Manuel Antonio

The lush green colours that can be seen in the Manuel Antonio National Park distinguish this location from the rest of the country; it’s the brilliant, high definition kind of green that you’ve seen in travel magazines. It is truly a dream destination.

This conservation area is located in Costa Rica’s central pacific region, which is known for its emerald coloured waters and active nature. When visiting Manuel Antonio, it’s normal to see many species of birds, reptiles such as snakes and iguanas, and medium sized mammals such as Capuchin monkeys, raccoons, nasuas, and sloths!

When Costa Rica’s most prominent newspaper asked thousands of readers to vote online in order to determine Costa Rica’s 7 touristic wonders, Manuel Antonio won first place. To be honest, that wasn’t surprising. Even Forbes magazine included this destination in its list of the planet’s 12 most beautiful national parks.

The park, which is around 157 km south of the country’s capital city, was established on November 15th, 1972. It’s comprised of 1,983 hectares on land and 55,000 marine hectares, all of which are dedicated to conservation, research and ecological tourism based on environmental education.

It’s also a great idea to visit the surrounding areas, such as Escapadilla Beach or Escondida Beach, but the main attraction is the national park, where you can visit the Punta Catedral lookout point, which is spectacular!