Exploring the Beauty of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a beautiful country that is known for its beaches, mountains, and natural vegetation. There are many places to visit in the country. But if it is your first-time visiting Costa Rica then I would highly recommend going to Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio is about a three-hour drive from the capital San Jose and is an area where many people retire. The main attraction is Manuel Antonio Park. But Manuel Antonio also offers beaches, hotels, and a variety of restaurants. And I hope you aren’t afraid of monkeys because there is an abundance of them in Manuel Antonio.
Once you decide to make Manuel Antonio your vacation destination, you will see there are a lot of hotels to choose from. Your hotel choice will depend on if you want to be close to the town Quepos or close to Manuel Antonio National Park. Another factor in your hotel selection will be if you want ocean views or a jungle-like environment. My hotel choice was The Falls at Manuel Antonio because of its location. The Falls is located halfway between Manuel Antonio Park and Quepos within a jungle environment with monkeys, iguanas, variegated squirrels, and lush vegetation. The Falls at Manuel Antonio is a nice hotel with cabin-like interior rooms which include breakfast and a very good happy hour.
The main attraction in Manuel Antonio is Manuel Antonio National Park. The park has beautiful walking trails through the tropical forest where you can see all kinds of birds if you are a bird person. Besides the trails, there is the Manuel Antonio beach which is a beautiful white sand beach untouched by man but be mindful of your belongings because of the monkeys.
Besides Manuel Antonio Park there are other attractions in Manuel Antonio. There is the local beach outside of Manuel Antonio Park. On this beach, you will find rental beach chairs and people selling food and drinks. This is the most popular beach in the area. You will find tourists and locals all enjoying the beach. The beach isn’t as pristine as the beach in Manuel Antonio Park but the beach is still nice with beautiful sunsets.
There are several activities you can do in Manuel Antonio from parasailing, snorkeling, ziplining, and a variety of water activities. In addition, there are a variety of restaurants from seafood, Indian, and all American. But one of the best restaurants is the traditional Costa Rican restaurant, Cerdo Feliz.
The downfall in visiting Costa Rica is the rental car process. If you can arrange transportation in Costa Rica without renting a car would save you money. The car rental agencies charge mandatory car insurance that is nonrefundable outside of any amount you may have paid online to rent the car. If you must rent a car and you are booking it online, make sure the online booking agency is showing you the full price including the mandatory car insurance. If not, be prepared for a sticker shock when you show up at the car rental counter in Costa Rica.
Overall, you will have a Pura Vida time in Manuel Antonio. Pura Vida means “Enjoy Life” which is a popular Costa Rica saying.
