Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica's most celebrated destinations, combining pristine Pacific beaches with a compact national park that punches well above its weight in biodiversity. Squeezed onto a small peninsula about 180 km south of San José, Manuel Antonio National Park protects towering primary rainforest, coral reefs, and a string of sheltered coves — all within walking distance of each other.
The town of Quepos, just 7 km north, serves as the practical hub for accommodation, transport, and dining. The road between Quepos and the park entrance winds through hills thick with hotels and restaurants, offering sweeping ocean views at every turn.
Wildlife watching is the main event here: white-faced capuchin monkeys raid unguarded picnic bags with practised confidence, two-toed sloths hang motionless in cecropia trees, and scarlet macaws wheel overhead in pairs. The park limits daily visitor numbers, so it stays pleasantly uncrowded compared to Costa Rica's more overrun spots.
Outside the park, the waves at Playa Espadilla offer decent surfing, and the offshore waters reward divers and snorkellers with reef sharks, rays, and huge schools of fish year-round. The rainy season (May–November) brings lusher greenery and fewer tourists; the dry season (December–April) offers the clearest underwater visibility.