Manuel Antonio National Park
A small Pacific park south of Quepos, known for rainforest trails, beaches with tidal pools and wildlife along the paths.
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Manuel Antonio National Park is a small park on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, just south of Quepos in Puntarenas province, about 157 km from San José. At about 1,983 hectares, it is one of the country's smaller national parks, yet it is the most visited of its 30 national parks. The park has tropical rainforest, mangroves, a lagoon of about 14 hectares and four beaches, with rocky islands offshore. The Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur beaches have tidal pools that are good for snorkelling.
Wildlife is a main reason to go. The park has about 109 mammal species, and both brown-throated three-toed and Hoffmann's two-toed sloths are common. Three of Costa Rica's four monkey species live here, and about 352 bird species have been recorded. Visitors must not feed the animals, and must not touch or eat the manzanillo tree on the beach, which has milky sap and poisonous fruit. Tickets must be bought online from SINAC, and valid identification is required. The park is open every day except Tuesdays.
Manuel Antonio National Park in five
- Buy tickets online before your dateEntry is sold online through SINAC with a foreign-visitor rate, and daily numbers are capped. Buy as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Check the weekly closing dayThe park closes on Tuesdays and opens about 7am to 3pm on other days, according to SINAC. Confirm when you buy, since schedules can change.
- Leave most food at homeThe park restricts the food you can carry in, and rangers check bags at the entrance. Never feed the monkeys or raccoons.
- Hire a guide with a scopeLicensed guides at the entrance spot sloths and birds high in the trees that are easy to miss.
- Choose Quepos or the park road as a baseHotels line the road between Quepos and the entrance. Stay near the gate for early, cooler walks, or in Quepos for restaurants and buses.Quepos
Things to do in Manuel Antonio National Park
See all attractions in Manuel Antonio National Park
Need to know
- Entrance
- Foreign-visitor rate; tickets online, daily cap
- Permits
- None beyond the entry ticket
- Season
- Open all year, closed one day a week
- Nearest town
- Manuel Antonio village and Quepos
- Getting there
- About 3 hours by car or bus from San José; flights to Quepos
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryPartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh28°Low22°Dry, busyJanuaryPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 62 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, busy
- FebruaryPartly cloudy8 rainy daysHigh29°Low23°DryFebruaryPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 24 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry
- MarchPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh30°Low24°Dry, hotMarchPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 55 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, hot
- AprilRain21 rainy daysHigh29°Low24°Hot, drierAprilRain
Mixed
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 237 mm
- Rainy days
- 21
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, drier
- MayRain29 rainy daysHigh29°Low24°Rains startMayRain
Poor
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 696 mm
- Rainy days
- 29
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rains start
- JuneRain29 rainy daysHigh28°Low23°Green seasonJuneRain
Poor
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 749 mm
- Rainy days
- 29
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Green season
- JulyRain30 rainy daysHigh28°Low23°Short dry spellJulyRain
Poor
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 742 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Short dry spell
- AugustRain30 rainy daysHigh28°Low23°Afternoon rainAugustRain
Poor
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 885 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Afternoon rain
- SeptemberRain29 rainy daysHigh27°Low23°Very wetSeptemberRain
Poor
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 809 mm
- Rainy days
- 29
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Very wet
- OctoberRain30 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°WettestOctoberRain
Poor
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 1,107 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Wettest
- NovemberRain28 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Rain easingNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 785 mm
- Rainy days
- 28
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rain easing
- DecemberRain18 rainy daysHigh27°Low22°Dry, holidaysDecemberRain
Good
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 204 mm
- Rainy days
- 18
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, holidays
Average daily high and low in Quepos, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Manuel Antonio National Park
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
27
- Feels like
- 29°
- Humidity
- 78%
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 97%
Quepos
04:48 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today29°24°97%Monday: Drizzle. High 29°, Low 24°. Chance of rain 97%.
- Tue29°24°94%Tuesday: Thunderstorms. High 29°, Low 24°. Chance of rain 94%.
- Wed27°22°96%Wednesday: Rain. High 27°, Low 22°. Chance of rain 96%.
- Thu26°23°89%Thursday: Rain. High 26°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 89%.
- Fri28°23°92%Friday: Rain. High 28°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 92%.
- Sat25°23°90%Saturday: Thunderstorms. High 25°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 90%.
- Sun30°23°67%Sunday: Drizzle. High 30°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 67%.
Updated 12:28 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 455.4 CRC
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Before you go to Manuel Antonio National Park
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Rules for Manuel Antonio National Park, checked
- The park is closed on Tuesdays and open about 7am to 3pm on other days; tickets are bought online through SINAC.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Source
Plan around Manuel Antonio National Park
The park within a longer route.
Read the guideQueposBuses, boats and supplies beside the park.
Read the guideJacó or Manuel Antonio?Compare the two Pacific bases.
Read the guideCentral Pacific CoastHow to split the coast between bases.
Read the guideUvitaThe whale tail, south along the coast road.
Read the guideSan JoséThe arrival city, about 3 hours away.
Read the guideWhen to go to Costa RicaDry season, green season and which coast.
Read the guideManuel Antonio National Park FAQ
Do I need to book Manuel Antonio in advance?
Yes. Tickets are sold online and daily numbers are capped, so book as soon as your dates are fixed, especially from December to April.
What day is Manuel Antonio closed?
Tuesday, according to SINAC, which lists about 7am to 3pm hours on the other days. Check again when you buy tickets, since schedules can change.
Is a guide worth it in Manuel Antonio?
Usually yes on a first visit. Guides carry scopes and find sloths, birds and frogs you would walk past.
How long do you need at Manuel Antonio?
Plan three to four hours on the trails plus beach time, and arrive at opening, since the park closes around 3pm. A guide adds an hour but finds far more wildlife.
Is it safe to swim at Manuel Antonio?
The beaches inside the park are the usual choice, but currents change. Check the flags, ask rangers where it is calm and swim where others do. Never leave valuables in cars in Quepos or on the sand.