Advice on How to Approach the National Park
By Rodolfo Guzman
Local Tour Guide and nature lover. Phone: 8735-2645
The Manuel Antonio region is a natural gem, amongst others in Costa Rica, blessed by possessing a hyper rich Biodiversity.
Ponce de León, the Spanish explorer, whose futile search for the Fountain of Youth became his signature expedition, is rarely recognized for one of his greatest discoveries—Quepos and Manuel Antonio—which he put on the charts in 1519.
Surrounded by African Palm plantations, this area beholds one of the country’s most enriched ecosystems. Sloth, monkeys, birds, deer, frogs, raccoons and many more popular characters are found here. It’s a transition Jungle in between the harsh Tropical Dry Forest, and the evergreen Extreme Wet Forest.
For many years, even before the area was a National Park, foreigners and locals have enjoyed its beaches and embraced its jungles.
Since 1972 the Ministry of Environment proclaimed this area Manuel Antonio National Park we enjoy today. For years the place has grown in popularity worldwide and now the Park has been included in the top 12 of the World’s best National Parks according to Forbes Magazine, and Manuel Antonio Beach (or beach 3) has been awarded the 15th spot in Trip Advisor’s List of best beaches in the world.
For these reasons the Park is one of the most visited places in Costa Rica, Some days the lines are very long and can take hours.
Here is some advice on how to approach the park to obtain the wanted experience.
First you have to have an objective on what you want to do in the park. There are many options.
- You can just go for the beach, in which case you can purchase your ticket and go through the gate and walk for 15 minutes and enjoy one of the prettiest beach you have ever seen. Showers and changing rooms available inside.
- You can go enjoy the trails. There are 6 trails to explore covering up to 12 kms in distance, some are demanding, some are easy but all of them are full of life and natural encounters. For this option you can have a good meal at the many restaurants around the park, purchase your ticket and go walk for hours. If you complete all the trails you will have done good workout and probably seen most of the species in the park.
- You can go on a Guided Nature Hike with a certified guide that will not only show you things you would never see by yourself, but also teach you about natural and Costa Rican history. Also, with the help of their spotting scopes you can get to see things with great detail and why not snap some Nat Geo quality pictures in the process. For this you can:
- Buy your ticket directly and negotiate with a local guide close o the park entrance. The tour Price is on average $20 per person and it could be bit more for private
- Book your tour at the hotel or at a tour office, or directly with a guide if you have a contact, and get the full service. This includes transport to and from the park, the park ticket, certified guide, and usually some snack or refreshment. The Price for this is on average $55 per person and a bit more private. Prices range depending on the place where the tour is booked
The price of the ticket is $16 for foreigners and 1600 colones for locals and they are purchased at COOPE-ALIANZA (blue office close to the Park entrance). You can buy the ticket even if you are going a different day.
It is important to mention that there are many things you can’t bring to the park. These include: cigarettes, drugs, alcoholic beverages, some kinds of snacks (mainly chips, cookies, peanuts, chocolates).
Park is closed on Mondays.
If you decide to drive down to the park have in mind that there are some parking options close to the park gate and you have the choice to decide where you want to do so. Don’t let yourself be tricked or scammed by someone trying to stop you telling you that you have to park there. No one but an Official Transit Police officer is allowed to stop or disturb flowing traffic.
So with all this advice now you can decide which is the best option for you and go enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the World. Pura Vida!