With the establishment of ManuelAntonio National Park in 1972, the people of Costa Rica decided to preserve, for future generations, one of the most beautiful and bio-diverse areas in the world. Although it is the country's smallest national park, the stunning beauty and diversity of wildlife in its 683 hectares is unequaled.

Manuel Antonio contains a charming combination of rain forest, beaches and coral reefs. This beaches are the most beautiful in the country, lined with lush forest, and the snorkeling is excellent too. The forest is home for sloths, iguanas, the rare and adorable squirrel monkeys and millions of colorful little crabs. And the trail that winds around Punta Catedral affords some spectacular views. The park is easy to reach, south of the town of Quepos, and is near a good selection of hotels and restaurants.

Visiting the park, one is treated to an abundant diversity of wildlife. Cathedral Point, with its forest topped cliffs was once an island, but is now connected to the coast by a thin strip of island. This land bridge now forms the spine separating the parks two most popular beaches, Playa Espadilla Sur and Playa Manuel Antonio. The southern facing beach, Playa Manuel Antonio, is a picturesque half mile long, white sand crescent bisecting deep green foliage to one side and a private, secluded cove to the other.

Standing with your feet dug into the sand and watching the wave crash against the rocks on either side of the lagoon, it is easy to believe that you are a thousand miles from anywhere.

Manuel Antonio National Park

Despite its relatively tiny size, Manuel Antonio National Park holds an incredible biodiversity. Visitors can expect to see Families of White Face monkeys (Squirrel Monkeys) playing and feeding on swarms of green and black grasshoppers. On a short stroll through the jungle, on the way to one of the three spectacular beaches, you will probably see three-toed sloths, occasionally, even a mom and her baby, hanging on a branch taking an afternoon nap. Many birds, parrots and iguanas inhabit the Manuel Antonio National Park and its surrounding area.

Manuel Antonio National park is one of the most popular parks among Costa Ricans and tourists, its proximity to San Jose together with the easy access to the beaches, to all age groups, makes Manuel Antonio a very good place to start your vacation in Costa Rica.

Location: 35 miles (56 km) in a straight line south of San José on the Pacific coast. 53 miles (86 km) by the shortest overland route (4WD required).

Quepos Manuel Antonio

Quepos Manuel Antonio Costa Rica is one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica. The natural beauty of Manuel Antonio and the Manuel Antonio Park, combined with the first-class tourist accomodations make this area very attractive to travelers.

Manuel Antonio Park Although Manuel Antonio Park is the smallest park in the National Park System of Costa Rica, the beauty of the jungle, incredible beaches, and diverse habitat make it one the most popular parks in the Costa Rica Parks System.

Quepos, Costa Rica The city of Quepos has a great variety of restaurants, stores for shopping for everything from artifacts to hardware stores. It also has some of the best night life on the Pacific coast. For these reasons, we highly recommend Manuel Antonio and Quepos as a tourist destination. The improvements in the highway from Jaco and the diverse prices of accomodations, from hostels to elegant five star hotels, make this a place for everyone who wants to travel to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.