The smallest and most popular national park of Costa Rica. One advise, go as early as possible or you’ll be tripping over the tourists masses that come here every day. It gets quite busy during the day because many tourists people come here on a day trip from San José, which is within easy reach.
When arriving at the park many guides will ask you if they can take you on a tour. We at first didn’t want to. But believe me, it gives the walk in the park so much extra value. They have a trained eye for spotting wild life, something we as tourists completely lack. We saw many monkeys, sloths (2 and 3 toed ones), bats, and crabs. Many of the animals we spotted trough the telescope the guides carry with them. The children absolutely loved it!
At the end of the walk there is a beach where you can take a nice cooling dip and buy some water. There is nothing else for sale in the park. The park is worth visiting but a few hours in the park is more than enough and I would therefor not recommend to stay in this area for more than 2 nights.
We came here from Santa Teresa via Punta Arenas by ferryboat, a good choice that saves you a lot of extra driving time.
Here are some awesome things to do in or near Manuel Antonio National Park with kids. If you follow this list you will for sure see all the major highlights of this wonderful spot. Use it as a check-list. It works really well.
- Visit Manuel Antonio National Park with a guide;
- Go to the beautiful beaches around Manuel Antonio, but beware of the strong rip-current!
- Take a nice massage on the beach, also for kids.
THE PRESERVE AT LOS ALTOS RESORT
KILOMETER 4 ON MAIN ROAD TO MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK
MANUEL ANTONIO, COSTA RICA
+(506) 2777 8888
WWW.THEPRESERVEATLOSALTOS.COM
PRICE RANGE
$$$
LOCATION
Located near the Manuel Antonio National Park on the beach.
ACCOMMODATION
Spacious apartment-like rooms.
DINING
The hotel has only one restaurant, Karolas. We only had breakfast here as we decided to dine in the apartment.
Services and amenities for kids
For an overview of the services and amenities for kids at this hotel click here. Amenities provided by the hotel in green.
EXTRA INFO
We stayed in a treetop ocean and jungle view suite. The suites are actually all the same, they sleep 2/4/6 persons, the only difference is the view. I think this is your best choice when staying around Manuel Antonio National Park, especially when travelling with children. The apartments are spacious and the resort offers everything you need.
Copos Don Manuel Antonio
Experience: We had lunch here. A little restaurant right on the beach. Great for some simple food after visiting the Manuel Antonio National Park. Next to the restaurant there are sunbeds for rent. It’s a great place to have a swim, but I cannot say it often enough be careful with the rip current!!
Manuel Antonio is located on the Pacific (west) coast of Costa Rica which has a distinct dry season from around December – May. As the country is located just above the equator, the temperature is always nice and warm, between 25-30 degrees Celcius.
Beautiful beaches near the national park – Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica