Costa Rica Guide
The Central Pacific and southern Nicoya
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
PARQUE NACIONAL MANUEL ANTONIO (Tues– Sun 7am–4pm; $7; 
777-5185, 
www.manuelantonio.com ), some 150km southwest of San José as the crow flies, may be Costa Rica's smallest national park but it's by far one of the most popular. Considering the number of hotels and restaurants sidling up to the park's borders, one can easily imagine the fate that might have overtaken its limestone-white sands had it not been designated a national park in 1972. Even so, the park suffers from the high number of visitors and frequently reaches its quota of six hundred visitors at any one time during the week and eight hundred visitors on weekend days.
Covering an area of only 6.8 square kilometres, Manuel Antonio preserves not only the lovely beaches and the unique tómbolo formation of Punta Catedral, but also mangroves and humid tropical forest. Visitors can only visit the section of the park facing the sea. The eastern montaña, or mountain section, off-limits to the public, is regularly patrolled by rangers to deter poaching, which is rife in the area, and incursions into the park from surrounding farmers and campesinos.
You also have a good chance of seeing other smaller mammals, such as the coati, agouti, two-toed sloth, three-toed sloth and white-faced capuchin monkey. The abundant birdlife includes the shimmering green kingfisher, the brown pelican, who can often be seen fishing off the rocks, and the laughing falcon. Beware the snakes that drape themselves over the trails and look like vines – be careful what you grab onto. Big iguanas hang out near the beaches, often standing stock-still for ten minutes at a time, providing good photo opportunities.
The green turtle, or llora, has probably nested in the Manuel Antonio area for thousands of years. At low tide at the south end of Playa Manuel Antonio, rangers can show you stones that they believe were used as turtle traps by the indigenous peoples of the area. Rangers have recently set up a project to preserve the area as a nesting ground for the green turtle to try and increase the species' dangerously low numbers.
Manuel Antonio beaches
The beaches in the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio can be confusing, since they're called by a number of different names. It's important to know which beach you're on, however, because some are unsafe for swimming. To be sure, ask the rangers about beach conditions. From the north to the south the beaches are as follows:
Playa Espadilla; also called Playa Primera or Playa Numero Uno); outside the park.
Playa Espadilla Sur (also called Playa Dos or Playa Segunda) is the first beach inside the park, on the north side of Punta Catedral. The main trail from the park entrance runs along the back of this beach. While usually fairly calm, it's also the most dangerous in rough conditions. Beware the currents.
Playa Manuel Antonio (also called Playa Tres or Playa Blanca) is by far the best swimming beach. Immediately south of Punta Catedral, it's in a deeper and more protected bay than the others, though you can still get clobbered by the deceptively gentle-looking waves as they hit the shore. Unfortunately it's quite narrow and can get crowded. The best time to come is before 10am.
Playa Puerto Escondido (also called Playa Cuatro) is a pretty, white horseshoe-shaped beach that can be reached along the Sendero Puerto Escondido. Don't set out for this beach without first checking with the rangers about the marea (tide) because at high tide you can't get across Playa Puerto Escondido, nor can you cross it from the dense forest behind. At best it will be a waste of time; at worst you'll get cut off on the other side for a few hours. Rangers advise against swimming here, as the currents can be dangerous.
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