Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Information
lage, serves as an informal tourist-information center. It sells maps, guidebooks, books in
various languages, English-language newspapers, beach supplies and souvenirs; it also
rents out body boards. You can inquire here about guesthouses available for long-term
stays. Look for a free copy of the English-language
Quepolandia,
which details everything
to see and do in the area. If you're looking for a quick online overview, visit
Getting There & Away
Buses depart Manuel Antonio for San José (US$9, three hours) at 4am, 6am, 7:30am,
9:30am, noon, 1pm, 2:30pm and 5pm. These will pick you up at the beach, or from the
Quepos bus terminal, after which there are no stops. Buy tickets well in advance at the
Quepos bus terminal. This bus is frequently packed and you will not be able to buy tickets
from the driver. Buses for destinations other than San José also leave from the main ter-
minal in Quepos.
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
A place of swaying palms and playful monkeys, spakling blue water and riotous tropical
trance US$10, parking US$3; 7am-4pm Tue-Sun)
embodies Costa Rica's postcard charms. It
was declared a national park in 1972, preserving it (with just minutes to spare) from being
bulldozed and razed to make room for a coastal development project. Although Manuel
Antonio was enlarged to its present-day size of 19.83 sq km in 2000, it is still the country's
smallest national park. Space remains at a premium, and as this is one of Central Amer-
ica's top tourist destinations, you're going to have to break free from the camera-clicking
tour groups and actively seek out your own idyllic spot of sand.
That said, Manuel Antonio is absolutely stunning, and on a good day, at the right time,
it's easy to convince yourself that you've died and gone to a coconut-filled paradise. The
park's clearly marked trail system winds through rainforest-backed tropical beaches and
rocky headlands, and the views across the bay to the pristine outer islands are unforget-
