Collection of Available Guides for Manuel Antonio National Park in Puntarenas Province

Costa Rica's most visited national park where tropical forests meet white-sand beaches on the Pacific coast

Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park represents one of Costa Rica's most successful conservation stories, born from grassroots community action in the early 1970s. Local residents who sought to protect their coastal environment from development and foreign-owned beach restrictions successfully lobbied for formal protected area status, establishing the park in 1972. The park's location within the Central Pacific Conservation Area places it within a region of significant ecological importance along Costa Rica's Pacific coastline. Despite its relatively small terrestrial footprint of 1,983 hectares, the park protects an extensive marine area of 25,634 hectares, creating a comprehensive coastal and marine protected system. The landscape features a dramatic transition from mountainous tropical forest down to sea level, with several coves containing white-sand beaches separated by rocky headlands and offshore islands. The park's trail network has been developed with accessibility considerations, including adapted routes for wheelchair users, rest areas, and scenic overlooks that minimize visual impact on the natural environment. Infrastructure within the park, including the Visitor Centre and ranger stations, has been designed using bioclimatic architectural principles to harmonize with the surrounding landscape and meet environmental protection standards.