Manuel Antonio National Park

Address	Manuel Antonio
Admission	USD $7
Hours	7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Tuesday-Sunday

Costa Rica is home to a number of national parks. Despite being the smallest, Manuel Antonio National Park has long been considered one of its gems. Located minutes from Quepos on the central pacific coast, the park's major draw is that it combines the beauty of white sand, warm beaches with an astonishing backdrop of forest and mangroves. Playa Espadilla and Playa Espadilla Sur are located here, as is the breathtaking Playa Manuel Antonio, easily one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Costa Rica. 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds reside in the park, and you can spot three-toed sloths, iguanas and the endangered squirrel monkey. Because of its increasing popularity and in order to protect the wildlife and the environment, camping is not allowed and the park is closed on Mondays. Go early in the morning or midweek to avoid large numbers of visitors. If you come within close contact to any of the squirrel monkeys, it is crucially important that you do not feed them. You can get fined and banned from the park, but most importantly, you can make them seriously ill, as they are used to a very natural diet.