Manual Antonio National Park, Costa Rica By d_fourss on Nov 12, 2007 - Updated Sep 18, 2011

Manual Antonio National Park is located on the western coastline of Costa Rica. It runs along the seashore, with beautiful coves, and is a tropical rain forest. It opens at 7 AM and closes at 4 PM. The park has excellent beaches, beautiful foliage and a lot of wildlife.

The park is small and can be managed in a one day visit. However, two full days would be better to take better advantage of what the park has to offer. Be sure to pack water and food as there is none to purchase within the park.

The trails are clearly marked. We saw black iguanas, capuchins, raccoons, and lots of sloths. We hiked to Cathedral Point, the end of which landed us in the midst of a troop of capuchins. We lunched on one of the many beautiful beaches and then finished our self-guided tour of the park.

Just outside the park are shops, restaurants and street vendors selling everything from typical tourist items to full plates of grilled chicken with vegetables (dinner) and cut pineapple (desert). As we enjoyed our meal we were treated to a beautiful sunset. This park was a definite highlight of our Costa Rica trip.