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Manuel Antonio

Costa Rica · Central America · northern hemisphere

SwimmingLakes & CoastlineHikingWildlife

Manuel Antonio is at its best for hiking in December to March. Good but not prime in April and November. Crowds peak in January and bottom out in September.

JFMAMJJASOND
Swimming
90
91
90
77
15
15
15
15
15
15
57
89
Lakes & Coastline
92
91
88
68
14
15
15
15
15
15
66
90
Hiking
91
93
91
72
15
42
42
42
15
15
62
87
Wildlife
90
90
90
67
15
42
42
42
15
15
67
90
Crowds

Swipe the table sideways for the rest of the year.

primegoodpossibleoff-seasoncrowds, on this place’s own scale

The short version

The park caps daily entry on timed tickets sold only through the SINAC website — never at the gate — and it is closed every Tuesday

What the walking is like

Short, easy, humid boardwalk trails — ticket bought online in advance. A guide is worth it for spotting wildlife, not for navigation.

When not to come

Turning up without a ticket, or on a Tuesday. Entry is capped, timed tickets sell out weeks ahead in peak season, and they are not sold at the entrance under any circumstances.

Busiest

December–April dry season, hardest at Christmas, New Year and Semana Santa

With children

Minimal; this is one of the best family destinations in Costa Rica. The 7am arrival and the Tuesday closure are the practical constraints.

Where to stay

Quepos town is noticeably cheaper than the hotels perched above the park entrance, and it is a short bus ride in. You need to be at the gate at 7am either way, so the view from your room matters less than you think.

What can go wrong

Wet season

September and October are the wettest weeks in Costa Rica’s year.Sep · Oct

Kept out of the score on purpose. Averaging a rare catastrophe into a monthly number would tell you something false; the warning is the honest form.

Dates that matter

  • Semana Santa / Easter week — the single busiest week of the year
  • Dry season (Dec–Apr)
  • Green season (May–Nov), with September and October the wettest

Walks

  • Sendero Principal down to the beaches
  • Punta Catedral loop — the headland, about an hour
  • Perezoso (sloth) trail — slow, and the whole point is looking up

The park is small and the trails are short. Wildlife density is the attraction here, not mileage.

Crowds, month by month

10088754134219130322142

0 is this destination’s own quietest month and 100 its busiest. The scale never compares one destination to another. Source: Wikipedia — Manuel Antonio National Park

See everything else at its best in Feb