km)
This path, Sendero Mirador leads to the view of Punta Serrucho (saw tip).
Punta Serrucho is a piece of land with a rigged coastline that guts out. It’s the result of many movements of the earth as it’s right on a tectonic fault. So now it looks like a saw, hence the name.
There’s a couple of viewpoints along the way where you can catch glimpses of bright blue water peeking through the trees.
This path has a lot of steps so take your time if you need to go slow. The viewpoints have benches to sit, have some water and take a breather.
Also read the information boards they have at every stop. You’ll find out exactly what you’re looking at, learn about the various flora and fauna that’s around and the primary/secondary rain forest.
Manuel Antonio National Park is popular for a reason: the lush jungle, abundant wildlife and exquisite beaches all rolled together in one big bundle bursting with nature.
If you want to discover all the gems of this area, you must go hiking Manuel Antonio National Park. They’re not difficult and the views alone are make it all worth it!
Tips for Hiking Manuel Antonio National Park
- You can do all these hikes in one day but go as early as possible so you have time to relax.
- Keep your camera handy!
- There are benches at Playa Manuel Antonio.
- Don’t stray off the path and don’t feed the animals.
What to Wear/Bring
- Bring your swimsuit (there are changing stations) if you don’t want to wear it in, towels, water, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
- If you’re visiting in rainy season, make sure you have a waterproof backpack or backpack cover.
- You can walk the trails with flip flops but hiking sandals are the best if you want to hike and go in the water.
- You don’t need to wear long hiking pants or shirts, the trails are nicely made with platforms. It is super hot and humid so I always wear shorts and a tank top. Just make sure to use mosquito repellent.
- For photographers or wildlife lovers, bring binoculars or a camera with good zoom lens (at least 250 mm) for photographing wildlife.
Read about other national parks below!
Rio Celeste (Tenorio Volcano National Park)
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
There are Amazon affiliate links in this post.
Kathleen says
The official website says no food allowed and that the cafe inside is not open. What do you recommend for a full day visit? Is leaving the park for lunch then returning an option? We begin a guided tour at 730 am.
Sammi says
From what they told us, you can bring food that is completely sealed but no bags of snacks like chips, candy, popcorn, granola bars, etc. (since monkeys know how to open those). We’ve done two tours in the park. One was half a day and they gave us snacks when we left. The second was a full day from San Jose and the guide gave us a bagged lunch with a sandwich, apple and banana which we were able to bring into the park.
You could also leave the park to get lunch but they limit the number of people that can be inside and tickets sold a day so if they hit the limit before you go back in, they won’t allow more people inside. There is a restaurant literally right outside the park entrance that you can go grab lunch quickly. Depending on when you visit, it may not be that busy if it’s a weekday not during the holidays.
Laura Ahrns says
Hi. We’ll be visiting Manuel Antonio in a few weeks. I just noticed that you can’t bring food into the park. My husband is Type 1 Diabetic so he MUST have sugar on him at all times, especially if we’ll be hiking, so I need some help. Can we bring fruit in? Or hard candy? Or juice? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Also, the rest of your site has been so useful – thank you!
Sammi says
If you put it in a paper bag, you can bring fruit (we brought a banana and apple in a paper bag or you can bring it in tupperware), there is also a small cafeteria with ice cream and snacks in the park. You can bring water, juice, soda, etc. but they don’t allow chips, cookies, crackers, etc.
Rachel says
Is it just for the next day you can buy tickets in advance? More specifically, we’ll be passing by on a Thursday afternoon – is it possible to stop in and get tickets for the next Tuesday?
Sammi says
I believe you can – not 100% positive but I think so though I’m not sure how many days in advance.
Karen` says
Spent a great day in Manuel Antonio on January 7. Used all of your information – it was great. We did a “test drive” to the park on Monday (when it’s closed) and bought our tickets that day (no line) – when we arrived on Tuesday, we parked, and went right in. You’re right, it costs more to park in January. I don’t remember exactly, but it was 5 or 6,000 colones. We went on our own and had no trouble finding the trails and enjoying the various beaches and sights.
You mentioned that the road to the park entrance is narrow – I think you could revise that to VERY narrow – I don’t know how those delivery trucks get up there!!!! They seem to be able to squeeze by with only and inch to spare!
Charis says
Hi guys – thanks so much for all the useful information! My husband and I are visiting Costa Rica next month for our honeymoon and your site has been so helpful with the planning.
I have just been reading your info about 2019 rule changes/advice for the park e.g. arriving at 6am to queue! Is this just the advice if you are entering the park unguided? If we’re booked on a guided tour with the park or another company, do we still have to purchase tickets and queue up or is there a different process for meeting the guide/entering?
Thanks,
Charis
Sammi says
Most guided tours if you prebook with a company will have entrance tickets included so you don’t need to purchase tickets beforehand but check with who you booked with to be 100% sure because if you’re hiring JUST the guide and you’re meeting him at the park entrance, then you will porbably need to get your own tickets but if you book a tour that is all inclusive with transportation, guide and national park tickets, they all you have to do is show up at your designated pick up time and location and they take care of the rest.
Vipa says
Thank you so much for this detailed guide! We found it super helpful, especially how to get into the park without getting scammed. So many tried for us to park on the beach access road before the Marlin restaurant or sell us their guide services. We had our 1.5 year old with us and we all loved Playa Manuel Antonio.
Sammi says
Hi Vipa, glad to hear it was helpful and that you guys had a great time! 🙂
CJ says
Hi there, any recommendations for tours coming from Jaco? We have a group of five and are looking for transportation and a guide. Thanks!
Sammi says
Hi! We just sent you an email. I just reread this comment and realized you were asking specifically about Manuel Antonio National Park but I included information about other activities too 🙂
Olivia Menning says
Hi!
My hubby and I will be staying in the area for about a week, do you know if week-long passes are available for us to purchase?
Thanks so much!
Sammi says
No unfortunately they only have day passes which you have to purchase each day. You can buy them beforehand though so when you go to the park, you can purchase tickets for that day and the next day.
Mike says
We are currently staying at Hotel Manuel Antonio and the weird thing is we can’t find where the actual entrance to the park is located. The map shows a park trail right next to the hotel but the road is a dead end.
Sammi says
You need to walk out of the roundabout and you’ll see a little path to the right crossing a small river to get to the park entrance. On google maps, it’s called “beach trail”
Tim says
Hi, thanks for all your great info! I’ve read so many of your posts as we prepare for our trip to Costa Rica. We plan on spending the first Sunday in February at Manuel Antonio. We won’t be able to make it to the park until about 11:0am or maybe even noon. I heard that there is a limit to people at the park and that it can fill up. Would our group of 5 people have issues with getting into the park as late as 12pm on a Sunday? Thanks
Sammi says
Hi Tim, they do only allow a certain number of people at a time and it usually gets pretty crowded by 10 AM or so, so if anything you’ll just have to wait until people leave and then you can go in. I have visited once in March and we didn’t get there until like 230 PM and we only had to wait like 5 minutes. Usually the traffic of people is pretty smooth as there are always people going in and out, I can’t guarantee you won’t have to wait at all but I don’t think it will be that long.
Michelle says
Hi again Sammi! We’re excited to be spending the second half of our trip to Costa Rica in Manuel Antonio. I was wondering if you recommend booking a guide in advance, and if so which company you mentioned for going with a guide on our own rather than with a large group?
I’m not sure if we’d want a guide with us the whole day, but I think having an expert along in the morning to point out animals and leaving us on our own to enjoy the beach in the afternoon would be ideal.
I’ve heard that monkeys will steal your backpack – if you leave it at the beach while swimming or even right off of you while hiking! Is this true? If so, what do you suggest for bringing a picnic, swim stuff, etc. I’d presume once we pay the entrance fee, we’ll likely want to spend the entire day in the park.
Sammi says
Hi Michelle, you can book a private tour with any of the guides at the park office (ICT certified) or you can talk to the companies like Iguana Tours or Jacamar to see how much a private guide is.
Monkeys don’t really steal your backpack but they’ll go through it to see if you have any food so you aren’t allowed to bring any food in the national park anymore due to people feeding the animals and monkeys stealing stuff. If you want to bring food, you can’t bring snacks like chips, cookies or anything like that but you can bring like sandwiches in well sealed containers. Never leave the food out, always zip up your backpack and wrap your food in a towel or something inside because they can smell it if it’s open.
Allison Sumner says
What a wealth of information!! But I do have a few questions and didn’t find the answer yet – How long is the walk from the Playa Manuel Antonio back to the parking? Is the beach there accessible if you don’t pay the entry fee? Is there a bathroom at the beach? We heard there might be a boat shuttle from the beach back to the parking area. Is that true?
Sammi says
It depends on where you parked because there are several places you can park outside the park. From Playa Manuel Antonio to the entrance of the national park is around I would say maybe a little less than kilometer, it’s not too far.
There are bathrooms on the way to Playa Manuel Antonio in the park and it also has showers. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a boat from the beach to parking lot…it’s not very far and since it’s in the national park boats aren’t allowed without permissions.
You can go to the beach outside the national park, Playa Espadilla Norte which is the public beach with no entrance fee. But if you want to go to the beaches inside the national park you have to pay the entrance fee to go in the park.
John says
Our suggestion would be not to go to Manuel Antonio. We’ve all seen the warnings about the unofficial guides by the entrance of the park. Well we got stopped in the street by a person in some sort of uniform standing next to a police officer. Asked if we were here for the park. He then said the parking for the park was right there. Then another person in uniform with an ID came to our car with a receipt book asking if we wanted a private or group guided tour. We thought we were at the entrance actually I think it was the public parking for the beach.
We got scammed. The “guide” just walked us up the access road and dumped us at the beach to find our way back.
It wasn’t until we had to walk back that we saw the ticket office and the official guides office right next door.
Aside from being taken by a thief is that you knew everyone local there knew what was going on. The signage was minimal so it was easy to be convinced we had arrived.
The advice I wish I had was don’t stop until you drive all the way to the top at the “last parking” sign. The road looks more like a driveway. It is next to the ticket office.
Sadly I will tell this story more than all the nice people we meet, but that’s how it goes.
Sammi says
Sorry to hear about your experience! Unfortunately Manuel Antonio NP does have a few locals trying to scam tourists and it can be difficult to know who is or isn’t legit so we always recommend booking through your hotel ore a reputable tour company beforehand if you want a guided tour or going to the official guides by the ticket office. It’s a very nice park though so I hope you got to enjoy it despite the bad experience. Most of the locals aren’t like that!
Wendy says
Thank you so much for your in depth post! We used this and decided to do more of the hiking paths because of it. The views from the less crowded paths were amazing and worth the steeper climbs!
Sammi says
Hi Wendy! I’m so glad the guide helped and you guys enjoyed a nice day hiking the park. I always recommend it because there are way less people and the views are soo nice! Definitely worth it.
Amy Sa says
What trails are best for seniors? We have 3 people in their 60s who will be traveling with us.
Sammi says
Hi Amy, I would do the waterfall trail (super short flat trail from the main trail) and the Punta Catedral. The up to Gemelas and Punta Serrucho has many steps.
Sammi says
Hi Kevin, at 330 PM they will start asking everybody to leave so you can’t stay at the park past 4 PM.
kevin b says
What a Great post with lots of
Helpful information! Regarding closing time- I see the park “closes” at 4pm, but can you stay later than that once you are in- or must everyone clear out at 4? We were hoping to do a short stop on our way by as part of a longer travel day- but probably won’t arrive in the area until close to 3pm… any thoughts?
Sammi says
There aren’t any steps from the main entrance to Playa Manuel Antonio, it just gets a tiny bit steep from the bathrooms but from the bathrooms to the beach is the paved sidewalk on the left hand side. You can see what the trail looks like in the video in this post. Most of the trail is like a hard dirt path with just some loose rocks so it’s definitely not loose gravel all the way or completely. And from the main path to the sloth entrance, it is not super long (maybe a few hundred meters) and then you can go onto the sloth trail which is a very nice flat wooden platform.
Kirstin Hill says
Hi Jepson and Sammi,
Wondering if you can provide some insight in to the accessibility for wheelchairs on any of the paths/trails and getting to the beaches?
Thank you. KIRSTIN
Sammi says
Hi Kirstin, at Manuel Antonio National Park there isn’t a universal trail unfortunately. Most of it in on a dirt/gravel path or going up and down steps, only the sloth trail is on a flat platform. Then going down to Playa Manuel Antonio, there is a sidewalk on the left hand side, it is a bit steep but there is a paved section. But from the beginning of the park to the sloth trail, it is all on a gravel path.
Kirstin Hill says
Thank you. (And sorry for the auto correct on Yeison)
Are there any steps to get from the main entrance to Playa Manuel Amtonio?
Is the path from the main gate a very loose gravel or more compact?
yeison says
Hello Char,
Thank you for reading our blog! You can’t do both activities in one day. The Nauyaca waterfalls will take you all day since it is about a 2 hour drive from Jaco and the hike is around 8 kilometers total. Manuel Antonio National Park is a full day activity as well and an hour drive from Jaco.
Regarding which one I recommend, it will depend on what you want to see. Nauyaca waterfalls is a hike through the rain forest to beautiful waterfalls and Manuel Antonio National Park is an easy hike with beautiful beaches and wildlife. If you want to experience more beach,go to the Manuel Antonio National Park (it’s close from Jaco) and spend the day hiking their trails and enjoying the beaches there. If you want to hike and visit a big waterfall, go to Nauyaca. The people who own Nauyaca waterfalls also offer a horseback riding tour to the waterfalls which is $75 per person and you should make reservations beforehand.
Char says
Hi Yeison and Samantha!
My boyfriend and I are staying in Jaco next week and have a free day to visit somewhere. We have rented an SUV but still debating on whether to drive down to Manuel Antonio NP or Nauyaca waterfalls. Do you think we can do both? If not, which would you recommed more?
Thanks in advance!
Sammi says
Hi Christine, I have written many posts that answer all your questions 🙂
Here are our favorite things to do in Arenal: Things to do in Arenal and La Fortuna (I included photos and videos of rafting and canyoning). Canyoning is rappelling down waterfalls, rafting is rafting on a river.
Things to do in Papagayo Gulf (Guanacaste):Things to do in Manuel Antonio
You won’t need a 4×4 but for your routes, the roads are in good condition for the routes getting to each of those destinations. You can read more renting a car in Costa Rica tips here: Costa Rica car rental tips
. We work with Adobe Rent a Car, a Costa Rican company to give our readers up to a 20% discount plus a ton of other benefits: 2 free extra drivers, free booster/baby seats, a free local cell phone and more. YOu can check it out and make a reservation here: Costa Rica car rental discount
The additional coverage is optional, and for your routes you won’t be going on very bumpy rough roads or off roading or anything so you may not necessarily need it. It is up to you though if you want that extra coverage (I always feel personally it’s a good idea when driving in a foreign country but everyone is different).
Christine says
Hi Sammi, we are going to CR in July for 10 days. I have a 12 yo and a 15 yo. Planning 3 bites in MA, 3 in Arenal & 4 in Papagayo. Could you suggest a list of best activities for each area. Like which area should I do zip line, water rafting, what is the difference between rafting and canyoning?. also we will be driving. Do we need a 4×4 or SUV also the mandatory insurance do we have to pay that? Should we buy additional coverage for damage? Any trustworthy rental company you could recommend? Thank you
Neal says
If we want to snorkel should we do it in the park or one of the beaches outside the park. Trying to figure out the best area. Thanks for the site!
Sammi says
Snorkeling in Manuel Antonio isn’t that good but you can try to snorkel at Playa Manuel Antonio if the tide isn’t high. I’ve seen people do it there before.
Sammi says
Hi Cora, if you get to the park say at 7 when it opens, you can hike the whole park in one day easily and you won’t be that rushed. If you get to the park later, I suggest doing the section that goes around the Playa Gemelas and Punto Serrucho and then you can relax at the main Espadilla beach, there are more views on that hike. You can definitely add a night guided tour like the one at Si Como NO (There are no night hikes at the national park), they usually start around 5 PM so I’d plan it so you have time to go back to your hotel, freshen up and change for the night tour. You can usually book the tours there but if you’re going in high season I’d book them beforehand as spots can fill up.
Cora says
Thank you!!! I’ll see if I can get my family to wake up early to hike all those trails you mentioned (we’re 2 hours away from MA so it might be hard to get them out at 5am! :)) After driving around Costa Rica for 2 days, I think we’ll definitely go with Waterfall Tour you took – otherwise we’ll probably waste time looking for these hidden waterfalls 🙂 BTW, love your website so full of great information. And I concur with everybody’s comments, what a lovely romantic turn of events for you, plus I admire your courage to follow your dreams!!
Sammi says
You’re welcome Cora, I hope you have a great time! Thanks for reading the blog
Cora Wong says
Hi Sammi, just found your blog and it’s amazing full of information that I wish I had before we arrived in Costa Rica yesterday . We would love to follow your hiking trip. Can you do it all in one day? If not, which trails would you recommend for one day? Do you think it would be too much to add the night guided tour? Can we book that tour the morning we get to MA or should we reserve it in advance? BTW do you have a list of waterfalls in Jaco that we might be able to explore on our own? Thanks! CW
Sammi says
You don’t necessarily have to spend 1-2 nights in MA, some people visit for a day to the national park. Southern humpback whales begin passing by Uvita around that time so there’s a good chance to see them (nothing is guaranteed with nature) but August is a good time. You can read more about whales here: Humpback whales Costa Rica
Jenny says
Hola,
My family and I will be visiting end of July beginning of August. We’ve been all over CR but not to MA. We plan going to MA from SJO then spending our time nite Dominical/Uvita area. Do u think we should spend 1 or 2 nights in MA? Also will we be able to see whales in Uvita the end of July beginning of August? I see conflicting answers online. Thanks in advance.
Cindy says
Hi guys- what is the deal with accessing the parking lot? Once you park your car and enter the park, can you go back to the car to get towels or supplies or do you need to carry everything in with you?
Sammi says
Hi Cindy, I’d bring everything with you, you can show them your ticket stub but you’ll have to walk alllll the way back so bring all your stuff with you, it’s just more convenient.
Eve says
Thank you for your wonderful collection of posts abut Manuel Antonio! We’d like to take a bus there from the Esterillos region, but are concerned about getting there too late, even with the first bus of the day, where we wouldn’t get to the park until probably around 9am (if there is no line up too, etc.). Do you have any suggestions for other options, like a private driver or taxi, and any ideas on how much that may cost? Thanks so much in advance.
Sammi says
Hi Even, honestly I am not sure how much it would cost to hire a private driver or taxi for the day. I’d assume it’s at least $100 since it’s about 55 kilometers and I know a private shuttle from San Jose to Jaco is $100 and that’s around 85 kilometers. Your hotel will probably be able to give you recommendations for a private driver. Another option is to rent a car which may be cheaper. You can get a small compact for about $40 a day and the road from Esterillos to Manuel Antonio is very straight forward, it’s just 55 kilometers on a well paved highway and you can leave as early as you want.
Eve says
Thank you for your quick reply Sammi!
Steffi & Melih says
Hi Sammi and Yeison,
We are from Germany and currently planning a roundtrip in beautiful Costa Rica and your blog is helping us out a lot! We are planing to stay a night at San Jose then couple days near Arenal, a week at Manuel Antonio and 4-5 nights at Puerto Viejo on the Carribean side, we’ll be travelling with a rental sedan (will be using the link here), you think this is a good plan and feasible? Have one more question, is there a weekly or fortnightly national park pass? or do we have to pay the single entrance fee for everyday we visit the park, especially at Manuel Antonio?
Thank you very much for everything you guys did for this lovely website!
Steffi & Melih
Sammi says
Hi guys! That trip is doable but you will be driving a lot – I do recommend staying a night in San Jose from Manuel Antonio to break up the drive because it’s pretty long. A sedan should be fine for those destinations, there aren’t too many places that absolutely require a 4×4. There aren’t any weekly or multiple day passes, you’ll have to buy them every time you enter the park. Manuel Antonio is a pretty small park though and you can easily hike and enjoy it in a day. Same with Arenal, the hiking trails aren’t too long and most people just spend a few hours at Arenal National Park.
phuong mai says
Hi Sammi
Does Manuel Antonio park close on Monday on year around or depend on the season?
yeison says
Hi, All year around they use that day to recover the trails
Sammi says
There are a ton of guides outside the park, you don’t need to hire one beforehand or anything. I suggest reading this post for more info: Manuel Antonio National Park
Tracy says
Thanks for the guide to Manuel Antonio. We had read/heard that we should hire a guide for hiking in the park. What do you think?
Sammi says
If you really want to see wildlife, I’d hire one. Some people don’t care too much to see flora and fauna and don’t, so it’s up to you. One advantage of hiring a guide is that many of them carry telescopes and can take a picture of the animal for you on your cell phone through the telescope. If you are just there to hike and not interested in seeing wildlife (which you probably will anyways without a guide cause they’re everywhere!) you don’t need a guide to hike the park, it’s very simple and all the trails are laid out – impossible to get lost. But if you want to see wildlife, I definitely recommend it and they can tell you a lot of interesting facts about the park and nature 🙂
Tracy says
Thanks, this is helpful!
Sammi says
You’re welcome!
Lori says
Do they have paid guides in the park or do you recommend getting one outside the park? Typically how much are the guides?
Cindy says
Hi guys- how many days would you recommend we budget to see Manuel Antonio and do some hiking and snorkeling?
Thanks!
Cindy & Russ
Sammi says
Hi guys 🙂
You can hike the whole park in one day, so I’d say 2-3 days to enjoy the beaches and the area
Laura @Travelocafe says
Thanks for introducing Manuel Antonio National Park to us. It seems to be an amazing place.
Sammi says
You’re welcome. It is amazing indeed!
Sammi says
It’s dry season right now so you won’t need to bring a rain jacket (read more about the weather here: Costa Rica weather).
It is very hot and you won’t need long pants or long shirts at all. Shorts and tank top/tshirt are perfectly fine, even if you plan to hike the trails. When we hiked the trails, I wore running shorts and running tank top with my KEEN hiking sandals which are probably the best shoes for Costa Rica and they are perfect for this kind of national park since the trails are nicely paved with platforms. They’re way better than sneakers because they’re open so your feet can breathe and it has more protection than flip flops.
You won’t be going off trail and into the forest (it is prohibited to walk off trails), so you don’t need to worry about branches in your face or ants in your shoes. You can wear flip flops too, I wore them the first time we went but we only walked to Playa Manuel Antonio which is about a 10 minute walk from the entrance. If you are planning on doing the hikes, I suggest wearing shoes like the KEEN sandals because you can also easily take them off if you want to go swimming and don’t have to worry about wet socks or anything.
As for restaurants, Quepos is a pretty local town so there’s no fancy clubs or restaurants, casual clothing is perfectly fine.
Enjoy 🙂
Ken says
Thanks!
Ken D'Souza says
Hi! Thanks for the great information. We are planning a trip to Manuel Antonio in two weeks with another couple and their 2 year old son. The Park is already on our itinerary and we`re very much looking forward to it.
Just a quick question about how to dress in the Park. I understand that it is very humid and I`ve read mixed things about what to wear. Some say long pants, others say rain jackets. We were thinking just shorts and a tank top or t-shirt. Thoughts?
Also, we are renting a condo attached to a hotel. Most nights we will venture into town for dinner. Are the restaurants pretty casual or will be need to bring more dressy clothing?
Thanks for any feedback!
Ken
Katie says
Thanks for the guide, we are heading there this weekend and can’t wait!
Sammi says
You’re welcome! Have fun!
Tim & Anne says
We were there in 2008 with our son and all three of us thoroughly enjoyed the trails you mentioned. We were fortunate enough to see all three species of monkeys on the waterfall trail. Great birding along the way as well. Thanks for sharing. Tim & Anne
Sammi says
Hi guys, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Neil says
Thanks for this guide, Yeison and Samantha. Love the details! We took a special trip to Manuel Antonio Park Feb 2015, but when we got there, it was closed for the day due to some bathroom problem? Anyway, that was what we were told. We did have a very nice day on the playa anyway and some excellent fish tacos across the road. After spending quite a bit of time on both coasts (Puerto Viejo, Ojochal, Zancudo), we’ve probably seen most of Costa Rica’s creatures. Your photos reawakened our interest though. Next time!
Sammi says
H Neil! That is really odd and unfortunate! At least you enjoyed the beach, hopefully next time you’ll get to go in the park!