The Manuel Antonio National Park is one of Costa Rica’s best-known coastal attractions. As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, a visit to Manuel Antonio entails an enjoyable 2.5 hour drive from San Jose on well-paved roads:; upon arrival you will find gorgeous beaches, plenty of nature, security, and:

 

A ton of wildlife, including monkeys, raccoons, sloths, crabs, iguanas, and even white-tailed deer. Spotting them can be tricky at times, especially the sloths, so you may want to spring for a certified guide (at last check about $20 per person + admission). You will also want to wear more than just flip-flops—in fact that goes for visiting all of Costa Rica, wear real shoes people, please. If you only plan on going to the main beaches then you can make it in flip-flops, if you want (and you should) to see Cathedral Point, the waterfall that over-looks and some of the other beaches, you will need better shoes.

 

This excellent video by Elizabeth Donatelli will show give you a first-person perspective on Manuel Antonio. If you plan to make this trip part of your first visit to Costa Rica, be sure to check her previous video guide on grabbing your passport and taking the plunge.

Elizabeth has been writing, presenting, and producing video for more than a decade. She is an eight-time Emmy nominee for her stories. She has spent her professional career as a broadcast journalist working in Charlottesville, VA, Louisville, KY, and Las Vegas, NV. She has driven across the United States five times, backpack around Europe, and spent several weeks in Central America.

 

Throughout her career Elizabeth has had stories featured on national news including MSNBC, CNN HLN, and the Weather Channel. She has had travel pieces published online with Travel Squire and For Rent Costa Rica.