Manuel Antonio National Park is a popular destination for first-timers traveling to Costa Rica, not only because of its vast diversity of tropical plants and wildlife but also its well-paved hiking trails that are both children and elderly-friendly. Matching with the surge in tourism, guided tours abound, room rates climb, and scams arise. Here are some tips to make your travel smoother and more fun without breaking the bank.

Should I stay in Manuel Antonio or Quepos?

There is a selection of boutique hotels dotting along the driveway to the Manuel Antonio National Park and perching on the hillside in the rainforest. Staying in those accommodations grants you convenient access to the park and the beautiful strip of white-sand Espadilla Beach. It’s also an immersive way to connect with nature as hummingbirds and iguanas may pay a visit to your balcony. However, room rates in this area are more expensive compared to Quepos, a nearby town around 15-minute drive away. When I was planning the spontaneous trip a week before departure, there weren’t many hotel options left in Manuel Antonio, or they were over my budget. I then searched about Quepos and found a decent apartment on the outskirts of Quepos at USD62 per night. Staying and touring around this small town gave me a different perspective on Costa Rica. Instead of hotels and souvenir shops, the streets are flanked by local houses, with young curious eyes peeking out of the windows. At sunset, nothing is better than strolling along the Malecon, where locals wind down their days while listening to dozens of birds playing out an inharmonious orchestra among the trees.

How to go to Manuel Antonio National Park from Quepos?

If you are not driving and don’t want to splurge on a taxi, it’s necessary to know which bus takes you to the national park. Check the schedule at the terminal in advance and look out for a bus that’s painted in white, blue, and red. Each way costs 410 colons, and you can pay directly to the driver. The bus stops several times to pick up passengers, and the journey takes around 25 minutes. After you get off, the entrance of the park is a five-minute walk away.

How to get the ticket to the park?

The park is open year-round from 7 am to 4 pm, except Tuesday. The admission fee is USD18.08 for adults and USD5.65 for children from 2 to 11 years old. You have to reserve your ticket online in advance. If possible, select the earliest time slot as the park will soon be packed with tours. Even though you have tickets in hand, a long queue at the entrance is unavoidable. Make sure you arrive earlier than your reserved time as they may not let you in afterwards.

What not to bring into the park?

Plastic! Staff in the park will check your bag at the entrance and ask you to dispose of all the plastic bags and bottles. Therefore, you should bring water with a reusable bottle instead of buying the ones in convenience stores. Grabbing this business opportunity, stores nearby sell reusable water bottles and offer to help you keep your things that can’t be brought into the park.

What are the scams?

The national park has no official parking space, but according to the official website, a private parking area is available close to the entrance at around CRC5000 for the day. However, an American couple I met on the beach told me that there were people pretending to be the park staff a few kilometers away from the entrance and asking for USD120 for the parking fee. Beware and do not fall into the trap!

Where to go for lunch?

The friendly couple I met on the beach invited me to lunch at El Avion, a five-minute drive from the national park. The coolest thing about this restaurant and bar is that it’s converted from a C-123 Fairchild cargo plane abandoned in the 1980s. The dining area is set up around the aircraft while the bar is built within the fuselage, where you can savor a cocktail before climbing up to the cockpit pretending to be a pilot during the Cold War. The restaurant is also a perfect spot from which to soak in the panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.