Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio National Park is tiny by national park standards, covering barely 16 square kilometers, yet it draws more annual visitors per square kilometer than almost any protected area in Central America. Costa Rica manages that pressure by capping daily entries and splitting the day into two ticketed sessions, a system that keeps trails from feeling overrun even during peak season.

What makes the park unusual is the range packed into such a small space — rainforest trail, a fringing coral reef, and a genuinely excellent swimming beach all sit within the same short walk, so a morning wildlife hike can end with an afternoon in the water without changing location.

The wildlife sightings here are reliable in a way that surprises first-time visitors to the tropics, where animals are often more heard than seen. White-faced capuchin monkeys and both two- and three-toed sloths turn up on most visits, and the park protects one of the last strongholds of the endangered Central American squirrel monkey, a species that has lost most of its Pacific coast habitat to development elsewhere in the country.

The town of Manuel Antonio itself sits along a single road climbing from the beach up into the hills, lined with hotels ranging from simple cabinas to hillside resorts with ocean views — the elevation change means even modest places often get a real view of the coastline.

Playa Espadilla, the public beach just outside the park entrance, gives visitors a free alternative to the ticketed beach inside the park itself, and its surf breaks draw a modest local surfing scene distinct from the more wildlife-focused park experience next door.