COSTA RICA

Manuel Antonio National Park

Manual Antonio National Park is located on the western coastline of Costa Rica. It runs along the shoreline of the country, includes a tropical rainforest and encompasses absolutely beautiful beach coves. It is open from 7 AM to 4 PM daily. Besides great beaches, you'll also find in Manual Antonio lots of wildlife, including sloths and monkeys.

It is a small park that can be managed in a one day visit. There are several clearly marked hiking trails and overlooks. However, if you are a beach person, it would be better to spend two full so you can take advantage of the beautiful beaches, the water and still have time to hike the trails and watch for wildlife. Also, if you'll be spending a full day in Manual Antonio National Park, be sure to pack water and food as there is none to purchase within the park.

Just outside the park are shops, restaurants and street vendors selling everything from typical tourist items to full plates of grilled chicken with vegetables (a great dinner) and cut pineapple (wonderful desert). We ate our dinner while being treated to a beautiful sunset. This park was a definite highlight of our Costa Rica trip.