Destinations

Exploring Costa Rica’s National Parks: Manuel Antonio

By teletico ⋅ March 23, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Located on the Central Pacific Coast, approximately three hours from San Jose, Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s most visited tourist destinations. The town of Manuel Antonio is located along a 1 mile stretch of hillside road leading down to the Pacific Ocean. Visitors must drive through the town of Quepos before reaching Manuel Antonio, and a public bus runs regularly between the two towns for guests staying in Quepos. Most tourists flock to Manuel Antonio for its main attraction, the famous Manuel Antonio National Park.

The park encompasses 1625 hectares and is situated at the end of the road lending at the beach. The park is best known for its most popular residents, the monkeys, and provides one of the best opportunities for seeing these personable animals in their natural habitat. A short walk through the park in the morning is almost guaranteed to reveal encounters with white-faced capuchin monkeys. Howler monkeys also reside in the park but are heard more than they are seen. Manuel Antonio is also home to the critically endangered squirrel monkey, one of only two places in Costa Rica where this species can be seen in its natural habitat (Osa Peninsula is the other).

In addition to monkeys, iguanas, sloths, agoutis, peccaries, armadillos, coatis, raccoons, snakes, and lizards are frequently seen in the park. Visitors also have the opportunity to see some of the more than 350 species of birds that reside in the region. On the downside, Manuel Antonio receives quite a bit of tourist traffic, so naturally the animals tend to avoid the beaten paths. Its best to arrive early in the morning, when the park opens at 7 am, to improve your chances of viewing wildlife. Whatever you do or see, please do not feed or entice the animals with food!

As if this weren’t enough, Manuel Antonio National Park also features three spectacular beaches for visitors to enjoy. Playa Espadilla Sur is the first beach you encounter during your hike through the park. Following the obvious trail brings you to Playa Manuel Antonio, followed by Playa Puerto Escondido. All beaches feature white sand, bright blue water, and gentle waves. Be sure to bring your bathing suit and pack a picnic lunch to get the most out of your visit to the park.

Now, Manuel Antonio is a bit of a catch 22 for me. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of wildlife to see and the beaches just add to its value. However, the volume of visitors to the park detracts from the feeling of being in a truly natural setting. At times it feels like I’m walking through a manufactured safari of sorts. It’s a great place to take the kids, but true wildlife enthusiasts like myself may be seeking more of a challenge.

I almost feel like I’m cheating somehow when I spot a group of five or six white faced capuchin monkeys scrambling among the trees as they stop and seemingly pose for photo opportunities from time to time. Its obvious that the wildlife is accustomed to tourists who entice the animals with food in order to draw them closer. (Again, do us a favor and please refrain from offering food). It just doesn’t seem natural that wild animals would come that close to humans. This is in fact, the only place in Costa Rica where I have experienced these semi-domesticated monkeys. Everywhere else requires stealth and silence in order to capture that postcard worthy photo with your Powershot.

One must also understand that heavy volumes of tourists leads to erosion along the trails of the park. It is interesting to see some portions of the park paved with brick, further detracting from the natural setting. In the end though, the park is responsible for the town’s tourism economy, providing jobs for numerous residents. The park’s beaches also maintain blue flag status, an international distinction given to beaches for their cleanliness and overall status with respect to sustainability.

My biggest concern for the region is the status of the adorable squirrel monkey (its just the cutest little thing you’ll see in Costa Rica!). As mentioned before, this critically endangered species finds its home in Manuel Antonio. Recent efforts have been made to protect the squirrel monkey, including bridges constructed across the roads to limit the number of monkeys killed while crossing via power lines or hit by cars when crossing the road itself. The Mono Azul Hotel is home to the “Kids Saving the Rainforest” store. This organization was started by local students concerned for the status of the squirrel monkey, and is responsible for the donation and construction of these monkey bridges. The hotel donates 10% of its sales to the local effort.

The high influx of tourism combined with development in the region continues to threaten the species as well as others that call Manuel Antonio their home. Local efforts such as Kids Saving the Rainforest, serve to balance this threat, however development must be done with care and concern for the wildlife. After all, without the park, the region may lose its attractiveness as a tourist destination.

Overall, Manuel Antonio National Park is a must see for first time visitors to Costa Rica. Those who have been there before may agree that it’s a one and done experience, that can be replaced with other popular or of the beaten path destinations should you choose to return. Again, its great for families, especially for the kids. Wildlife enthusiasts may want to consider it a warm up for the more challenging and biologically diverse Osa Peninsula and Southern Zone on their journey South of Manuel Antonio.

Manuel Antonio National Park is open Tues-Sun,7am-4pm. $10 Entrance Fee

If you’ve been to the park, let me know what you think, and be sure to do some further research on Manuel Antonio in my review of hotels and activities.Visit our website for more information on Costa Rica as well as trip planning, reservations, and custom vacation packages. Sick of overpriced vacations and impersonal customer service? E4 is your home away from home based travel agent providing personalized travel services at the right price, to all destinations in Costa Rica. Contact us today. We know Costa Rica because we live here. We know what you want, because we lived there!

Check out our exclusive video from Manuel Antonio