Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica is the country’s smallest but most popular national park due to its beautiful beaches, rainforests, and diverse wildlife. Visitors can enjoy activities such as hiking, boating, swimming, snorkeling, and bird watching. The park is home to over 100 species of mammals, hundreds of bird species, and four types of monkeys, including the endangered squirrel monkey. Guided eco tours are available, and there are many hotels and restaurants nearby.
Manuel Antonio National Park is located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Although it is the smallest national park in the country, the park attracts more visitors than any other due to its beauty and the wide range of activities it offers. Its approximately 1,685 acres (682 hectares) of land consists of beaches and rainforests teeming with diverse wildlife. Manuel Antonio National Park also protects 135,906 acres (55,000 hectares) of marine reserve and is a popular destination for ecotourism.
Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including hiking, boating, swimming, snorkeling, and bird watching. They can see dolphins frolicking in the ocean while palm trees sway in the tropical breeze. The scenic coral reefs and colorful fish that swim there attract photographers, divers and snorkelers. The beaches have fine white sand perfect for barefoot exploring or sunbathing. Unlike some of Costa Rica’s other beaches that have dangerous currents, all of the beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park are safe for swimming, surfing, sea kayaking, and other recreational activities.
A walk on one of the trails through the rainforest will present the visitor with a view of the many sloths and monkeys that live there. Manuel Antonio National Park is home to more than 100 species of mammals including armadillos, raccoons and coatimundi as well as other wildlife such as lizards and snakes. The several hundred bird species in the park include toucans, macaws, parakeets, green kingfishers, and hawks. Butterflies and hummingbirds are abundant.
Four species of monkeys inhabit Manuel Antonio National Park. One of them, the squirrel monkey, is in danger. As forests were cleared to raise livestock and grow bananas, the squirrel monkey’s habitat continued to decline until it was confined to two small areas in Costa Rica, including Manuel Antonio National Park. Fewer than 1,700 squirrel monkeys are believed to exist today. Other types of monkeys that can be seen in the park are white-faced capuchins, spider monkeys, and howler monkeys.
Hikers can join guided eco tours to learn about the flora and fauna of Manuel Antonio National Park or hike on their own. They can take a trail that offers spectacular views of the Pacific coast or hike through lush rainforests and snap photos of the wildlife and tropical greenery. Fishing is a popular sport and deep sea fishing charters are available. There are many hotels, resorts, restaurants and other businesses just outside the park, which offers an oasis of calm in comparison.
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