Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
come here is the stunning Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, one of the most picturesque
bits of tropical coast in Costa Rica. If you get bored of cooing at the baby monkeys that
scurry in the canopy and scanning for birds and sloths, the turquoise waves and perfect
sand provide endless entertainment. However, there's no pretending that Manuel Antonio
is anyone's secret - despite being the smallest of Costa Rica's national parks, it's also one
of the most popular. Little Quepos, the once sleepy fishing and banana village on the
park's perimeter, has ballooned with this tourism-based economy (although it is, admir-
ably, clinging to its roots despite ongoing socioeconomic transformation), and the road
leading from Quepos to the park is overdeveloped. However, the rainforested hills sweep-
ing down to the sea and the blissful beaches make the park a stunning destination worthy
of the tourist hype.
Note that, for purposes of clarity, we've divided our coverage into four sections: Quepos
proper (the area's only proper small city), the road from Quepos to Manuel Antonio, the
tiny Manuel Antonio Village and the national park itself.
Quepos
Located just 7km from the entrance to Manuel Antonio, the small, busy town of Quepos
serves as the gateway to the national park, as well as a convenient port of call for travelers
in need of goods and services. Although the Manuel Antonio area was rapidly and irre-
versibly transformed following the ecotourism boom, Quepos has largely retained an au-
thentic Tico feel, particularly when you get out of the middle of town. Exuding an inef-
fable charm absent from so much of the central Pacific, Quepos still has glimmers of tradi-
tional Latin America, even while being a heavily traveled stop on the tourist-packed
gringo trail.
While most visitors to the Manuel Antonio area prefer to stay outside Quepos, accom-
modations are generally cheaper and better in town, though you will need to organize
transportation to both the national park and the beaches. Quepos can be an appealing place
to stay, especially since it's home to a burgeoning restaurant scene that belies its small
size, as well as one of the country's best hostels. Quepos is also gridded with easy-to-walk
streets, which provide the opportunity to interact with the friendly locals, who have thus
far weathered the storm of change with cheerfulness and optimism.
 
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