General Info

One of Costa Rica's premier tourist destinations, Manuel Antonio National Park combines natural primary and secondary forests, exuberant wildlife, and pristine beaches in one amazing location on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, only seven kilometers south of Quepos.

Manuel Antonio's distinctive Cathedral Point takes center stage in the many breathtaking vistas that punctuate the winding drive between Quepos and the National Park entrance. Cathedral Point was once actually an island, but thousands of years of geological action connected it to the mainland with a natural land bridge.

Both inside and outside the park there are a series of small half-moon beaches and bays surrounded by luscious rainforest: Playa Espadilla Norte, Playa Espadilla Sur, Playa Manuel Antonio, Playa Puerto Escondido and Playa Playitas, all of them safe for swimming and great for diving.

The area , which encompasses 1.700 acres of land mass and 135.905 acres of marine reserve, was declared as National Park due to its abundant flora and fauna, and especially because of being the last remaining habitat of the unique squirrel monkey (mono tití), endemic to this region. Other of the species that attract both naturalists and regular tourists are white-nosed, two-toed and three-toed sloths, iguanas, raccoons, white-faced and howler monkeys.

Among the birds is common to observe: “tucancillos” (Fiery-billed Aracary), brown pelicans, laughing falcons, black-collared hawks, green kingfishers and northern jacanas. Among the flora outstand the bully tree, the cedar, the locust (surá) the black locust and the cow tree, as well as 44.5 acres of mangrove swamp with three species: black mangrove, red mangrove and buttonwood mangrove. Costa Rica's ancient pre-Colombian societies inhabited the area around Manuel Antonio and their tidal turtle traps are still visible.