Hikes and Trails in Manuel Antonio Park

Vehicles must be left outside this Costa Rica National Park, which collects a $5/day entrance fee. It’s suggested to leave your car at the hotel take a bus down to the Manuel Antonio Park. There’s a small body of water to pass over to the park entrance. You can take off your shoes or for around .25 take a little boat across.

Admission is $6 and you can purchase a small map if you desire. You can go directly to the beach, or hike up to the point on the right of the path. It’s well worth the effort before the afternoon heat.
The trail will lead you through the forest to an isthmus separating Playas Espadilla Sur and Manuel Antonio. This isthmus is called a tombolo and was formed by the mainland and the peninsula beyond. Walking to Playa Espadilla Sur, you will find a small mangrove area. The isthmus widens into a rocky peninsula. The trail leads you to Punta Catedral, where you can see great views of the Pacific Ocean and rocky islets that are bird reserves and are part of the national park. Brown boobies and pelicans are among many of the seabirds that nest on the islands.

At the western end of the beach at low tide, you can see a semi-cirle of rocks that archaeologists believe were put there by pre-Columbian Indians as a turtle trap. This is the safest and most popular of the beaches for bathing.

Beyond this point, the trail divides.
The lower is steep and slippery during the wet months and leads to a quiet beach called Playa Puerto Escondido. This beach can be covered by high tide so you need to keep watch, or you may need to swim back close to the rocky shore. The upper trail takes you to a point overlooking Puerto Escondido and Punta Serrucho and beyond.

Fawn

To the left you can go along the gravel road where you can see monkeys, birds and sloths. There’s a cute small fawn that is quite familiar with visitors and will walk right by you. At a tiny bridge, keep your eye on a small sign to the right, that will take you to a 40 ft waterfall with a swimming hole. During or after the wet season, it’s quite a sight. It’s one of our favorite spots to cool off and have a snack.