Mañuel Antonio National Park
Costa Rica was one of our family’s favorite early adventures. We stayed at the Arenas del Mar just outside of Mañuel Antonio National Park. The hotel could have been a one stop shop. Their concierge was incredibly helpful in suggesting and planning outings and activities for us as well as making all arrangements and reservations for guides, activities and dining.
Arenas del Mar
You could easily add this part of our Costa Rica trip to any itinerary or use it as a stand-alone destination. We can’t recommend the Cayuga Collection of Eco Hotels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua enough. We had a wonderful time at three of there hotels during our stay, The Harmony Hotel, Arenas del Mar and Grano de Oro.
One of the activities arranged by the staff at Arenas del Mar was a half day trip to Mañuel Antonio National Park. Our family met our guide for the day at the hotel where they provided transportation to and from the park. Our guide Bernie, was wonderful. He immediately engaged with the kids and delighted us all with his stories and educated us with his vast knowledge of all things on the subject of the rainforest.
Mañuel Antonio National Park
As we walked the trails with Bernie, he amazed us with his keen eye to spot even the tiniest most camouflaged of rainforest creatures. A bonus was when he brought out his telescope and showed us how to take photos with our phone using the telescope lens. These made for some really up close beautiful shots of lizards, skinny snakes the size of a vine, frogs and spiders too.
*As a side note, we all enjoyed Bernie so much we joined 2 of his walks that were included in our stay and optional of course. One, late in the evening after dinner to see the rainforest come alive with all its nighttime critters including a massive Boa! Holy cow that was insane! The other was an early morning nature hike to see the Macaws which as it appears are somewhat a rare sighting.
After we had walked for a while, we found ourselves at the beach that borders the park. It was a beautiful cove of warm turquoise water that we swam and played in before heading back. Caution here – the mapaches (raccoons) are very comfortable digging into your bags for any kind of food they can find. They are definitely NOT nocturnal at this beach and very accustomed to the visitors. The mapaches are nicknamed ladrones meaning “thieves,” which they definitely will be if you aren’t careful.
The best part about staying at Arenas del Mar was its proximity to Mañuel Antonio and the option to hire a guide to educate us along the way. It was so much better than vying for a guide at the gates with all the other tourists and random guides. We knew the hotel had set us up with a professional for our family as soon as we met him.
Getting There
Mañuel Antonio is about a 3 hour drive from the San Jose Airport. There are many types of transportation you can arrange. We opted for a private driver. We find that with a family of five it’s just as expensive to pay for 5 shuttle tickets as it is for a private car service. If you arrive late or depart early for flights, we always recommend a stay at Hotel Grano de Oro. It’s a beautifully restored home from the early 1900s. Their restaurant, set in an inner courtyard, is delicious.
Good to Know
- book with a reputable guide
- start with our hotel concierge, they often have the best scoop
- bring water and something to eat with you
- wear walking shoes and clothes
- bring swimsuits, there are bathrooms to change
- hide your things from the mapaches!
You can get more ideas for your trip by reading more about our adventures in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Enjoy!
