Best Things to Do in Manuel Antonio and Quepos, Costa Rica

Below you can read about all the best things to do in Manuel Antonio and Quepos, including details about entry fees and saving tips, so you can plan your itinerary (and budget) accordingly.

After spending a week in the Monteverde Cloud Forest area and another week in La Fortuna, it was time we finally visited the stunning beaches of Costa Rica. There are many beautiful beaches on both the Caribbean and Pacific side of the country.

Since we couldn’t fit both areas in, we decided to head to the Pacific coast to Manuel Antonio. Our decision was also based on the fact that we had already spent some time in the Caribbean and were going to be heading there again in Colombia later on. 

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Manuel Antonio, then make sure to check out our Costa Rica Playlist on our YouTube channel.

Costa Rica Travel Guide – Read This Before Your Visit

If you’re looking for answers to common questions such as safety, cost, what to eat and how to travel across the country then make sure to check out my detailed blog post below.

The blog post includes answers to the following questions:

• Is Costa Rica Safe?
• Is Costa Rica Expensive?
• Do You Need to Speak Spanish in Costa Rica?
• Health Related Travel Tips
• Best Ways to Move Around Costa Rica

How to Get to Quepos or Manuel Antonio from San Jose

1. By Car

For the greatest flexibility, you can always hire a car for the duration of your stay in Costa Rica. If you arrive to San Jose airport, then you can always pick up your vehicle from there and reach Quepos or Manuel Antonio in about 3 hours. The road to Quepos from San Jose is good, however, you might want to consider hiring a better car that can easily travel across some of the bumpier roads in the area. You don’t need a 4×4 though.

Alternatively, you can always book a group shuttle service to reach Quepos or Manuel Antonio from San Jose.

2. By Bus

Shuttle Bus – You can always book a private or group shuttle from San Jose to Quepos or Manuel Antonio. Of course, the private shuttle will be more expensive, so if you don’t mind sharing your ride with a few others then I highly recommend booking a group shuttle service.

Bus – You can always take a local bus to Quepos from San Jose. The bus leaves from Tracopa Terminal. It takes around 4 hours and costs around 5,200 Colones or 8-9 USD. There are quite a few buses, but I recommend taking the direct or ‘directo’ ones to get there quicker. You can purchase your ticket at the bus stop, or you can also book it in the Passer App to secure your spot. Just bear in mind that you’ll need to have internet connection because they will check if your ticket is legit or not. You can plan your journey either on the website or in the Passer app.

Note – There’s no toilet on the bus. However, it stops about halfway through so you can use the facilities and also purchase food and drinks. Always keep your belongings close to you and always ask an official worker about bus times and tickets as scammers are often there to offer their services.

3. By Plane

By Plane – Lastly, if you really don’t want to drive or take public transport then you can fly to Quepos. You can either fly with Sansa Regional or Green Airways. It’s only around a 30-minute flight but it costs at least 100 USD one way. 

Where to Stay: Quepos or Manuel Antonio?

There are many hotels, hostels and even campsites you can choose from in the area.

I personally recommend staying in Quepos, since the farther you stay from the national park, the more affordable the accommodations get. In terms of amenities, both places have many restaurants, cafés, bars and supermarkets. Once again, we noticed that you can definitely find more local and affordable options in Quepos. It’s also very easy to move between the two places, so even if you don’t have a rental car, it won’t be a problem.

Best Time to Visit Quepos and Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is a tropical all-year-round destination to visit. For example, temperatures and humidity barely vary during the year. The rainiest months are normally from May till the end of November. The drier months are normally from December to April. 

Expect crowds if you visit between December and mid-April which is the high season in Costa Rica. This means everything will be a bit more expensive too. The low season is between September and November which are also the rainiest months. I would suggest going in the shoulder months between May and June. This way you can avoid the July summer holiday crowds but will still have a high chance for nicer days before the rainy season is at its peak. 

For reference, we visited at the end of February and the weather was amazing, but it was definitely busy!

How to Travel Between Quepos and Manuel Antonio?

If you decide to stay in Quepos you can get to Manuel Antonio easily either by car or public bus.

If you have a rental car, then you can easily travel between the two locations. Just bear in mind that the road from Quepos to Manuel Antonio is narrow and windy so drive carefully. Also be aware that there will be many official looking parking guards wanting you to park in their car park. If you’re heading to the national park, make sure to park your vehicle in the official car park. 

Even if you don’t have your own vehicle, there’s a public bus running between Quepos and Manuel Antonio every 30 minutes or so between 5:30AM and 9:30PM. One-way costs about 1USD or 700 Colones per person. Since many tourists take this bus between the two places it’s a safe and very affordable way to get from A to B. (However, I still advise you to stay vigilant).

Top Tip – Have enough local currency on you to pay for the bus fare.

Best Things to Do in Manuel Antonio

1. Explore Manuel Antonio National Park

The park is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, and it was established in 1972. Despite it being small, it’s an amazing national park to visit. In 2011, Forbes even listed it among the world’s 12 most beautiful national parks. So, it’s no wonder that the park gets so many national and international visitors every year. 

If you’d like to combine hiking, wildlife spotting and beach time, then Manuel Antonio National Park is your perfect paradise for all of that.

Useful Information Before Your Visit to Manuel Antonio National Park

How to get to Manuel Antonio National Park? – As mentioned earlier there are regular public buses running between Quepos and Manuel Antonio. You can catch the bus at any bus stop along the road even if your hotel is located in between the two places. The bus will drop you off at the roundabout in Manuel Antonio. From there just follow the Beach Trail for a few minutes before you reach the visitor centre.

Parking – In case you’re arriving with your private vehicle, there isn’t an official visitor car park. However, there are some private ones available around the entrance. These normally cost between 4,000 and 5,000 Colones. Note that scammers who look like official workers might want you to park at their car park further down.

Entry Fee – 18 USD or 11,500 Colones per person for self-guided walks. Guided tour prices start from 65 USD per person. You can only purchase tickets online! Beware of scammers trying to sell you tickets on the street around the park. That ticket won’t be accepted at the entrance. Buy it online in advance. You’ll also need your passport number when you register at the entrance.

Opening Days and Hours – The park is open between 7AM and 4PM. It is closed every Tuesday! Also note that you’ll have to leave the beach by 3PM so you can exit the park before its closing time.

Facilities at Manuel Antonio National Park – Please note that you cannot take your own food into the national park. You’re allowed to take water and non-alcoholic drinks. In terms of facilities, the park has a visitor centre, toilets, a café and gift shop. Just mind the cheeky monkeys when you purchase your food as they’re there to steal it!

How to Spend a Day in Manuel Antonio National Park

The national park offers several kilometres of hiking trails with plenty of points of interest along the way. You can hike to a small waterfall, enjoy many viewpoints and of course relax on some beautiful beaches. If you’re into hiking, then you can easily complete all the hiking trails in one day like we did and still have some time on the beach. However, for a more relaxing day, you can just walk along the main trails and spend more time on either Espadilla Sur or Manuel Antonio beach.

Whilst exploring the park, you’ll most likely come across a lot of different wildlife. You can see plenty of monkeys, birds, spot some sloths, and many reptiles such as iguanas. Since you can’t bring your own food into the park, make sure to grab something to eat and a refreshing juice at the café. 

If you really want to see wildlife and also learn about them, the area and Costa Rica then I recommend joining a guided tour around the park. We’d had quite a few already during our 3-weeks in the country, so we just wanted to enjoy the place and complete the hike in our own time. Even without a guide I can confidently say that we spotted the most wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park.

2. Have a Relaxing Day on Playa Espadilla Norte

If you’re after a relaxing beach day, then Playa Espadilla Norte will be your go-to place. Espadilla North Beach is basically the extension of Espadilla South Beach. However, Espadilla Norte is a public one which means that you can enjoy it for free.

Since it’s a public beach, you’ll find plenty of bars, restaurant and vendors along its length. You can also rent umbrellas and chairs. As you can see, it won’t be your unspoilt, ‘wild’ beach like the ones inside the national park. However, you can still see plenty of wildlife here as these animals don’t just stay within the national park’s boundaries. We saw a huge sloth in the tree right next to the road as soon as we got off the bus and a few iguanas too. Plus, you can stay on this beach for sunset which you can’t do inside the park.

Top Tip – If you’d like to enjoy some quiet time along this beach, then head there for an early walk. Although I’m not particularly a beach person, I do enjoy walking along the beach. Early in the morning, before the bars open up and vendors and beach chairs fill up the beach, you can truly appreciate the beauty of Playa Espadilla Norte.

3. Take a Day Trip to Nauyaca Waterfalls

If you have enough days in Manuel Antonio, then you can consider taking a day trip to Nauyaca Waterfalls.

The stunning two-tiered waterfall is located in between Quepos and Uvita, only a short drive to the east of Dominical. The falls are situated in a canyon surrounded by lush jungle and have a combined height of over 60 m (200 ft). At the falls you can enjoy a refreshing dip in the pool or a power-shower underneath the waterfall. If you pack your own lunch, you can then enjoy a picnic surrounded by jaw-dropping views.

You can get to Nauyaca Waterfalls from Quepos by a hire car, a tour or by public bus. Once you’re there you can reach the waterfall on foot, on a horse or with a 4×4 truck. I personally recommend hiking there especially if you enjoy the outdoors and don’t mind getting some steps in. Jumping into the pool after a sweaty hike will feel even better.

Nauyaca Waterfalls were probably the most beautiful falls we visited in Costa Rica, so I cannot recommend a visit there enough.

Click here for a detailed guide on how to get to Nauyaca Waterfalls without a car or tour, including a detailed hiking trail description.

4. Watch the Sunset in Quepos

I bet you’re going to watch many sunsets from Playa Espadilla Norte during your holiday. We definitely took the bus there a few times in the evening just for the sunset. However, if you’re staying in Quepos, then you should consider watching the sunset from there one night.

Whilst Quepos isn’t the most attractive place, I think walking along the Malecon and joining all the locals in the evening to see the sun set is definitely a great way to end one of your days in the area. Not to mention that we actually had a pretty epic sunset from there!

5. Go on a Chocolate Tour

Any chocolate lover should go on a chocolate tour during their stay in Manuel Antonio. 

Cacao actually used to be the leading export product in Costa Rica until coffee and bananas took over. There are actually many other provinces in Costa Rica that grow cacao trees such as Cartago, Alajuela, Guanacaste and Talamanca. 

Did you know? – A fungus called monilia wiped out at least 80% of the cacao trees in the country in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, Dr. Phillips-Mora started his project to find the most tolerant cacao trees. Much later, in 2006, he released the first batch of hybrid cacao varieties which were much more disease resistant.

During the chocolate tour your guide will walk you through the process from getting the cacao beans to turning them into delicious chocolate for you to try. 

6. Join a Coffee Tour

If you don’t like chocolate as much but enjoy drinking coffee, then you must join a coffee tour in Manuel Antonio.

Costa Rica produces about 197 million pounds of coffee annually. This means that the country isn’t the largest producer in the world, but it is well-known for its Arabica coffee. Arabica beans are actually a lot harder to grow than the lower quality Robusta beans. These coffee beans need very specific conditions such as higher altitudes and milder temperatures. Costa Rica benefits from mountainous areas with warmer temperatures which creates the perfect environment for the Arabica beans. 

Did you know? – In Costa Rica a law was passed that prohibited the plantation of low-quality coffee beans in 1989. This means that Costa Rica only produces 100% Arabica coffee which are the highest quality coffee beans. 

By joining a coffee tour, you will have the chance to learn about the exact process used to make your delicious morning cuppa.

Click here to browse from a selection of chocolate and coffee tours. In many cases you can combine the two which will be a bit cheaper than going on two separate tours.

7. Explore the Jungle at Night

As the sun sets, the night creatures will begin to emerge. So, if you’d like the chance to explore the jungle at night and see more of Costa Rica’s amazing wildlife, then make sure to join a night walk. A guide will give you a torch and will lead the walk through the dark paths of the forest. With experienced eyes the guide will spot and identify different species in the jungle. We always find it very impressive to see how they spot the tiniest creatures in the dark. 

Note – Every night walk will be different, and you may or may not spot any crazy wildlife like snakes. However, you’ll definitely see many insects, tiny frogs, geckos and spiders.

8. Go on an Adventure at Rainmaker

Located about a 30-minute drive from Quepos is the Rainmaker Conservation Park. About 80% of the 1500 acres of park is virgin rainforest. In addition, it is also home to about 60% of all the flora and fauna that can be found in Costa Rica. There’s a great hiking trail running through the park with many waterfalls and hanging bridges. You can even take your swimwear with you and have a dip in certain areas.

Since it’s much less visited than Manuel Antonio National Park, it is perfect for those wanting to avoid crowds especially in the high season. In addition, you can also join a night tour in the park.

Opening hours – Every day between 7:30 AM and 6 PM.

Entry Ticket – Self guided tickets are 20 USD per person. You can also go on a guided tour for an additional cost.

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio was definitely a beautiful place to visit for a week. Since there’s so much to do in the area, you can make your holiday as busy or as relaxed as you want to. Manuel Antonio is therefore a great destination for families, couples, adventure seekers or solo travellers. Out of the three main areas we visited in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio was the one where we spotted the most wildlife on our own. Seeing a sloth just casually chilling in the tree right next to the beach was an unforgettable experience. 

Have you ever been to Manuel Antonio before? If so, how much of the area did you manage to explore? If not, would you want to visit this area of Costa Rica? Let me know in the comments below.