Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park

The National Park consists of 684 hectares (1690 acres) of land, plus 5500 miles (8850 km) of ocean protection, which encompasses 12 islands. The Park, whose name's origin remains a mystery, was declared a national park in 1972 and remains Costa Rica's smallest. This small size is an advantage for visitors, as walking around the park is easy and there exists a large concentration of visible animals. The park also features five different eco-trails (1 hour walk each), three of which are considered as easy walking and the other two as difficult or hard walking. The Sloth Trail will lead you through the park to the beaches, and as the name suggests, has many sloths to spot along the way. The 45 minute Punto Catedral Trail takes you around the point for some lovely views, and chances to see many animals; while the 50 minute walk to Puerto Escondido takes you past an impressive blow hole.

The beaches found within the national park are spectacular and provide picture perfect surrounds suitable for lying about and swimming. Of the four beaches, the Manuel Antonio beach is the most outstanding. It is over 200 m long, covering an area rich in reefs and volcanic rocks that constitute a haven for beautiful and colourful species of fish. This makes it a unique spot for snorkelling, mainly in summer time (from November to April). Besides, you can enjoy a magnificent view from the look-out over the 12 islands that make up this marvellous landscape. Watch your things on the beaches, it has been known for the monkeys and other animals to come down from the trees and steal bags, cameras etc. If you bring food to the reserve and the beach you must keep it in a closed bag so as not to attract the animals.

The entrance to the park is situated across a river at the end of the street parallel to the main beach. At low tide the water is a trickle up to your ankles, though when the tide is high you can pay c100 (20 cents) for the boatman to paddle you across. Crocodiles live in the river but are not a threat; people wade across all of the time. It is prohibited to feed any of the animals in the park. The park has a limit of 600-800 people which is not an unrealistic attendance during peak season from December to June; it is advisable to get there early during this time. Scattered throughout the area are trees called "Manzanillo" which grow along the beach. Their fruits and sap are extremely poisonous for humans, but they pose no threat for visitors because they are all very well marked along the trails.

Getting a guide is the best way to get the most out of your visit. As you move along through the park, the hawk-eyed guides will spot tiny animals up to 30 meters away which would take anyone else a telescope to make out. They will then set up their high-powered telescopes for those lacking superhuman vision, allowing close-ups of Costa Rica's living wonders. Some of the animals possible to spot while tailing a guide are sloths (both 2 toed and 3 toed varieties), squirrel monkeys, howler monkeys, anteaters, coati, agouti, amongst a variety of birds. If you hire a guide you are able to use their telescopes to take national geographic quality photographs of the wildlife with your own camera. You can find licensed guides from the guide association (ASOGUINAMI) which has a kiosk on the way to the park entrance on the left hand side. A guide will cost about $15 per person, and the tours last around 2 hours.