Manuel Antonio National Park, National park in Quepos Canton, Costa Rica
This coastal reserve covers nearly 2,000 hectares of land and more than 25,000 hectares of ocean along the Pacific shore, linking several beaches with dense rainforest. Narrow paths wind through the greenery to rocky headlands and quiet coves separated from the mainland by low vegetation.
Coastal residents founded the protected area in 1972 to stop construction and preserve the forest. Over the following decades, marine zones were added and visitor rules introduced to safeguard wildlife and beaches.
The park takes its name from the Quepoa indigenous community that inhabited this coastal region; their name also gave rise to the city of Quepos. Later the land passed through cultivation and ownership by the United Fruit Company before the state acquired it in 1972 under Law 5100. Visitors today are asked not to feed the animals, since species such as the coati, raccoon and monkeys come into easy contact with tourists.
Entry tickets are sold only through the SINAC online system, and the grounds open from Wednesday to Monday between 7 AM and 4 PM. Guests should arrive early because afternoon weather often turns unpredictable and daily visitor numbers are capped.
Three of the country's four monkey species live here alongside both native sloth types. Visitors can often spot all five in the trees along the main trails during a single morning walk.
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