Manuel Antonio & Quepos Travel Guide
Manuel Antonio is a short stretch of Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast where rainforest runs right down to the beaches, about 157 km south of San José. Most people come for Manuel Antonio National Park, which opens Wednesday to Monday and sells tickets only online. Quepos, the town at the bottom of the hill, is where you’ll find the marina, the bus terminal, the banks and the Friday–Saturday farmers market.
Who this guide is for
This guide is written by the team at ECOTICA Boutique Hotel & Spa in Manuel Antonio. We live and work here, and we answer the same planning questions every week at the front desk. So we wrote the answers down: what’s where, how the park works, how to get here, what’s worth your time, and a bit of the area’s history.
It’s meant for:
- First-time visitors working out how many nights to stay and what to book in advance.
- Families who want easy wildlife walks, calm beach time and realistic days with kids.
- Couples planning a honeymoon or anniversary around the park, the ocean and slow mornings.
- Nature and photography travelers who want to know where and when animals are active, and how to watch them responsibly.
- Travelers without a car who need to know how buses, taxis, shuttles and domestic flights work here.
Where details change often (park hours, ticket prices, bus times), we link to the official source and say when we last checked. We don’t accept payment to include anything in this guide. When something is a service ECOTICA offers, we say so plainly and mark it “Book through ECOTICA”. Everything else is simply local information.
Start here
Quepos and Manuel Antonio: what's where
How the town, the marina, the hill road, Manuel Antonio village and the park entrance fit together, and what you'll find in each.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Tickets, opening days, what you can bring, guides, trails, beaches and viewpoints, with links to SINAC for anything that changes.
Things to do
Park and nature, ocean and boat trips, adventure, culture, food and wellness, clearly split into what ECOTICA books and what to explore on your own.
Wildlife in Manuel Antonio
Monkeys, sloths, birds, coatis, raccoons and reptiles: what lives here, when animals are active and how to watch them without disturbing them.
Plants and rainforest
The forest, mangrove and beach plants that hold this coast together, including the manzanillo tree you should never touch.
Getting here and getting around
Airports, domestic flights, the drive from San José, buses, shuttles, taxis, parking and how to reach the park entrance.
History and local culture
The Quepo people, the banana and oil palm years, the town that fought for its beaches and the park it won in 1972.
Sample itineraries
One day, three days and five or more, with realistic pacing, Tuesday park closures planned around, and rainy-day ideas.
Animal by animal
Sloths
Two-fingered and three-fingered sloths: how to tell them apart and how to spot one in the canopy.
Monkeys
Squirrel monkeys, white-faced capuchins and howler monkeys, and why you should never feed them.
Coatis and raccoons
Two clever foragers you may meet near beaches and trails, and how to keep your bag closed.
Reptiles and iguanas
Iguanas, lizards and other cold-blooded neighbors warming up in the sun.
Plan your visit in eight steps
- Pick your season. The dry months and holiday weeks are busiest. SINAC notes that September and October bring fewer visitors because they fall in the rainy season, so go to the park early and pack a rain layer then. Our season-by-season guide goes month by month.
- Decide how many nights. Three nights is enough for a park morning, a day on the water and a slow day. With five or more you can add a mangrove trip, a waterfall day or just more time doing very little. See our sample itineraries.
- Choose how you’ll get here. Drive or take a shuttle from San José (roughly 3–4 hours, depending on traffic), take the public bus, or fly to the small Quepos airport. Details on getting here and getting around.
- Book park tickets online, and remember Tuesdays. The park is closed every Tuesday, and SINAC sells tickets only online. Bring the passport or ID you used to book. Current rules are on our national park guide.
- Decide on a guide. You can walk the park on your own, but a naturalist guide with a spotting scope will find animals you would walk past. Book a guided walk through ECOTICA or contact the official guides’ association listed by SINAC.
- Reserve the busy things early. In high season, book boat tours, transfers and popular tours a few days ahead. Our concierge can help if you’re staying with us.
- Pack for heat, rain and trails. Closed shoes for the forest (SINAC advises against sandals on trails), a reusable water bottle, swimwear, sun protection, insect repellent and a light rain jacket.
- Learn the wildlife rules before you go. Don’t feed or touch animals, keep your distance and keep food out of sight. Our wildlife guide explains why it matters so much here.
Money and food
- Money. US dollars are accepted in most tourist places, and cards work in most hotels and restaurants. Carry some colones in small bills for the local bus, sodas, small shops and tips.
- Food. Try a casado at a soda, a small local diner: rice, beans, salad, sweet plantain and a main of fish, chicken or meat. Fresh fish and ceviche are easy to find.
Check the official sources before you go
Park hours, closed days, ticket prices and rules are set by SINAC, Costa Rica’s national system of conservation areas, and they do change. Always check:
- SINAC: Manuel Antonio National Park (official page)
- SINAC online services: park ticket booking
- Visit Costa Rica (ICT): Manuel Antonio National Park
Last reviewed: September 2026.
Useful reading from the ECOTICA blog
Our blog covers single topics in more depth. A few that pair well with this guide:
- Manuel Antonio beaches: where to swim
- Birdwatching in Manuel Antonio
- Snorkeling in Manuel Antonio
- Where to stay in Manuel Antonio
- Seeing wildlife where you stay
Real stories from our team, about the animals and people we share this hillside with, are on the ECOTICA blog.
A base in the rainforest
If you’d like somewhere quiet to come back to after the park or the boat, ECOTICA is a boutique hotel on about 10 acres of rainforest a few minutes from the park (not inside it and not on the beach). Have a look at our bungalows and suites or ask our concierge for help planning.
Sources
- SINAC – Manuel Antonio National Park (official page, English)
- SINAC – Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio (página oficial: horario, tarifas, servicios, recomendaciones)
- SINAC – Servicios en línea (official park ticket booking)
- Visit Costa Rica (ICT) – Manuel Antonio National Park
- Pura Vida Traveling – Quepos farmers market (feria) guide
- Municipalidad de Quepos – Historia del cantón
- Patricia Fumero, “Las luchas por el Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio (1968-1972)”, Semanario Universidad, 2 Sept 2020
This guide is written by the ECOTICA Boutique Hotel & Spa team in Manuel Antonio. Last reviewed: September 2026.
