The best of the beach and the jungle – Manuel Antonio is my favourite place in Costa Rica as it offers so much. The wildlife you can see is what makes Manuel Antonio quintessentially Costa Rica. I spent quite a bit of time here and I could have stayed longer. I would recommend a week so you can enjoy fun on the weekend and explore as well as relax during the week. Manuel is a must see when in CR.
Where to stay: Selina Manuel Antonio
This was the best Selina I have stayed in and was even one of the best hostels that I have been to. It reminds me of a South American Drug Lord’s mansion as it is located in the jungle and is painted white. The rooms were clean and the staff were lovely. The pool area was great and the food at the hostel was pretty good too. It doesn’t offer free breakfast though.
Things to do:
Manuel Antonio National Park: The reason you visit this wonderful place. I just loved seeing all the local flora and fauna and especially the sloths. Make sure you pay for a guide as without them you wont see anything! They are so skilled at their jobs. You can swim on either of the beaches at the park but I preferred to go to the main beach outside the park so I didn’t have to walk out of the park all sandy and wet… you’ll see what I mean when you go there!
Eat: El Avion is across the road from Selina and has an old plane out the front. The view is really what you fo there fore though. La Lambretta is a cool little pizza place, nothing too special but again has a great view of the ocean and jungle. Emilio’s Cafe we came here for breakfast and it was really nice, it is located next door to La Lambretta. Agua Azul this is a relly popular place that you would not expect to be good. It gets really busy so make sure you get there early for dinner!
La Luna @ Gaia Hotel: The hotel is one of the fancy ones and the restaurant located at the top of the hill is amazing. It is pricey but we went here on our last night. It would be a really romantic place to go but we also enjoyed going as friends. Cocktails are great and food is amazing.
Beach: The sand isn’t as nice as the Caribbean side but don’t let that stop you. Manuel Antonio is HOT and you will need the beach to cool off after going to the national park.
Rafting: We went with Tico Loco – They were great and looked out for our safety. The rafting experience itself was fantastic and was actual white water rafting unlike others I have tried in other places. 100% recommend this when in Manuel Antonio.
Travel Guide 