Manuel Antonio National Park
|
||||||
| Did you know? | ||||||
|
According to locals, many years ago a man named Manuel Antonio lived on the beach. When he died, others tried to obtain the valued land. But through diligent effort, members of the Quepos community prevented that, and Manuel Antonio National Park was founded in 1972
|
||||||
|
There is an infinite amount of activities you can do in Manuel Antonio National Park and in its neighboring city Quepos: scuba diving, snorkeling, sports fishing, dolphin tour, bird watching, hiking, Quadra cycles, boat tour, kayaking in the mangrove, rafting, canopy, horseback riding, sailing. In just one word, Manuel Antonio National Park is the perfect place to enjoy your beach vacations. As soon as you cross the park guard stand, Manuel Antonio National Park brings to your sight the first great surprise: primary and secondary marine forests. The trail goes through a vast vegetation area that includes tenths of plant species, such as Guapinol Negro (Cynometra hemitomophylla), Maria (Calophyllum brasiliense) and Guacimo (Guazuma ulmifolia). Hiking through this natural paradise will let you do some bird watching and admire some mammals like the Pizotes (Nasua narica).
Take a walk towards Tombolo, a work of nature, a natural sand bridge that links the land to an island in Manuel Antonio National Park and from Punta Catedral, you will get an idea of all the natural beauty that surrounds you. Take time for snorkeling and contemplate the marine beauty of Manuel Antonio National Park. While you are in this beautiful place, the picturesque town of Quepos will serve you as your “operations base” for the activities you want to do. There are tours to neighboring areas every day.
Due to the scenic view, a tour you should not miss is the boat ride or kayak ride through the mangroves at Manuel Antonio National Park, where you will be able to admire the biological diversity of the national park. Throughout the area, you could find a Boa (Boa constrictor) in a tree branch, or the spectacular Ceibita (Cyclopes didactylus), or you can go look for the white-faced monkeys in Isla Dama. |
||||||
With over 682 hectares, Manuel Antonio National Park has 5 habitats: primary and secondary marine forests, mangroves, lagoons and beach vegetation. It hosts 350 types of plants, 184 species of birds and 109 species of mammals; 10 species of sea sponges, 19 corals, 24 crustaceans, 17 algae and 84 fish.
When you reach the end of the trail, you will be amazed upon the contemplation of the line that links the forest and the sea: the intense green of the forest gives way to the infinite blue of the Pacific Ocean. White sand beaches, turquoise water and the shiny sun will let you enjoy a memorable experience. Relax rest and dive into the warm water; take a sun bath, read your favorite book, or take a nap under a coconut tree and enjoy the beach vacations you have always dreamed of. Yet, it is not rare to be awaken by a big family of white-faced monkeys (Cebus capucinus) or by the squirrel monkeys (Saimiri oerstedii) that come really close to you.
You may choose rafting at the Savegre river, canopying in the primary and secondary forests, scuba diving in Manuel Antonio, hiking through the forests, go out looking for playful dolphins, taking a sailing tour to admire the sunset, taking a ride in Quadra cycles towards the mountains, horseback riding at the beach or just taking that good book you have always wanted to read and sit under a coconut tree to enjoy it.