Introduction to Manuel Antonio National Park
140km (87 miles) SW of San José; 69km (43 miles) S of Playa de Jacó
No other destination in Costa Rica has received more international attention than Manuel Antonio. Many first-time visitors to Costa Rica plan their vacation around seeing it, and it’s no surprise why: The views from the hills overlooking Manuel Antonio are spectacular, the beaches (particularly those inside the national park) are idyllic, and its jungles are crawling with howler, white-faced, and squirrel monkeys, among other forms of exotic wildlife. The flip side is that you’ll have to pay more to see it, and you’ll have to share it with more fellow travelers than on other parts of this coast. Moreover, development here is leaving a noticeable footprint. What was once a smattering of small hotels tucked into the forested hillside has become a long string of lodgings along the 7km (4 1/3 miles) of road between Quepos and the national park entrance. Hotel roofs now regularly break the tree line, and there are numerous architectural and environmental anomalies, including a retired cargo plane converted into a roadside bar, a terrible eyesore.
Still, this remains one of the most beautiful locations in the entire country. Gazing down on the blue Pacific from high on the hillsides of Manuel Antonio, it’s almost impossible to hold back a gasp of delight. Offshore, rocky islands dot the vast expanse of blue, and in the foreground, the rich, deep green of the rainforest sweeps down to the water. Even cheap Instamatics regularly produce postcard-perfect snapshots. It’s this superb view that keeps people transfixed on decks, patios, and balconies throughout the area.
One of the most popular national parks in the country, Manuel Antonio is also one of the smallest, covering fewer than 680 hectares (1,680 acres). Its several nearly perfect small beaches are connected by trails that meander through the rainforest. The mountains surrounding the beaches quickly rise as you head inland from the water; however, the park was created to preserve not its beautiful beaches but its forests, home to endangered squirrel monkeys, three-toed sloths, purple-and-orange crabs, and hundreds of other species of birds, mammals, and plants. Once this entire stretch of coast was a rainforest teeming with wildlife, but now only this small rocky outcrop of forest remains.
The popularity of Manuel Antonio has brought increased development and ever-growing crowds of beachgoers. In just the last few years, these factors have turned what was once a remote and pristine spot into an area full of overflowing parking areas, overpriced hotels, and noisy crowds. In many respects, Manuel Antonio has been victimized by its adoring throngs, some of whom have taken to feeding the wild animals (monkeys and pizotes, in particular), which is a dangerous distortion of what ecotourism should be. On weekends the beaches are filled with people, and the disco near the park entrance blares its music until early morning. A jumble of snack shacks, souvenir stands, and makeshift parking lots line the beach road just outside the park, making the entrance road look more like a slum than a national park.
Those views that are so bewitching also have their own set of drawbacks. If you want a great view, you aren’t going to be staying on the beach—in fact, you probably won’t be able to walk to the beach. This means that you’ll be driving back and forth, taking taxis, or riding the public bus a lot. Also keep in mind that it’s hot and humid here, and it rains a lot. However, the rain is what keeps Manuel Antonio lush and green, and this wouldn’t be the tropics if things were otherwise.
If you’re traveling on a rock-bottom budget or are mainly interested in sportfishing, you might end up staying in the nearby town of Quepos, which was once a quiet banana port; the land to the north was used by Chiquita to grow its bananas. Disease wiped out most of the banana plantations, and now the land is planted primarily with African oil-palm trees. To reach Quepos by road, you pass through miles of these oil-palm plantations. Increasingly, Quepos is filling up with a wide variety of restaurants, souvenir and crafts shops, and lively bars.
Travel Tips--Despite the aforementioned caveats, Manuel Antonio is still a fabulous destination with a wealth of activities and attractions for all types and all ages. If you plan carefully, you can avoid many of the problems that detract from its appeal. If you steer clear of the peak months (Dec-Mar), you’ll miss most of the crowds. If you must come during the peak months, try to avoid weekends, when the beach is packed with families from San José. If you visit the park early in the morning, you can leave when the crowds begin to show up at midday. In the afternoon you can lounge by your pool or on your patio. If you stay at a hotel partway up the hill from the park entrance, you’ll have relatively easy access to the beach, you might get a view, and, best of all, you’ll be out of earshot of the disco.