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Is 3 Days in Manuel Antonio Enough?

For most trips, yes. Three days gives you one full morning in the park. One afternoon goes to a tour like a catamaran or ziplining. That still leaves a slower last day before you move on.

Here’s how the days fit together:

Day	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Day 1	Travel to Manuel Antonio	Playa Espadilla	Sunset at El Avión
Day 2	Manuel Antonio National Park	Zipline, catamaran or mangroves	Dinner with a view
Day 3	Rainmaker or a sloth tour	Lunch, then the drive out	On the road

Only have two days? Drop day 3. With a week, add Uvita, about an hour south, for the whale tail and waterfalls. Our 2-day Uvita itinerary picks up where this one ends.

How to Get to Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is about 170 km from San José, and the trip is easier than it looks. The drive takes 3 to 4 hours on Route 27 and Route 34, past Jacó, on paved roads.

Shared shuttles from San José airport cost about $60 to $95 per person and take 3.5 to 4.5 hours. From La Fortuna, they cost about $50 to $77 and take 5 to 6 hours, and from Monteverde about $53 to $69.

The Tracopa bus from San José is the cheap option. It costs about ₡6,200, roughly $14, for a 4-hour ride. The fare to Quepos is a little less. Buy tickets at the terminal or online in the Passer app.

Short on time? Sansa and Green Airways fly to Quepos in around 30 minutes, for about $80 to $150 one way. Planning to drive? Our guide to renting a car in Costa Rica explains the insurance surprise at the counter.

Getting Around Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is basically one long, hilly road between Quepos and the park entrance, about 7 km end to end. You don’t need a car to get around it.

The local bus runs the whole road every 15 to 30 minutes and costs less than a dollar. Taxis between Quepos and the park cost about ₡4,000 to ₡6,000 on the meter. Ask the driver to use it.

Walking the hill road isn’t a great idea, since it’s steep and the sidewalk comes and goes. Some hotels up top run a free shuttle down to the beach, so ask when you book.

Where to Stay in Manuel Antonio

Where you stay changes your whole trip here. The hill has the views and most of the restaurants. Playa Espadilla puts you a short walk from the beach and the park. Quepos has the cheapest rooms.

For this itinerary, staying near Playa Espadilla is the easiest. La Vela and Hotel Playa Espadilla & Gardens are both a few minutes’ walk from the park gate.

Up on the hill, Parador and Arenas del Mar are big treats. Tico Tico Villas is a good-value adults-only pick with kitchens. Our guide to the best hotels in Manuel Antonio has the full list of 15.

Day 1 in Manuel Antonio: Arrival and Playa Espadilla

Day one is all about settling in. Most people arrive around lunchtime, so keep the afternoon easy and save the park for tomorrow morning, when the animals are busiest.

Afternoon: Lunch and Playa Espadilla

Drop your bags, then grab lunch at Falafel Bar, a local favorite for falafel and shawarma. For fish tacos, try El Patio de Café Milagro.

Then head down to Playa Espadilla, the long public beach just outside the park. Rent a chair, swim when the waves are calm, and check for red flags, since the currents can be strong.

Keep your bag zipped. The capuchin monkeys here know exactly what a bag of chips sounds like.

Evening: Sunset at El Avión

For sunset, head up the hill to El Avión, a bar and restaurant built around a real Fairchild C-123 cargo plane. It’s touristy, but the view over the jungle and the ocean makes up for it.

Get there before 5 PM to grab a table by the railing. Sunset is about 5:15 to 6 PM, depending on the month.

For a quieter dinner afterward, Medusa at The Falls Resort does Peruvian dishes like lomo saltado and spicy tuna tartare.

Day 2 in Manuel Antonio: The National Park

Day two is the big one. Get up early, because the park is cooler and far livelier first thing in the morning.

Morning: Manuel Antonio National Park

Be at the gate by 7 AM with your ticket and the passport you booked with. Tickets cost $18.08 for foreign adults and are sold online only, through SINAC, so buy yours a day or two ahead.

Hire a guide if you can. A group walk costs about $25 to $40 per person. The guide’s spotting scope turns blurry shapes into sloths, monkeys and toucans.

After the main trail, walk down to Playa Manuel Antonio for a swim. The Punta Catedral trail is closed for now, so the flat sloth trail and the beaches are the main event.

Food isn’t allowed inside, so eat a big breakfast and bring water in a reusable bottle.

Lunch: A Casado Near the Park

The park closes at 3 PM and there’s no re-entry, so most people head out around lunchtime anyway.

Soda Angel, on the main road, is a cheap and cheerful spot for casados and ceviche. A casado comes with rice, beans, salad, plantain and fish, chicken or beef, and it’s the best-value lunch in town.

Afternoon: Zipline, Catamaran or Mangroves

Pick your favorite for the afternoon:

• Canopy Safari zipline: $95 plus tax, leaving at 2 PM with pickup and lunch included
• Ocean King catamaran: about $90, sailing at 2 PM with a meal, drinks and snorkeling
• Damas Island mangrove tour: around $60 to $95, timed with the tide

May to November, some catamarans only sail in the morning, so the zipline is the safer afternoon pick then. Our guide to tours in Manuel Antonio compares them all.

Evening: Dinner With a View

Ronny’s Place has some of the best sunset views in Manuel Antonio, with whole red snapper and coconut shrimp on the menu.

Café Agua Azul, up on the hill, is the easy alternative. Its red snapper with papaya salad is the dish people come back for.

Day 3 in Manuel Antonio: Rainmaker or a Sloth Tour

Your last morning is a good time for one more dose of nature before you hit the road. Rainmaker is the best pick, and a sloth tour is a nice backup if the park didn’t deliver.

Morning: Rainmaker Conservation Park

Rainmaker is about 30 minutes inland, with four hanging bridges over the forest and a waterfall pool you can swim in. It opens at 7:30 AM, and a self-guided ticket costs ₡12,000 plus tax, about $26.

A guided group walk costs $60 plus tax. Pack a towel and dry clothes, since you’ll want that swim.

Prefer wheels? This ATV tour heads into the hills and stops at a waterfall inside Rainmaker, for about $85 to $125.

Or: A Sloth Tour

Missed the sloths yesterday? The KSTR rescue center near Manuel Antonio has 1.5-hour guided visits for $60.

You can also book a guided sloth-spotting walk in the park for about $28, plus your park ticket. Just remember it’s closed on Tuesdays.

Lunch and the Drive Out

Grab lunch in Quepos before you go. Soda Sánchez is a local spot with big plates and low prices, and it’s open early until late.

Driving back to San José? Leave by 2 PM to beat the evening traffic on Route 27. Heading south instead? Uvita is only about an hour away.

What to Pack for Manuel Antonio

It’s hot and humid here all year, so pack light. Here’s what you’ll use:

• Quick-dry clothes and a swimsuit
• Sneakers or trail shoes for the park
• Reef-safe sunscreen and bug spray
• A light rain jacket, May to November
• A reusable water bottle, since single-use plastic is banned in the park
• A dry bag for boat trips

Bring some colones in small bills too. Buses, parking lots and small sodas often want cash.

Manuel Antonio Itinerary FAQ

Is 3 Days in Manuel Antonio Enough?

Three days in Manuel Antonio is enough for most trips. You get one morning in the national park and one afternoon tour like a catamaran or ziplining. The last morning goes to Rainmaker or a sloth tour.

With only two days, skip Rainmaker. With more time, add Uvita, about an hour south.

What Day Is Manuel Antonio National Park Closed?

Manuel Antonio National Park is closed every Tuesday. It opens at 7 AM the rest of the week, and SINAC lists a 3 PM close.

Tickets cost $18.08 for foreign adults and are sold online only, through SINAC. Bring the passport you booked with, since names get checked, and plan your tour or beach day for Tuesday.

How Much Does 3 Days in Manuel Antonio Cost?

The activities in this itinerary cost about $170 per adult. That’s $18.08 for the park and about $30 for a guide. A zipline or catamaran adds about $100 with tax, and Rainmaker is about $24.

Add your hotel, food and transport. A casado lunch at a local soda is the cheapest way to eat well.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Manuel Antonio?

The best time to visit Manuel Antonio is late December to April, the dry season, with the most sun and calm seas. It’s also the busiest and priciest time.

May to November is greener and quieter, with afternoon rain. September and October are the wettest months. Humpback whales pass by July to mid-November and again December to March.

Can You Do Manuel Antonio Without a Car?

You can easily do Manuel Antonio without a car. The local bus runs between Quepos and the park entrance every 15 to 30 minutes for less than a dollar. Most tours include pickup.

Shared shuttles from San José cost about $60 to $95, so you don’t need to drive there either.

Can You Add Uvita After Manuel Antonio?

You can easily add Uvita after Manuel Antonio. It’s about an hour south on Route 34, and a shared shuttle costs about $45.

Uvita has the whale tail at Marino Ballena National Park, waterfalls and whale watching. Two more days there round out the trip nicely. Our 2-day Uvita itinerary lays it out day by day.