Top Things to do in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica
Visit Costa Rica’s best national park and find out the best things to do in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s most visited area, Manuel Antonio is full of diversity and splendour. With local wildlife on every corner, verdant jungle, beautiful beaches and a chilled out atmosphere, visiting the Manuel Antonio area should definitely be on your Costa Rica bucket list. There are several things to do in Manuel Antonio, some of which can be done in other areas of Costa Rica and some not. Make sure not to miss spending the day exploring Manuel Antonio National Park, the true jewel of this area.
In this guide, you’ll find out a little more about the area, how to get to Manuel Antonio and where to stay. You’ll also find out about the best things to do in Manuel Antonio and all my recommendations and tips for visiting the area.
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HOW TO GET TO MANUEL ANTONIO
The town of Manuel Antonio and Manuel Antonio National Park are located along the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica close to the town of Quepos.
To get to Manuel Antonio it is best to drive although as it is one of the most popular places to visit in Costa Rica, public transportation options are also available.
Car
The best way to travel around Costa Rica, in general, is by renting a car and driving yourself. You can rent a car at San Jose or Liberia International Airports and the process is extremely straightforward. You’ll want to make sure to book your rental car well in advance especially during high season (November-February).
I always use Rental Cars for the best deals online- especially in Costa Rica. Check their rates and deals here.
You can also rent a car locally in Quepos for your time in the Manuel Antonio area.
Private Shuttle
You can also get to Manuel Antonio by private shuttle. Tourist shuttles exist all over Costa Rica and provide quick and direct transfers between all the major popular destinations. From the airport, you’ll be able to organise a direct transfer to Manuel Antonio. Costa Rica Shuttle and Costa Rica Transfers are just a few companies to check out before booking.
Public Transport
The other way to get to Manuel Antonio is by public bus. Buses travel to Manuel Antonio from all major Costa Rican towns and cities. There is at least one direct bus per day from San Jose. From Terminal Transportes Tracopa on Calle 5, AV 19/20 in San Jose take the bus to Quepos and in Quepos, you can change for another bus heading to Manuel Antonio.
Taking buses in Costa Rica isn’t the easiest as there are no real departure times or timetables anywhere. It definitely helps if you speak Spanish as locals are very helpful and will direct you the right way. Oftentimes we just turned up at the bus station with our luggage and asked for the next departure.
Uber also works in Manuel Antonio however, it’s not the most reliable, especially when calling a ride from nearby attractions outside town and from the national park. This is why it’s best to rent a car when travelling around Costa Rica.
WHERE TO STAY
There are some truly amazing properties in Manuel Antonio for all budgets. Here are just a few of my favourites that are eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle-friendly too.
Makanda by the Sea
This adults-only, luxury hotel is probably one of the chicest properties in all Costa Rica, with its beautiful, modern decor, tasteful palette, jacuzzis, infinity pool with spectacular views and healthy, local food.
Surrounded by jungle and local flora and fauna this property makes the perfect 5-star base for exploring the local area. Massages are also available and they have their own tour desk to make it easy to book tours in the area if you choose to.
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Tulemar Resort
Located in the heart of Manuel Antonio, this is one of the best options in the area if you’re looking for self-catering options. Rent the Maunaloa, Tule Casa or their Premium Villa and you’ll get a luxury apartment with balcony and sea views- perfect for larger groups and families. They also have a pool with ocean views and a gym on-site too.
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Gaia Hotel & Reserve
An intimate, luxury property surrounded by their own private reserve, Gaia is an exceptional place to stay when in Manuel Antonio. Incredible staff, pools with sea and jungle views, a really good onsite restaurant make this hotel one of the leading options in the area. Rooms are spacious and extremely comfortable with all the mod-cons you might expect.
They also provide a shuttle to Manuel Antonio and the beaches so if you don’t have a car this might be one of the most convenient options around.
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The Falls at Manuel Antonio
One of the best more budget options in the area, The Falls offers clean and spacious rooms in a local, Costa Rican style, an on-site pool and extremely friendly staff who do their best to make our trip as good as it can be. Breakfast is also included in your stay.
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TOP THINGS TO DO IN MANUEL ANTONIO
The Manuel Antonio area includes Manuel Antonio town and its beaches and further south Manuel Antonio National Park which also has its own beaches. While you can visit the region and just stay in town I highly recommend visiting the national park as this is the highlight of the area and Costa Rica’s most popular national park. All the best places to visit in Manuel Antonio are all fairly close to each other.
VISIT MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK
Manuel Antonio National Park is one of Costa Rica’s most visited and diverse national parks. It’s brimming with wildlife and there is no doubt that you will see many animals during your visit. Sloths, howler, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, iguanas, frogs, toucans, aracaris, hummingbirds, bats, snakes, the list goes on.
It’s not a very big national park and you can walk around it in a day and still have time to relax on the pristine beaches. Distances around the parks are not long at all and you only have to walk a kilometre or two before reaching your first beach. Many of the main paths are flat making them suitable for all ages.
TAKE A GUIDED WILDLIFE TOUR
One of the main things to do in Manuel Antonio National Park is to walk around gazing into the trees to try to spot some wildlife. While you probably will see a lot of wildlife on your own, sloths are extremely hard to spot without a guide. One of the best and most popular things to do is to get a guided wildlife tour.
Manuel Antonio guides can be hired at the entrance and guides have hawk-like vision and knowledge so they’ll be able to point out all the local fauna. They also carry scopes so you’ll be able to see all the teeny animals up close (some of the most amazing colourful frogs in Costa Rica are tiny). You can also book guides online ahead of time here.
If you choose not to take a guided tour you can also see many other animals and you’ll also be able to look at what other guides are pointing at. Sometimes it is easy to see a sloth as you pass a group already looking at one.
HIKE TO CATHEDRAL POINT
One of the best things to do in the park is to do the short hike to Cathedral Point, located on the peninsula part of the national park. Once you get to Manuel Antonio beach, walk the whole stretch of beach until you can continue on the main trail that leads around to Cathedral Point. It’s a circular path so you’ll come out at Manuel Antonio beach once you finish.
This hike is a little more sweaty and strenuous than the rest of the park but it is short. You’ll be rewarded with gorgeous Pacific Ocean views, cliff views and have the chance to spot some more amazing wildlife. We saw capuchin and howler monkeys here which came so close to us.
VISIT PLAYA ESPADILLA SUR & PLAYA MANUEL ANTONIO
The main beaches inside the park are Espadilla South and Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio beach is considerably more popular than Espadilla but it’s worth seeing them both as they are gorgeous. Manuel Antonio has white sand and they are both are fringed by trees and palms making them looking like something out of Robinson Crusoe. The current can be pretty strong at Espadilla South beach so make sure to take care when swimming. For this reason, Manuel Antonio beach is a great spot for swimmi