Manuel Antonio National Park is one of Costa Rica 's best known parks. It is 7km from the town of Quepos in the Central Pacific Area.

The picture in the upper left corner is the view of the park from the houses - Manuel Antonio side.

The area is home to over 353 species of birds. There are also Howler, Mono Titi, and white-faced (Cara Blanca) monkeys, two-toed sloths, coatimundis and raccoons that frequent the jungle and beaches in and outside the Park. Casa Voladora and Casa Mirador provide an excellent place to relax while taking in the local scenery.

The National Park area offers some of the best beaches on Costa Rica's Pacific coast for swimming and snorkeling. Within the area, there is much to enjoy; bird watching, hiking, ocean kayaking, horseback riding, surfing, boogie boarding, zipline tours, white water rafting and kayaking, and boat trips for fishing, snorkeling, sunset tours or dolphin watching.

The views from the hills overlooking Manuel Antonio are spectacular and the beaches, particularly those inside the national park, are idyllic. Gazing down on the blue Pacific from Casas Voladora and Mirador high on the hillsides of Manuel Antonio is breathtaking. Offshore, rocky islands dot the vast expanse of blue, and in the foreground, the rich deep green of the rain forest sweeps down to the water.

One of the most popular national parks in the country, Manuel Antonio is also one of the smallest, covering fewer than 1,700 acres. The mountains surrounding the beaches quickly rise as you head inland from the water. The park was created to preserve not only its beautiful beaches, but its forests, home to endangered squirrel monkeys, three-toed sloths, purple-and-orange crabs, and hundreds of other species of birds, mammals, and plants.

Local beach restaurant at Manuel Antonio                    Fly into Quepos - 25 minute flight from Juan Santamaria                                                                                               International Airport in San Jose