Things to Do in Quepos and Manuel Antonio
Most visitors build their days around four things: a morning in Manuel Antonio National Park, a trip out on the Pacific, a bit of adventure inland, and time to slow down. Below, activities are grouped by the kind of day you want. Items marked “Book through ECOTICA” are tours and services our concierge arranges. “Explore in the area” is local information for things you’d plan yourself.
Two kinds of recommendations
- Book through ECOTICA: tours, transfers and services ECOTICA offers or books for guests with local operators. Tell us your dates through the tours request form or our concierge, and we’ll confirm availability and current prices.
- Explore in the area: good things to do that ECOTICA doesn’t sell. We include them because they’re worth your time, not because anyone pays us.
Planning a whole trip? Our sample itineraries put these into realistic days. And remember that the national park is closed on Tuesdays.
Park and nature
Guided walk in Manuel Antonio National Park
Book through ECOTICA. The best first morning in the area. A naturalist guide with a spotting scope helps you find sloths, monkeys, birds and the small things you’d miss, then leaves you time at a beach inside the park. See wildlife and nature tours. Park tickets, rules and trails are in our park visitor guide.
Wildlife and nature tours
Book through ECOTICA. Guided outings to look for sloths, monkeys and toucans in and around Manuel Antonio. Sightings are never guaranteed, but good guides know where to look. Details on the wildlife and nature tours page. Read up before you go with our wildlife guide.
Night walks
Explore in the area. According to SINAC, the park’s official guides run night walks at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, but only in special seasons (November to April). Contact the guides’ association through the details on SINAC’s park page.
Birdwatching
Explore in the area. Early mornings in the park, the mangroves and the forest edges are rewarding for birders. Our birdwatching guide covers where, when and what to look for, and our bird guide covers the species.
Mangroves, rescue centers and rainforest
Damas Island mangroves
Explore in the area. The Damas Island estuary northwest of Quepos is a maze of mangrove channels explored by boat or kayak. Operators time trips to the tide, so the exact start is often confirmed only a day or two ahead. It’s a calm, family-friendly outing. For the plants that make a mangrove work, read our plants and rainforest guide.
Kids Saving the Rainforest
Explore in the area. A non-profit wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center in the Quepos area. Their guided tours explain how injured and orphaned animals are cared for, with release to the wild as the goal. Check their website for current tours and booking. A good choice on a rainy day, and a good way to understand why wildlife should never be fed or handled.
Wildlife where you stay
At ECOTICA, howler monkeys, sloths, toucans, scarlet macaws and butterflies are part of daily life on our 10 acres of forest, but never on a schedule. Our blog post wildlife where you stay shares the best hours to look and photo tips.
Ocean and boat outings
Catamaran cruises, sunset sails and snorkeling trips
Book through ECOTICA. Time on the Pacific is the other half of a Manuel Antonio trip. The ECOTICA concierge books catamaran cruises, sunset sails, snorkeling and boat tours with local operators. See ocean and boat tours. A good plan for a Tuesday, when the park is closed.
Snorkeling
Explore in the area. SINAC points to the rocky sides of Playa Manuel Antonio, inside the park, for fish and some coral. Boat trips reach other spots. Our snorkeling guide covers when the water is clearest and what to know about protected areas.
Sport fishing out of Quepos
Explore in the area. Many sport fishing charters leave from Marina Pez Vela in Quepos. Our sport fishing guide explains offshore and inshore trips, seasons and licenses.
Surfing and surf lessons
Book through ECOTICA. Manuel Antonio has great surf, and Playa Espadilla, the public beach at the end of the road, is one of the nicest beaches around. It’s where most beginners learn, and our concierge can arrange a surf class for you. Read surfing in Manuel Antonio for seasons and safety.
Beach days
Explore in the area. Playa Espadilla is free and open every day. The beaches inside the park need a ticket. Compare them in our beach guide, and always ask about currents before swimming.
Adventure inland
ATV rides
Book through ECOTICA. Trails and back roads in the hills behind the coast, and yes, you may get splashed. Booked through our concierge with a local operator. See jungle adventure tours.
Waterfalls and jungle outings
Book through ECOTICA. Half- and full-day trips to waterfalls and forest inland, arranged for your dates. Also on the adventure tours page.
Horseback riding
Book through ECOTICA. Our concierge books horseback rides with local operators. Ask through the concierge page.
Private 4×4 Jeep day
Book through ECOTICA. A lifted Jeep Wrangler with a local driver-guide, for up to five guests, half or full day. You choose the stops: waterfalls, viewpoints, beaches, wildlife. Details on concierge services.
Nauyaca Waterfalls
Explore in the area. Large waterfalls inland from Dominical, about an hour south of Manuel Antonio according to the Nauyaca site. Plan a full day. The private Jeep option above is one way to get there.
Other tours
Explore in the area. Rafting, canopy tours and more run from the area. Our list of 10 Manuel Antonio tours worth booking helps you choose, and our family-friendly activities page covers easier options for kids.
Culture and local life
Quepos farmers market (feria)
Explore in the area. Next to the malecón in Quepos on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings: tropical fruit, vegetables, cheese, fish, prepared food and crafts. Bring small bills in colones, and a reusable bag.
The malecón and Marina Pez Vela
Explore in the area. Walk the seafront in the late afternoon, then have dinner at the marina. See Marina Pez Vela’s things to do.
The story behind the park
Explore in the area. The park exists because Quepos residents and students fought for beach access between 1968 and 1972. Read it in our history and culture guide before your visit and the place will look different.
La Trampa
Explore in the area. At low tide beside Punta Catedral, a circle of stones that SINAC describes as archaeological remains, by local account an Indigenous turtle and fish trap. More in the park guide.
Food and drink
Breakfast, lunch and dinner by the rainforest pool
Book through ECOTICA. ECOTICA’s restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with poolside dining and cocktails at La Poza, a good spot to watch for wildlife. Café ECOTICA has coffee and pastries. See dining at ECOTICA.
YOLO Social
Book through ECOTICA. Dinner, cocktails, live music nights, games, sports on screen and a casino for guests 21 and over. Ask us what’s on during your stay: YOLO Social.
A romantic dinner setup
Book through ECOTICA. A private dinner setup, flowers, a cake or a decorated room can be added to any stay. See honeymoon and romantic getaways.
Eating out in Quepos and along the hill
Explore in the area. Quepos has everyday sodas (local diners) and seafood. The marina and the hill road have restaurants with sunset views. For an evening plan, read live music in Manuel Antonio and where to watch sports.
Wellness and slow days
Jungle Spa
Book through ECOTICA. Massages (relaxing, deep-tissue, bamboo, volcanic stone, aromatherapy, couples), facials, tropical body scrubs and wraps, half-day spa packages, and manicures and pedicures, using ingredients like cacao, tropical botanicals and mineral clays. See Jungle Spa or request a time through the spa form.
Yoga on the deck and the gym
Book through ECOTICA. Daily yoga classes on ECOTICA’s open-air deck, and a small gym with rainforest views. See wellness at ECOTICA.
Retreats
Book through ECOTICA. ECOTICA hosts yoga, wellness, fitness, photography and team retreats, with a rainforest deck for up to 50 people. There are no open retreat dates right now; ask to be notified on the retreats page.
Want us to plan it?
Send your dates and interests and our concierge will suggest a realistic plan and book what you choose. Or start with the Manuel Antonio & Quepos Travel Guide.
Sources
- SINAC – Manuel Antonio National Park (official page, English)
- SINAC – Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio (página oficial: horario, tarifas, servicios, recomendaciones)
- Marina Pez Vela – Things to do (official site)
- Pura Vida Traveling – Quepos farmers market (feria) guide
- Costa Rica Jade Tours – Damas Island mangrove boat tour (tide-dependent timing)
- Kids Saving the Rainforest – wildlife rescue, Quepos (official site)
- Nauyaca Waterfalls – official site
- ECOTICA – Concierge Services (airport transport, private 4×4 Jeep, air charter)
Last reviewed: September 2026. Tour availability, prices and pickup times are confirmed by our concierge when you book.
