Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike, Manuel Antonio

Explore the lush rainforest and stunning beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park on a guided hike

Overview

Discover the natural beauty of the world-famous Manuel Antonio National Park on a hike with an expert guide. While trekking the two-mile (3.2-km) trail, keep your eyes open for monkeys, sloths, birds, reptiles, and butterflies in the wild. The path through the lush rainforest leads you to the sandy beaches and bright blue waters of one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. 

Highlights

  • Hike through the pristine rainforest of Manuel Antonio National Park 
  • Spot monkeys, sloths, birds, and reptiles in their natural habitat
  • Splash around the crystalline waters on one of Costa Rica's most beautiful beaches

Know before you go

Duration
4 hours
Recommended for
All ages
Group
Small group
Food & Drink
A snack is included

What you'll do

The day begins with a pick-up at your hotel. Make the short transfer to the hike's starting point in Manuel Antonio National Park, where you'll meet your guide and hear an overview of the national park's wildlife and natural highlights.

Follow your guide on a two-mile (3.2-km) trail through the rainforest, spotting sloths, monkeys, reptiles, butterflies, and various birds along the way. The walk is easy with mostly flat trails—perfect for families with kids. A naturalist guide will point out the more than 300 species of mammals and birds that call this reserve home, including three-toed sloths, hawks, iguanas, and several different species of monkeys.  You'll have the opportunity to use the guides' Pentax and Swarovski telescopes if you like.

You'll end up at one of the country's most famous beaches. Take 20 minutes to relax, swim, take photos, and appreciate the scenery before being transferred back to your hotel.

Start times

  • Daily
    7:30 am, 12:30 pm
  • Tuesday
    Not available

What's included

  • Transportation to and from your hotel
  • Bilingual guides
  • Park entrance fee
  • Snacks

Traveler reviews

69 total ratings, 53 with reviews
4.6 out of 5
Feature ratings
Quality of Experience
4.6
Food
4.0
Guides, Drivers and Staff
4.7
Transport
4.8
neil
neil p.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on Mar 25, 2024
Good sightings of monkeys, deer, birds, sloths and finished with swim at the beach. Read more

Good sightings of monkeys, deer, birds, sloths and finished with swim at the beach.

Tips for future travelers

There are hundreds of people in the park by 10am so if you can organise a private guide and go early you can miss the crowds

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Andrea
Andrea B.
Canada | Reviewed on Mar 07, 2024
So many animals!!!! Simply amazing. The guide was brilliant. You must have a guide for this walk. Read more

So many animals!!!! Simply amazing. The guide was brilliant. You must have a guide for this walk.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Bill
Bill K.
Houston, TX | Reviewed on Mar 01, 2024
The park is very nice, but very busy. They push 2000 people a day through, and at the start, it’s like a cattle call. The guides are very good at spotting (animals) to small groups of about 20 people, but they are on a time schedule (get in, get out, next group). If one group sees something, all the other groups join in, so there are 30 people pointing, talking and taking pictures. The beach inside the park is one of the top 5 in Costa Rica, and the water is a perfect temperature. Beautiful! Read more

The park is very nice, but very busy. They push 2000 people a day through, and at the start, it’s like a cattle call. The guides are very good at spotting (animals) to small groups of about 20 people, but they are on a time schedule (get in, get out, next group). If one group sees something, all the other groups join in, so there are 30 people pointing, talking and taking pictures. The beach inside the park is one of the top 5 in Costa Rica, and the water is a perfect temperature. Beautiful!

Tips for future travelers

Go early. It’s cooler. I never felt or saw any mosquitoes. A private tour may be more rewarding (and more informative). Take a bus or other vehicle. People are hawking parking spaces that they over charge for. Public transportation will take you right to the gate. You have to pay the$18 (admittance fee) if you only want to visit the beach. If you have a tour guide, let them take the pics with a spotting scope, then transfer to your phone after the tour.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
H
Harry K.
La Vista, NE | Reviewed on Feb 29, 2024
Roger did a fine job pointing out many animals and plants in this warm ecosystem. Saw toucans, sloths, 3 monkey varieties , deer, iguanas and flowers and trees of many varieties. The beach was beautiful and the walk back pretty thru the mangroves. Read more

Roger did a fine job pointing out many animals and plants in this warm ecosystem. Saw toucans, sloths, 3 monkey varieties , deer, iguanas and flowers and trees of many varieties. The beach was beautiful and the walk back pretty thru the mangroves.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
S
Steve S.
Loudon, TN | Reviewed on Feb 22, 2024
The knowledge of our guide and his ability to spot animals, vegetation and insight into the park made this a memorableexperience. Read more

The knowledge of our guide and his ability to spot animals, vegetation and insight into the park made this a memorableexperience.

Tips for future travelers

Bring your own water bottle. This park does NOT allow single use water bottles.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
L
Laura D.
Loudon, TN | Reviewed on Feb 16, 2024
First off our guide was great (wish we wrote his name down). This was a nice hike as all the trails were flat and easy to walk. It is a wonder how the guide was able to find location of critters in the trees. Read more

First off our guide was great (wish we wrote his name down). This was a nice hike as all the trails were flat and easy to walk. It is a wonder how the guide was able to find location of critters in the trees.

Tips for future travelers

Highly recommend going. It did get hot but the guide tried to stay in the shade as much as he could. We did not do the swimming as the eight of us on the tour wanted to see as much as we could in the time allowed.

Quality of Experience
Transport
K
Kiko S.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Feb 14, 2024
Our guide, Luis, was so knowledgeable and set the bar pretty high for the rest of our trip. He balanced giving information, addressing questions, taking photos in a great pace. The tour walk is short in distance but I felt very satisfied in what we learned and saw. We spent some extra time in the park afterwards exploring the beaches and other trails, we definitely did not see much without Luis' trained eye :) Read more

Our guide, Luis, was so knowledgeable and set the bar pretty high for the rest of our trip. He balanced giving information, addressing questions, taking photos in a great pace. The tour walk is short in distance but I felt very satisfied in what we learned and saw. We spent some extra time in the park afterwards exploring the beaches and other trails, we definitely did not see much without Luis' trained eye :)

Tips for future travelers

The tour walk itself is short in distance but you won't see anything without a guide. There are a lot of "guides" who hang out in front of the park but we had people come up to our group asking our guide if he was available after our tour to show them around cause they did not learn/see much with their "guide". If you're not in a rush, definitely would recommend staying in the park after the tour, make it a beach day, get lost on the trails, it's a beautiful park.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Luis!
Transport
Marlynn
Marlynn M.
Florence-Graham, CA | Reviewed on Feb 05, 2024
This was a major highlight of our time in Costa Rica. The National Park is over the top, especially given that we had a guide who was informed, informative and responsive to questions. We learned much about all manner of wildlife. In addition, our guide was a historian of Latin America providing us wonderful detail about the creation and evolution of the National Park. Included in that, of course, was information about colonialism, the United Fruit Company and the history of America... Read more

This was a major highlight of our time in Costa Rica. The National Park is over the top, especially given that we had a guide who was informed, informative and responsive to questions. We learned much about all manner of wildlife. In addition, our guide was a historian of Latin America providing us wonderful detail about the creation and evolution of the National Park. Included in that, of course, was information about colonialism, the United Fruit Company and the history of America Central as opposed to Central America (the latter being the history with which many of us are familiar).

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
J
Joe K.
Shaw, DC | Reviewed on Feb 03, 2024
Absolutely must have a guide as Manuel Antonio is a zoo (literally and figuratively). Lots of people, spend the extra time at the beach as it is not as crowded as the public beaches. Read more

Absolutely must have a guide as Manuel Antonio is a zoo (literally and figuratively). Lots of people, spend the extra time at the beach as it is not as crowded as the public beaches.

Tips for future travelers

Spend extra time at the beach and find your own way back to the town. The public beaches are way more crowded and not nearly as nice, plan ahead and stay at that beach.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
christy
christy l.
Saint George, UT | Reviewed on Jan 26, 2024
Very tame walk. We were in a group of 10. Not a lot of exercise. The guide was very good - Raphael. He knew a lot and was good at explaining. We didn't see that many animals due to the time of day and the crowds. Tons of tourists. Read more

Very tame walk. We were in a group of 10. Not a lot of exercise. The guide was very good - Raphael. He knew a lot and was good at explaining. We didn't see that many animals due to the time of day and the crowds. Tons of tourists.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport

Itineraries with Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Nature Hike

Costa Rica Highlights: Self-Drive Adventure - 11 Days

This self-guided road trip is ideal for those who love adventure. Visit Costa Rica's highlights, from the famous Arenal Volcano to the misty cloud forests of Monteverde and powdery beaches of Manuel Antonio National Park. Along the way, you'll fly over the treetops on a zip line tour, swim in waterfall lagoons, and spot wildlife on nature walks and snorkeling excursions.

Costa Rica Hiking Adventure - 10 Days

Checking off three key regions in Costa Rica, this 10-day itinerary is perfect for adventurous travelers. The trip starts with a visit to Costa Rica's famous Arenal Volcano for hiking and natural hot springs before continuing to the Pacific Ocean for some beach time at Manuel Antonio National Park. Finish off in one of the country's most remote areas—Osa Peninsula—for undeveloped rainforests, rare wildlife, and near-empty coastline.

Arenal, Monteverde, and Manuel Antonio Self-Drive - 11 Days

This itinerary combines mountain excursions with a bit of a beach holiday and some aquatic adventure. You'll arrive in Liberia, the hub of Costa Rica's Guanacaste Province. From there, drive to Arenal Volcano National Park, where you'll hike to a waterfall, relax in natural hot springs, and raft world-class whitewater. Then it's west to the Monteverde to see the cloud forest canopy via suspension bridges and a zip-line tour. A drive south will take you to Manuel Antonio, a unique destination with a combination of the beach, jungle and national park. After a couple days enjoying the beach and wildlife in Manuel Antonio, you'll return to San Jose for your journey home.

Costa Rica Cultural Tour - 8 Days

On this 8-day adventure, experience every facet of Costa Rica's culture, from food to national museums, native people, and even wildlife. Starting and ending in San José, the itinerary includes a visit to a coffee plantation, immersing with one of the country's last indigenous tribes, and opportunities to explore by land and sea.

Discover Costa Rica: Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, and Tamarindo - 12 Days

Costa Rica prioritizes the protection of its abundant (and delicate) biodiversity, and national parks and reserves make up nearly a quarter of the country's land. This makes it a fabulous spot for travelers keen on experiencing outdoor activities and spotting wildlife. This immersive 12-day trip includes a guided nature hike in coastal Manuel Antonio National Park, birdwatching and zip-lining in the Monteverde Could Forest Reserve, and aquatic fun in the estuaries of Tamarindo.