General Information

Manuel Antonio History

History. Manuel Antonio National Park was originally inhabited by the indigenous community Quepoa’s which is the origin of Quepos name. During colonial times in the XVX century, this community was displaced to the southeast of Quepos, giving rise to small communities dedicated to agriculture.

In the early nineteenth century, banana cultivation became very popular in the region now comprising Quepos and Parrita. Therefore; in 1934 the United Fruit Company bought most of the plantations in the area and further expanded the production of this crop.

By this time the population of the area has significantly increased and this in turn has led to the need for space for the development of appropriate infrastructure for the population. What we know today as the city of Quepos was originally a swamp which was filled with large rocks and soil quantities allowing the construction of homes and businesses as shops bars, cafe and night clubs.

In 1956, after serious economic problems, the United Fruit Company closed its operations in the area giving way to cultivation and production of palm oil plantations and teak.

Around this same time the area of Quepos was emerging as one of the top tourist destinations in the country and many were attracted by the beauty of the beaches of Manuel Antonio.

The land comprising the Manuel Antonio National Park and its beaches were originally private property which was in foreign hands of NOEL THOMAS Langhan. He allowed local income property for all to enjoy its beautiful beaches, however, in 1971, Mr. Langhan sold the space between the second and third beaches to a Frenchman named Aime Arthur Bergeron who decided to build his dwelling there and close access to the beach visitors who frequented the place. This generated problems for the local population who repeatedly tried to break the gates for entry to enjoy the beach.
After many downed gates and reconstructed gates, the problem came to the attention of the government and legislators in Costa Rica, who upon hearing what was happening, presented themselves to know more about it.

Pedro Gaspar Zuniga, governor of the area at that time made a visit to the area accompanied by legislators Marcial Aguiluz and Pina Aiza to claim the right of all quepeños to attend their favorite beaches. He wrote the decree which made Manuel Antonio national park owned by everyone on the planet. As Mr. Victor Mora Black, one of the proponents of the creation of this sanctuary said, "The Manuel Antonio National Park is the sum of the work of many people."

This is how on November 15, 1972 by Act No. 5100, the Government of Costa Rica decided to declare this area as the Manuel Antonio National Park, an amazing complex nature and beaches with calm waters that protects about 55,000 acres of forest and ocean.
    • 7:00am – 4:00pm
    • The gates close at 3pm.
    • Open from Tuesday to Sunday. Every Monday closed.
  • We recommends visiting the park early before 8:00 am to avoid long lines and to find a good spot on the beach. The park has a capacity of 800 people, and in case the limit is reached, the park will close its doors until the tourists are out in the same amount that wishes to enter.
  • Tickets can only be purchased at Coopealianza bank (In front of the Hotel entrance). The cost is $ 16 per person for foreigners and ¢ 1600 for nationals.
  • The Park covers an area of 1,983 hectares in the terrestrial and 55,210 hectares in the maritime part.
  • The climate is tropical humid characterized by a short dry season (January to March) and a longer rainy season (April to December). The average annual rainfall is 3,584 mm. The relative humidity is 86%. The average annual high temperature is 31 ° C, minimum 22.6 ° and 26.8 ° C. The waters of our beaches experience warmer temperatures averaging 28 ° C. On average we have 12 hours of sunlight, usually the sun rises at 5:00 am and sets around 6:00 p.m.
  • Manuel Antonio National Park is the only park with 109 mammal species, 184 bird species and 346 plant species. Among the most spectacular mammals of the park are the three and two fingered sloths along with three of the four species of monkeys in Costa Rica: the mantled howler monkey, titi and white-headed capuchin. Blue-tailed black iguana, green iguana, common Basilisk, white-nosed coati and many species of snakes and bats are also common in the park. Bird species include toucans, woodpeckers, nightjars, momots, barraqueros, Orchard, Aura, parakeets and hawks. There is also a lush marine life such as sea urchins, mulberry, angelfish, starfish, dolphins and migrating whales. The National Park has a consistent area of primary forest covering about 105 hectares, 130 hectares intervened primary forest, 122 hectares mature secondary forest, young secondary forest, 228 hectares, and the mangrove covering 18 hectares. Spices of flora as the red mangrove, white mangrove and black mangrove are found. Other remarkable species include guácimo colorado, pylon, cedar Mary, white jatoba, the Surah, the black locust, the milky rain tree and the kapok. On the beach stand the Manzanillo, almond, coconut and oak savanna.
  • The National Park has four beaches, Espadilla Sur, Manuel Antonio, Puerto Escondido and Gemelas. The first three are white sand and the last has gray sand. Undoubtedly, the most visited beach is Playa Manuel Antonio, and is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. Among the attractions of the park are also the path the Mirador, where you can see the sea as well as the beach Puerto Escondido, the path Punta Catedral, was formerly an island but joined the mainland due to the accumulation of sediments.




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  • +506 8482-8339
  • Lockers $5

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  • 7am to 5pm
  • 24/7 Calls

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