Health & Safety in Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio is a gentle, well-prepared corner of Costa Rica. This page gives you exactly what you need, fast: the numbers to call, where the hospitals are, and simple first aid for the rainforest and the ocean. Save it on your phone, then give your full attention to the forest and the sea.
In an emergency: call 911 first
Dial 911. It is free from any mobile or landline, answers 24 hours a day, and sends the right help: Red Cross ambulance, fire department or police (Sistema de Emergencias 9-1-1).
The few numbers worth saving
- 911 — any emergency: injury, illness, fire, crime, someone in trouble in the water.
- 2223-1028 — poison control (Centro Nacional de Control de Intoxicaciones, CCSS), 24/7. For medicines, plants, chemicals, bites and stings.
- 2774-9500 — Hospital Dr. Max Terán Valls, the public hospital in Quepos, with a 24-hour emergency department (CCSS).
- 4070-4040 — Hospital Metropolitano Quepos, private, at Marina Pez Vela; emergency service Monday to Saturday, 6 am–10 pm.
When you call
- Say where you are: hotel or beach name, a landmark on the main road, or a dropped pin.
- Say what happened and how many people need help.
- Stay on the line and follow the dispatcher’s guidance.
Calling from a foreign phone? Costa Rica’s country code is +506; inside the country, just dial the eight digits.
Staying at ECOTICA
Tell the front desk, open every day from 6 am to 10 pm. In a true emergency, call 911 first and let us know right after; for anything non-urgent, we can call a nearby doctor who comes to the hotel to see you.
Key numbers
| What you need | Who or where | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Any emergency: ambulance, police, fire | Sistema de Emergencias 9-1-1 | 911, free, 24/7 |
| Poisoning or a toxic substance | Centro Nacional de Control de Intoxicaciones (CCSS) | 2223-1028, 24/7 |
| Public hospital, 24-hour emergencies | Hospital Dr. Max Terán Valls (CCSS), La Managua de Quepos | 2774-9500 |
| Private hospital | Hospital Metropolitano, Marina Pez Vela, Quepos | 4070-4040; emergencies Mon–Sat 6 am–10 pm |
| A doctor at the hotel (non-urgent) | ECOTICA front desk, 6 am–10 pm daily | Front desk |
| An animal that needs help | Our wildlife rescue guide | Wildlife rescue |
What happened? Find it fast
Find your situation in the left column. Each row tells you what to do right now, who to call, and which section below explains more.
| What happened? | Do this now | Who to call | Read more below |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snake bite | Stay calm, keep the limb still, remove rings and watches. No tourniquet, cutting, suction or ice. | 911, then straight to hospital | Snakes |
| Bee or wasp sting, known allergy | Use your epinephrine auto-injector. Swelling of face or throat, or trouble breathing, is an emergency. | 911 | Bites and stings |
| Bee, wasp or ant sting, no allergy | Walk away from the nest, then a cold compress. | Pharmacy if it stays sore | Bites and stings |
| Jellyfish sting | Rinse with seawater, not fresh water. Do not rub. | Lifeguard or pharmacist | Ocean safety |
| Stingray sting | Soak the foot in hot water that is comfortable to the touch. | A doctor, to check the wound | Ocean safety |
| Caught in a current | Float, do not fight it. Swim parallel to the shore, then back in. Wave and call for help. | Lifeguard or 911 | Ocean safety |
| Monkey, raccoon or bat bite or scratch | Wash with soap and water for 15 minutes. | A doctor the same day | Bites and stings |
| Too much sun or heat | Shade, water, rest, cool down. Confusion or fainting means call for help. | Front desk; 911 if serious | Sun and heat |
| Fever during or after the trip | See a doctor and mention your travel and mosquito bites. | Doctor or hospital | Mosquitoes |
| Something toxic swallowed or touched | Keep the package or a photo of the plant or product. | 2223-1028 (24/7) | Frogs and manzanillo |
| Need a doctor, not urgent | Tell us what is going on. | ECOTICA front desk (6 am–10 pm) | ECOTICA support |
When in doubt, call 911. The dispatcher will guide you.
Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies near Manuel Antonio
Quepos, the town at the foot of the Manuel Antonio hill, has a public hospital, a private hospital at the marina and a good choice of pharmacies. The country’s largest hospitals are in San José.
Public hospital: Hospital Dr. Max Terán Valls
- Where: La Managua de Quepos, about 200 meters south of the Quepos airport, on the road toward Dominical.
- Emergency department: open 24 hours.
- Phone: 2774-9500 (CCSS).
- Good to know: part of the national health system (CCSS). It handles emergencies, general care and stabilization, and refers complex cases to San José. Like other CCSS hospitals, it is supplied with Costa Rican antivenom by the Instituto Clodomiro Picado (Universidad de Costa Rica).
Private hospital: Hospital Metropolitano Quepos
- Where: Marina Pez Vela, Local #206, Quepos.
- Emergency service: Monday to Saturday, 6 am–10 pm.
- Phone: 4070-4040.
- Good to know: laboratory, imaging, pharmacy and outpatient consultations. Private care is paid directly or through your insurer.
Pharmacies
Quepos has several pharmacies, and Costa Rican pharmacists are a helpful first stop for an upset stomach, insect bites, a minor rash or something you forgot to pack. Bring your regular medicines in their original packaging, with a copy of the prescription and the generic names.
Specialist care in San José
For complex cases, patients are referred to the CCSS national hospitals in San José, Hospital México, Hospital San Juan de Dios and Hospital Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia (CCSS), and the capital also has well-known private hospitals.
Travel insurance
The CDC recommends travel health insurance that covers medical care and, ideally, medical evacuation. Save your insurer’s assistance number next to 911 and keep receipts for anything you pay locally.
Have a question about medical needs, accessibility or a special diet before you arrive? Write to our concierge.
Snakes: simple habits and first aid, step by step
Most visitors who see a snake in Manuel Antonio do so in the beam of a guide’s flashlight, delighted. Bites to travelers are very rare, and Costa Rica is exceptionally well prepared for them. Our reptiles and iguanas guide introduces the species.
The facts in brief
- Costa Rica has around 143 snake species; about 23 are venomous (Universidad de Costa Rica).
- Here, guides most often point out the fer-de-lance (terciopelo, Bothrops asper), a ground-dwelling pit viper active mostly at night, and the small eyelash viper (bocaracá, Bothriechis schlegelii), which rests in vegetation. Coral snakes are shy and best simply admired.
- The whole country records roughly 600 envenomings a year, mostly among people working the land in rural areas (Instituto Clodomiro Picado).
Do this to keep encounters relaxed
- Stay on marked trails, and let a guide lead on night walks.
- Wear closed shoes in the forest and on garden paths after dark.
- Carry a flashlight at night and look where you step and place your hands.
- Give any snake room and let it move on. Never try to catch or move one.
If someone is bitten: first aid in 5 steps
This is the advice of the Instituto Clodomiro Picado, the Universidad de Costa Rica’s antivenom institute:
- Stay calm and help the person stay calm and still.
- Keep the bitten limb still and remove rings, watches and anything tight near the bite.
- Call 911.
- Go straight to the nearest hospital, such as the CCSS hospital in Quepos. There is no need to catch or photograph the snake; Costa Rican antivenom treats bites from the country’s vipers.
- Skip the movie remedies: no tourniquet, cutting, suction, ice or home treatments. They do not help and cost time.
Antivenom given in hospital is the treatment, and the Instituto Clodomiro Picado has made it in Costa Rica since 1970, producing roughly 120,000 to 130,000 vials a year (Universidad de Costa Rica).
A snake in your room or garden
Step away and keep an eye on where it goes from a safe distance. At ECOTICA, tell the front desk; elsewhere, the Universidad de Costa Rica advises calling the fire department through 911 rather than handling it. Our wildlife rescue guide has more on snakes and other animals around the house.
The best way to meet Manuel Antonio’s snakes is with an expert. Book a guided night walk and let a naturalist show you where to look.
Bites, stings, sun and mosquitoes: what to do
Most of what nature asks of you here is common sense with a tropical accent. Find your topic, then follow the short Do this list.
Bees, wasps and ants
Bees and wasps are busy pollinators in every tropical garden. On forest trails, guides will point out the large black bullet ant (Paraponera clavata), whose sting tops the Schmidt sting pain index; it is not aggressive.
Do this:
- If you disturb a nest, walk away briskly, ideally into a building or car. Do not swat.
- Cool the sting with a cold compress.
- Keep your hands off tree trunks and railings you cannot see clearly.
- Known allergy? Carry your prescribed epinephrine auto-injector on every walk. Swelling of the face or throat, or difficulty breathing, means call 911.
Scorpions and spiders
Costa Rica’s scorpions are mild: stings usually cause only local pain, tingling or swelling in people who are not allergic (Universidad de Costa Rica). Spiders are overwhelmingly harmless.
Do this:
- Shake out shoes and clothes you have left outside.
- For a sting, an ice pack and a pain reliever usually settle it.
Monkeys, raccoons and coatis
White-faced capuchins and raccoons near the beaches are clever and bold, especially where people have fed them. Our monkey guide and coati and raccoon guide explain why feeding harms them.
Do this:
- Keep food zipped away and never feed wildlife.
- Bitten or scratched by a monkey, raccoon, bat or other mammal? Wash the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and see a doctor the same day, even if it looks minor. The doctor will decide whether rabies preventive treatment is needed (WHO, CDC).
Mosquitoes
Dengue, carried by day-biting mosquitoes, is present in Costa Rica (CDC). A few easy habits keep bites to a minimum.
Do this:
- Use a repellent with DEET (20% or more), picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or 2-undecanone (CDC).
- Wear light long sleeves and trousers around dawn and dusk.
- Fever during or after your trip? See a doctor and mention your travel (CDC).
- Before you fly, check the CDC’s Costa Rica page for current notices; our food and before-you-go guide covers routine vaccines.
Sun and heat
Manuel Antonio sits about nine degrees north of the equator, and the sun is generous.
Do this:
- Sunscreen of at least SPF 15, a hat and light protective clothing (CDC).
- Seek shade from 10 am to 4 pm, the strongest hours.
- Drink plenty of water and eat regular meals; carry a refillable bottle in the national park.
- Feeling overheated? Move into the shade, rest, sip water and cool down. Confusion or fainting means call for help.
After a long day in the sun, a cool, unhurried hour at the Jungle Spa is our favorite remedy.
Poison frogs
The jewel-bright green-and-black poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus) wears its colors as a warning. Meet it in our frogs, butterflies and night guide.
Do this:
- Admire with your eyes and camera only.
- Touched one by accident? Wash your hands before touching your eyes or mouth.
The manzanillo tree on the beach
The manzanillo (manchineel, Hippomane mancinella) grows along some beaches; its sap is highly irritating (SINAC). Our plants and rainforest guide shows how to recognize it.
Do this:
- Do not touch it, sit in its shade or eat its small apple-like fruit (SINAC).
- For any poisoning question, call the 24-hour poison control center, 2223-1028.
Ocean safety: enjoy the Pacific with confidence
The Pacific here is warm and beautiful, and each beach has its own personality. Our guide to Manuel Antonio’s beaches describes each one.
Choose your beach
- Playa Manuel Antonio, inside the national park: a sheltered crescent bay, usually the calmest water in the area, lovely for a gentle swim and snorkeling. See our national park guide for hours and entry rules.
- Playa Espadilla, the long public beach outside the park: open to the full Pacific swell, which surfers love. It has had lifeguard towers staffed through a program supported by the ICT (Municipalidad de Quepos). Swim near the lifeguards when they are on duty and follow their flags and whistles.
Spot a rip current
A rip current is a narrow channel of water flowing away from shore. It does not pull you under; it carries you out (NOAA). Look for:
- a gap in the line of breaking waves,
- a darker or calmer-looking strip of water,
- foam or sand moving out to sea.
See one? Choose another spot to swim.
If a current carries you out: 4 steps
- Relax and float. The current will not pull you under.
- Do not swim against it.
- Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then angle back to the beach.
- Can’t get out? Float or tread water calmly, wave and call for help.
If someone else is in trouble
- Alert a lifeguard or call 911.
- Throw them something that floats.
- Do not go in to help without a flotation device (NOAA).
Stingrays
Do this: when wading over sand, shuffle your feet instead of stepping, which lets resting rays glide away (NOAA Sea Grant). If stung, soak the foot in hot water that is comfortable to the touch to ease the pain, and have a doctor check it (California Sea Grant).
Jellyfish
Do this: rinse with seawater, not fresh water, avoid rubbing, and ask a lifeguard or pharmacist for help.
Tides
Tides change these beaches through the day, opening tide pools at low water and narrowing the sand at high tide. Check a tide table before walking around rocky points so you are not cut off.
Every beach day
- Swim sober, with a companion, and keep children within arm’s reach.
- Ask lifeguards or locals about the day’s conditions.
- Leave valuables at the hotel, bring water and reef-friendly sunscreen, and leave the beach before dark.
Prefer the ocean with an expert at your side? Book a boat trip, kayak tour or surf lesson through our concierge; our surf guide covers lessons for beginners.
Found an animal that needs help?
A baby sloth alone on the ground, a monkey near a power line, a bird stunned by a window: there is a simple, kind way to help, and a team of local experts ready to answer. Our wildlife rescue guide tells you exactly what to do and who to call, situation by situation.
Staying at ECOTICA? Tell the front desk. We call our rescue partner, Kids Saving the Rainforest.
ECOTICA support: your calm home base
Much of the reassurance on this page comes down to a calm, well-informed home base, and that is what we aim to be.
- Front desk, every day 6 am–10 pm: directions, phone numbers and local know-how.
- A doctor who comes to you. There is no doctor on site, but for non-urgent concerns we can call a nearby doctor who visits guests at the hotel.
- A concierge for the details, from experienced naturalist guides to special requests before you arrive.
- A 10-acre private rainforest reserve where howler monkeys, capuchins, squirrel monkeys, sloths, toucans and scarlet macaws live their wild lives around you.
Quick reminders for your stay
- Emergency: 911 first, then the front desk.
- Not urgent but unwell: front desk, and we arrange a doctor’s visit.
- An animal in trouble on the grounds: front desk, and we call Kids Saving the Rainforest.
The best safety tip of all is to explore with people who know the forest. Book guided tours with our concierge, or check dates and rates for your stay.
Health and safety in Manuel Antonio: questions and answers
What is the emergency number in Costa Rica?
Dial 911 from any phone, free and 24 hours a day. It connects you to ambulances, including the Red Cross, the police and the fire department.
Where is the nearest hospital to Manuel Antonio?
The public CCSS hospital, Hospital Dr. Max Terán Valls, is in La Managua de Quepos, just south of the Quepos airport, with a 24-hour emergency department (2774-9500). The private Hospital Metropolitano has a branch at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos (4070-4040).
What do I do if I’m bitten by a snake in Costa Rica?
Stay calm, keep the bitten limb still, call 911 and go straight to the nearest hospital for antivenom. Skip tourniquets, cutting, suction and ice (Instituto Clodomiro Picado).
Are there venomous snakes in Manuel Antonio?
Yes, including the fer-de-lance and the eyelash viper, but bites to travelers are very rare. Stay on trails, wear closed shoes and carry a flashlight at night; our reptiles guide has more.
What should I do if a monkey bites or scratches me?
Wash the wound with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and see a doctor the same day, even if it looks minor (WHO, CDC). The best prevention is never to feed or approach monkeys.
Is it safe to swim at Manuel Antonio?
Yes, with a little ocean sense. Playa Manuel Antonio inside the park is usually the calmest; at Playa Espadilla, swim near the lifeguards when they are on duty and watch for rip currents. See our beach guide.
How do I get out of a rip current?
Relax and float, do not swim against it, and swim parallel to the shore until you are free, then angle back to the beach. If you cannot, float and wave for help (NOAA).
What should I do for a jellyfish or stingray sting?
For a jellyfish, rinse with seawater, not fresh water, and avoid rubbing. For a stingray, soak the foot in hot water that is comfortable to the touch and have a doctor check the wound.
Is dengue a concern in Manuel Antonio?
Dengue is present in Costa Rica, so use an EPA-registered repellent and light long sleeves around dawn and dusk. If you get a fever during or after your trip, see a doctor and mention your travel (CDC).
Is there a doctor at ECOTICA?
There is no doctor on site, but our front desk (6 am to 10 pm daily) can call a nearby doctor who comes to the hotel. In an emergency, call 911 first.
Keep exploring
With the practical side in hand, the rest of Manuel Antonio is pure pleasure. Learn how to help an animal in need, plan your days with our Manuel Antonio National Park guide and beach guide, meet the reptiles and iguanas, and pack smart with our food and before-you-go tips.
Arrive with everything ready
Tell us your dates and we will have the best of Manuel Antonio waiting for you before you land:
- Book your tours: Manuel Antonio National Park with a naturalist guide, boat trips, zip lines, rafting and more
- Reserve Jungle Spa: massages, couples treatments, facials and body rituals
- Airport transportation: a private transfer from San José, US$195 each way for up to 5 people
- Concierge requests: dinners, celebrations and anything special
- Stay at ECOTICA: check dates and rates for our bungalows and suites
Where our facts come from
- Universidad de Costa Rica – En caso de mordedura de serpiente (Instituto Clodomiro Picado)
- CCSS – Hospitales (Hospital Max Terán Valls, Quepos; national hospitals)
- CDC – Costa Rica traveler health information
- NOAA – Rip current safety
- WHO – Rabies fact sheet (wound care after an animal bite)
Photos: Luis Alberto Arias, ali huzeyfe ermiş, Koen Swiers, Enrique Hidalgo / Pexels.
