Manuel Antonio is one of the most comprehensive destinations in Costa Rica. With breathtaking beauty, visible wildlife, a great array of accommodations of all kinds, and fantastic experiences to enjoy, this area is one of the most popular on all itineraries.
Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica has fantastic biodiversity, joined with an abundance of experiences, making it a destination that provides an activity for all.
You can easily spend your entire vacation in the Manuel Antonio and Quepos areas and use them as your home base. It has breathtaking views, a warm ocean, soft sands, and wildlife swarming the forest wherever you look.
How do I get to Manuel Antonio National Park from San Jose?
To get to Manuel Antonio National Park from San Jose, you have to take Road 27 to the coast and then to the south.
3 hours, 2 minutes (158.8 km) from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
How do I get to Manuel Antonio National Park from the Guanacaste International Airport?
To get to Manuel Antonio National Park from Liberia, you have to get on the Panamerican Highway to the Coastal Road (Costanera) and then travel parallel to the coast until you arrive at Manuel Antonio.
4 hours, 24 minutes (269.6 km) from the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR)
Manuel Antonio National Park is located in the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica.
As you can see in the map below, routes from both international airports are possible, although it is easier to use San Jose SJO International Airport.
The road is paved all the way to the entrance of the National Park.
Ways to get to Manuel Antonio:
Driving to Manuel Antonio:
If you are renting a car and coming from the Central Valley, it is important to know that there are three toll booths.
They may take U.S. dollars in small bills ($1, $5), and they will give you change in colones.
We recommend exchanging about $10 for the toll booths at the international airport.
Flying to Manuel Antonio
There are usually several flights a day coming to Manuel Antonio from each airport.
Depending on your international flight arrival time, you may want to go straight to the terminal and take the flight or spend a night in the area of the airport to fly the next day.
Remember that Amazing Costa Rica will have transportation ready to take you to your accommodations near the National Park.
It is essential to acknowledge that Quepos Airport is about 15 minutes away from the town and arrange transportation beforehand if you are traveling independently.
Itinerary tip:
Numerous people fly from San Jose to Quepos and rent a car as they arrive at the local airport to enjoy the region of Quepos and Manuel Antonio.
Later, they turn the car in to Manuel Antonio and fly back to San Jose to avoid driving on the highways and cities of Costa Rica.
Shared and private shuttles
You can get a shared or private shuttle to Manuel Antonio.
There are affordable shared shuttles with fixed schedules. Usually, they have one early in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
These shuttles usually operate with 10–15 people and have one scheduled stop along the route.
If you are not driving or flying, we recommend having private transportation in a luxurious private car.
Private Van and Guide
Amazing Costa Rica can arrange a fantastic tour guide that will drive you in a comfortable car from the International Airport to the region of Manuel Antonio.
This is the best option for families, or if you want to stop wherever along the way.
Accommodations in Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio is characterized by gorgeous hotels that do not belong to any of the known brands but that are truly breathtaking. You will find impressive views and highly luxurious options with personal plunge pools, balconies to watch the nearby wildlife, and fantastic ocean views.
We will fully talk about them in future articles.
Activities in Manuel Antonio:
The most iconic place to visit, of course, is Manuel Antonio National Park, with great trails, facilities for visitors, and breathtaking beaches with an abundance of wildlife right next to the ocean. It is the most popular, but certainly not the only one.
In the area, you can find many other trails to hike in projects like Rainmaker, watch dolphins and even whales in a catamaran at sunset, or visit majestic waterfalls nearby. Be mindful of these and ask Amazing Costa Rica about all the options you have in this hyper diverse destination!
To wrap it up:
Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s top destinations, offering stunning natural beauty, abundant wildlife, and a wide range of accommodations and activities to suit any traveler. To fully experience all that this region has to offer, contact Amazing Costa Rica to help craft the perfect Manuel Antonio itinerary and make all transportation and lodging arrangements seamless.
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