Manuel Antonio National Park is a popular tourist destination in the Puntarenas Province of Costa Rica. Tourists visit this park yearly to explore its beautiful beaches, exotic wildlife, and lush tropical rainforest.
However, if you have plans to visit for the first time, it is essential to do research and have an understanding of all you need to know before visiting so you can have a seamless travel experience.
In this article, I have shared detailed information about the vital things you need to know before visiting Manuel Antonio National Park. I hope this piece of information helps you make an informed decision when planning your travel itinerary.
Key Takeaways
- The only way you can buy entry tickets is online via the SINAC website, which is the official website for purchasing entrance tickets for tourist attractions in Costa Rica.
- It is possible to book your tickets in advance, which can extend to weeks.
- Manuel Antonio National Park is a very popular park in Costa Rica. I advise you to arrive early to get the most out of the park before it becomes crowded.
- Tuesday’s are closed for park visits. However, you can explore the surroundings.
List of Things to Know Before Visiting MANP
In no particular order, here is a list of things you need to know before visiting Manuel Antonio National Park.
1. How Do Get To Manuel Antonio National Park?
Manuel Antonio National Park is situated in Manuel Antonio town. The park is in Puntarenas Province, on the western coast of Costa Rica.
There are various ways you can get to Manuel Antonio National Park. You can rent a car and drive there, take public transport like a bus/taxi, or hire a shuttle to drive you to the entrance of the park. This would take you about three to four hours to arrive at the entrance of the park from San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica.
You can also take a 25-mminute flight from San Jose International Airport into the closest domestic airport in Quepos and drive twenty minutes from Quepos to Manuel Antonio National Park.
One thing I would advise is that if you arrive in the evening or at night, you stay up at Quepis city for the night and, early the next day, take a twenty-minute drive to Manuel Antonio National Park.
Doing this will not only make you safe but also help you arrive at the park earlier before the crowd starts trooping in by mid-afternoon, depriving you of privacy and serenity.
Pro Tip: There are two entrances to the park; the main one is where you find the Manuel Antonio Tico Lodge and Gelateria El Parque. If you stop at road 618 by Espadilla Norte Beach, you will have to walk the beach trail up the hill to the main entrance.
2. The park is closed on Tuesdays
One thing you should know before visiting Manuel Antonio National Park is that it is closed on Tuesdays. However, Tuesday is a great day to arrive in Manuel Antonio town or the closest town, Quepos, ahead of the next day’s tour.
You can also visit the National Park area on Tuesday to enjoy the beautiful Espadilla Sur beach that extends from inside the park or the Biesanz beach, which is a small, secluded beach with calm waters that is perfect for swimming.
You can also get a chance to spot wildlife like the howler monkeys while you are there and enjoy the incredible sunset view.
3. You Can Book Tickets in Advance
The daily admission limit into Manuel Antonio National Park is 1200, so it is possible that the entrance tickets may be exhausted for the day when you want to buy your ticket.
The best thing to do is to book your entrance tickets in advance on the preferred date you want to visit so that you do not miss out. And I have to say it does not cost extra, so you can book many weeks ahead of your travel schedule.
Booking and paying for entrance tickets are only done online on the SINAC Official Website. Then, when you get to the park, you will show the park officials a screenshot of your payment and get your tickets.The entrance tickets cost about $18.
Pro Tip: Booking of tips is very ideal during the peak tourist season (December through April). However, during the low tourist period (May–November) you may not need to.
4. Entrance Times
Entries into Manuel Antonio National Park are slated for a 40-minute interval. This means that a certain number of tourists (which is about one hundred and seventy) are allowed into the park first, and then after 40 minutes, the next set is given access again till 2:30 pm, when the last sets are allowed in.
The park opens at 7 a.m. and closes by 4 p.m. I advise you to arrive at the park before opening hours if you want to join the first-time slot into the National Park.
Below are the time slots for Manuel Antonio National Park:
- 7 a.m.–7:40 a.m.
- 8 a.m.–8:40 a.m.
- 9 a.m.–9:40 a.m
- 10 a.m.–10:40 a.m
- 11am–11:40 a.m
- 12 p.m.–12:40 p.m.
- 1p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Note that you are only allowed access into the park within your allotted time slot, so if you miss it, I doubt there is any guarantee for you to get in again.
5. Hiring a Guide Is Optional
Hiring a tour guide is optional, as you can spot wildlife without having one. However, it is good to hire one if you are a nature lover and very enthusiastic about learning about the flora and fauna of the National Park.
Another reason is because most tour guides have their own telescope or binoculars that aid in viewing wildlife from a distance.
So if this interests you, hire one. You will mostly find knowledgeable tour guides at the park entrance, and their services are affordable to hire.
Regardless of whether you hire a guide or not, you will definitely spot wildlife like monkeys that you can find jumping around on the trails.
6. When it gets busy, Arrive Early
The best way to enjoy Manuel Antonio National Park to yourself and explore it at your own pace is to arrive at the park early.
The park opens at 7 a.m. every day except Tuesdays. So visiting that early will give you ample time to explore with fewer tourists around before it becomes crowded.
Another reason for visiting early, apart from avoiding the crowd, is because the temperature at the early hours of the day is conducive for both humans and animals. You will not only feel more relaxed when touring but you will also get to spot more wildlife at this time of the day.
From what I have noticed, you will have a much better experience than visiting at midday when the heat is at its peak and the park is crowded.
One thing you should know is that Manuel Antonio National Park is very popular amongst tourists in Costa Rica and closes around 4pm. So if you know you will not be able to meet up early, I suggest you find a place to lodge overnight in Quepos town, which is a twenty-minute drive to the park, and visit the next day.
7. Beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park
Included among the attractive features of Manuel Antonio National Park are four beaches situated within the park and tourists are allowed access to them.
The four beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park are as follows:
Manuel Antonio Beach: Is a popular white-sand beach inside the park. It is one of the best places to relax and swim after you are done with hiking.
While relaxing, you also get a chance to spot wildlife like hole monkeys and birds hanging on top of trees and the surrounding vegetation. Furthermore, there are facilities like toilets, showers, and a mini-store where you can buy snacks at the entrance of the beach.
Espadilla Sur Beach: This is a long beach that stretches over a mile long and is divided into northern and southern parts. The northern part is in Manuel Antonio town, while the Southern part is in the National Park.
The current on this beach is too strong and not great for swimming. However, you come here and relax.
Gemelas Beach: Gemelas Beach is small, calmer than the other beaches, and further into the National Park. When you visit, you will notice a lot of crabs, iguanas, and squirrel monkeys moving around the beach sand.
Escondido Beach: This is the furthest beach in Manuel Antonio National Park. However, if you visit early and make it to this beach, you will enjoy swimming here.
Friendly Advice: If you plan on visiting any of these beaches after hiking, then you need to arrive early because the beaches close at 3 pm while the park closes at 4 pm.
Also come along with swim suits, sunscreen, sunglasses, and some snacks for picnics.
8. There are many Hiking Trails
There are more than seven hiking trails within the National Park, which are interconnected to the entrance, exit, and various parts of the park.
These trails are a mixture of concrete or wooden pathways that are well maintained, rather than the usual muddy or dusty trails you find in other national parks in the country.
Below are some of the trails in Manuel Antonio National Park:
The Service Road (Entrada Principal): This is a wide, graveled pathway that starts from the entrance of the park and stretches about 1 km long. The service road is what provides easy access for vehicles to the park. However, it is mostly overlooked.
Mangrove Trail (Sendero El Manglar): This is a wooden trail among trees that stretches about 500 meters and takes you through a mangrove swamp to Espadilla Beach.
I advise you to stay on the trail and not go to the beach yet so you may likely see sloths on the next trail.
The Sloth Trail (Sendero Perezoso): The 570-meter-long trail is very easy to walk on and a common spot where you can see sloths in Manuel Antonio National Park. However, I would love to say there is no guarantee of this if you are hiking alone, but with an expert tour guide, you will likely see one or two sloths on this trail.
La Catarata (Sendero Catarata): The trail leads to a waterfall, and it is 670 meters long. However, it was closed at the time of my visit.
Mirador Trail (Sendero Mirador): The Mirador trail is 1 kilometer long and takes you to two viewpoints. However, hiking this trail is not for the fainthearted, especially in the sunny season.
So brace yourself when you get to this trail for a thrilling hike, and in return, you will get the prettiest view of the surroundings that you least imagined.
Cathedral Point Trail (Sendero Punta La Cathedral): The Cathedral Point trail connects Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur. Its length is about 1.2 kilometers.
You can decide to visit either of the beaches or continue on the trail.
Hidden Point Trail (Sendero Puerto Escondido): This is a 400-meter trail; however, at the time of my visit, it was closed for tourists to walk.
Howler Monkey Trail (Sendero Los Congos): The Howler Monkey Trail is a short trail of about 280 meters that connects the Mirador trail with Playa Gemelas and the Playa Escondido trail.
This trail is where you get to see some howler monkeys and coati, if you are lucky. I advise you to come early before the heat of the day sends these animals into hiding.
9. The Best Months to Visit
The Costa Rican weather is divided into two seasons: the rainy and dry seasons. The dry season, which runs from December through April, is considered the best month for tourists to visit because of the weather.
However, the downside is that it is very crowded, and you may not have the park all to yourself. On the other hand, the rainy season starts from May through November, and it is quieter because the tourist visit is low compared to the dry season.
So the best month to visit depends on your travel itinerary. However, I advise you to visit in June during the rainy season and avoid visiting in months like September and November.
10. What to or not to bring
When it comes to strict park rules, Manuel Antonio National Park tops the chart in Costa Rica for what you can or cannot bring with you inside the park. I advise you to only take what you need with you.
Below is a list of what to bring or not to be inside the park:
| What To Bring | What Not To Bring |
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Pro Tip
- Your bags will be searched before you are allowed access into the park. So it is best to stick to the rules and come with only what is allowed in the park.
- It is best to have well-closed, sturdy hiking shoes; however, you can wear sandals too since it is allowed.
- T-shirts and shorts are okay too, but one thing I notice is that all of the tour guides wear long pants and long sleeves. I guess to avoid being bitten by insects. You can emulate them too.
- Do not leave your bag and belongings unattended in order to avoid petty theft.
11. Where to Stay
There are no accommodation options in Manuel Antonio National Park. However, you will find a large number of accommodation options, ranging from hostels to luxury hotels, around and in the nearby town of Quepos.
Do not bother with how to get to Quepos from the park or vice versa because this is a tourist destination and you will easily find public taxis and buses that run these routes 24/7.
Without further ado, here are some of the accommodations you will find that are suitable for your lifestyle and budget:
HOSTEL
Staying in a hostel is a perfect option if you are on a tight budget, a solo traveler, a digital nomad, or someone looking to meet other tourists. And there are quite a number of them at Quepos.
Most of the hostels you will find here, like Selina, have large, airy rooms, a restaurant, an outdoor pool, communal areas, and a kitchen. And it is also secure because there are security guards and surveillance cameras around.
HOTELS
You will find a bunch of hotels here, ranging from standard to luxury, that suit your preference. Here are some of the hotels you will find here.
San Bada Hotel: This hotel is very close to the park, just about a two-minute walk from the entrance to the park. Aside from its close proximity to the park, the San Bada Hotel is comfortable and budget-friendly for tourists to stay at.
Hotel Costa Verde: Is a boutique hotel surrounded by stunning views of the sea and rainforest. The rooms are comfortable and gorgeous, too. It is a 10-minute walk from the park, so you can lodge here overnight if you want to visit the park early.
Si Como No: This is a popular hotel Sitting atop a hillside in Manuel Antonio. It is a combination of luxury and sustainability, with the eco-rooms overlooking the jungle and the sea so that you can spot wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and birds from your balcony.
If you are planning to visit manuel antonio soon, we have put together a guide to help you decide if Manuel antonio is worth Visiting
Conclusion
Manuel Antonio National Park is a popular tourist destination. However, having an idea of what to expect before visiting will not only help you better prepare yourself and plan out your travel to suit your schedule but it will also help you enjoy and have a seamless travel experience.
I hope you read every piece of information in this guide and it helps you when planning your visit.
About Michelle Schmidt
Born in California, Michelle traveled extensively through the USA and Europe before moving to South Florida during the pandemic. Her career in Marketing has taken her all across the world. Her favorite country is France but she'll never turn down a beach vacation!
