5 Things To Know Before Visiting Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio is one of the most popular areas of Costa Rica to visit. We visited in April, and we had so much fun! Not only is Costa Rica a beautiful, friendly country, but Manuel Antonio was the perfect place to visit for a week — or longer!

If you’re planning your own trip to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, here’s what you need to know.

1. Manuel Antonio is a Great Home Base for your Costa Rica Trip

Matt and I had always wanted to visit Costa Rica. We always figured we’d stay there for about a month or so, like we did when we went to Mexico City last summer. But when my friend Morgan — who’s a teacher — asked us to go with her during her week-long spring break, we had to re-think how we’d make the most of a shorter visit.

After doing a little bit of research, I decided it would probably be best to base ourselves in just one area rather than traveling between multiple cities. That way, we could explore just that one area to the fullest and not lose time commuting from place to place. And it turns out that Manuel Antonio is the perfect home base for a trip to Costa Rica — whether your trip is long or short!

It’s not too far from the country’s capital, San José, so if you’re flying into San José’s airport, you can easily get to Manuel Antonio. And besides that, there is SO MUCH you can see and do in the Manuel Antonio area. From ziplining and waterfalls, to chocolate and coffee tours, to the national park, to the beautiful beaches and more… you’ll stay busy, no matter how long you’re there.

2. Manuel Antonio and Quepos Are Basically the Same Thing

When booking your place to stay in the Manuel Antonio area, you may be confused about the address saying “Quepos” instead of Manuel Antonio. At least, I was confused! I couldn’t tell if Quepos was the same city, a different city, or what.

Here’s the deal. “Manuel Antonio” specifically refers to the national park, though it also encompasses the touristy area directly nearby.  Quepos, on the other hand, is a small city about 10 minutes by car or bus from the Manuel Antonio area. For all intents and purposes, they’re basically the same. However, Quepos has quite a bit more city-type infrastructure available: a major bus terminal, a taxi stand, ATMs, clinics/hospitals, etc.

When we arrived from San José with the Tracopa bus service, the house manager of our Airbnb recommended we get off the bus at the Quepos stop rather than the Manuel Antonio stop. She said we would have an easier time getting a taxi in Quepos to drive us up the gravel road to our place. Otherwise, if we got off in Manuel Antonio, we may not have found a taxi as easily and would have to walk with all our stuff. (We stayed at Casa La Paz and we loved it!)

One more thing to note: Don’t worry too much about whether your place’s address says Quepos or Manuel Antonio. Addresses in Costa Rica are very approximate, anyway. If you have activities or excursions picking you up, they won’t have a problem finding you as long as you’re in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area. It’s all basically the same.

3. Manuel Antonio National Park Has its Own Rules

Of course, you have to visit Manuel Antonio National Park during your trip! While it’s fairly small, it’s renowned for its biodiversity, beaches, hiking trails, and more. In fact, in 2011, it was named one of the 12 most beautiful national parks in the world by Forbes. So it’s definitely worth a visit. But there are a few things you need to know before visiting Manuel Antonio National Park, specifically.

The national park is closed on Tuesdays and all holidays, so make sure you’re not planning your visit for any of those days. Park hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Also, you cannot bring food or drinks other than water into the park. And any water must be in a reusable bottle.

Most importantly, you need to buy tickets online in advance of your visit. In most cases, even if you’re visiting the park with a tour group — like the private tour we booked — you’ll still need to buy your own tickets online beforehand. You can buy tickets here: Login (sinac.go.cr). Tickets cost $18 USD per adult, and you will need the passport and contact information of every traveler in your group at the time of purchase.

After purchase, you’ll receive an email with a barcode, so have that ready when you arrive at the park. We brought our passports with us, but they didn’t check them. Depending on the time of year, there may be a really long line to get in. Be sure to book your tickets plenty of time in advance! Only a certain number of people are allowed in each day, so tickets do sometimes sell out.

Finally, Manuel Antonio National Park does have some gorgeous beaches that can only be accessed once you’re already in the park. So if you’ve already paid to visit, bring your swimsuit and visit the beaches while you’re there!

4. It’s Easy to Get Around Without a Car

I’m used to taking public transportation, even long distances, across cities and countries in Europe. During my initial research, when I saw there was a bus that goes from San José to Quepos for only about $10, I told my travel companions that it was the best and most economical option.

But as the trip approached, I started getting cold feet. What if the bus was cramped and uncomfortable and made me feel sick? What if it just wasn’t as convenient as I was expecting? I briefly considered renting a car, which wouldn’t have cost too much in all honestly, but in the end I decided to stick with the original plan.

Not only was the bus from San José to Quepos a great choice, but there’s a bus traveling between Quepos and Manuel Antonio regularly that makes it a breeze to get around! For just 410 Costa Rican Colones (CRC) or about $0.75 USD, you can hop on a bus traveling along the main road (National Route 618) between Quepos and Manuel Antonio, giving you a break from walking the hilly mountain path in the heat. Just be sure you have enough money in cash for your bus fare — though the driver does typically have change for bills smaller than 5,000 CRC.

Typically, the bus runs every 15 minutes or so, though it runs less frequently as the evening goes on, and it stops altogether at some point. There’s also an app that’s supposed to provide bus tracking, but we didn’t find that it worked very well.

While the bus stops aren’t really clearly marked, you can generally ask any shop, restaurant, or local resident where the closest stop is, and they’ll point you in the right direction. Just remember you need to stand on the east side of the road if you want to go north toward Quepos, and stand on the west side of the road if you want to go south toward Manuel Antonio National Park.

5. You’ll Be Surrounded by Wildlife

If your goal in Costa Rica is to see as many animals as you can, you probably couldn’t choose a better destination than Manuel Antonio. Of course, there’s the national park, where you’re guaranteed to see some cool stuff — especially if you hire a guide like we did, who can point out all kinds of crazy animals and insects that you would have never found on your own.

But even just being in the Manuel Antonio and Quepos area, you’re going to come face-to-face with wildlife. On our first night in Manuel Antonio, as we took the public bus back to our place from the beach, the bus had to stop because there was a sloth in the middle of the road! We didn’t get a great look at it, but luckily it wasn’t our only sloth encounter of the week. One morning, there was a sloth on a tree right outside the path to Casa La Paz!

Another day, we got to watch a troupe of squirrel monkeys from our patio as they climbed through the trees and power lines for 30 minutes. At the same time, several toucans were flying in and out of the nearby trees.

Some of the animals and insects may not be so desirable. You’ll likely have geckos inside and outside your lodging (though they are harmless!) and roaches love a good tropical environment. Also, we had a few Close Encounters of the Snake Kind. But you don’t get to pick and choose the types of wildlife you get to see. 😜

What else do you want to know about Manuel Antonio and Quepos, Costa Rica? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on July 14, 2023.