Last Updated: November 15, 2024
If you’re visiting Manuel Antonio during your Costa Rica vacation, get ready for fun! Manuel Antonio is best known for its amazing wildlife, especially monkeys and sloths. Other highlights are the verdant coastline and abundant rainforest. When we first moved to Costa Rica more than 10 years ago, this is where we landed. We absolutely love this area and still live close by. In this post, we’ll share some of our favorite things to do in Manuel Antonio so you can enjoy them too.
Note: Most of the activities below require prior reservations. We are glad to help with this. We have been booking tours in Manuel Antonio for several years now and know all the best operators. Booking through us supports our site and doesn’t cost anything extra.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio and the adjacent Manuel Antonio National Park are covered in thick jungle. This is the perfect habitat for wildlife like monkeys (three kinds), sloths, anteaters, frogs, toucans, parrots, and more.
You’ll see birds and animals all around town, but to see the most, we recommend visiting Manuel Antonio National Park. A short stroll down the fairly easy trails will let you see, at the very least, monkeys, birds, insects, and lots of cool plants. On our last visit, we were looking at monkeys overhead and a small deer snuck up behind us. It was within a few feet!
While you can see a lot on your own, a guide will help you see the most. They know where to find harder to see wildlife (like sloths) and have powerful scopes to zoom in on animals that are far from the trail. On our last tour, the guide used his scope to show us a camouflaged frog and even some exotic wasps that were making an intricate hive. Their knowledge of how the ecosystem works is inspiring.
For more information about visiting the park, read our post, Manuel Antonio National Park: Hiking, Wildlife, and Beautiful Beaches.
Self-guided Tour
$18 adults | $6 children ages 2-11
Important: Entrance tickets now need to be purchased online in advance. Read our post (link above) for more info.
Book a Guided Tour of Manuel Antonio National Park:
Night Tour
If you think the jungle is active during the day, you’ll be amazed at what comes out at night.
The Manuel Antonio area one of the best places to do a night walk because of the wildlife density (lots of critters packed into a smaller space). These tours start around sunset (5:30 p.m.) when the jungle creatures that were sleeping during the day, suddenly wake up.
This night tour takes you to Rainmaker Park, a lesser known reserve about a half-hour from Manuel Antonio. In the pristine rainforest at Rainmaker, it’s fairly common to see frogs, snakes, spiders like tarantulas, and sometimes elusive animals like kinkajous or anteaters. You could even see some sleeping birds or lizards.
Book a Night Tour:
Mangrove Tour to See Wildlife (Boat or Kayak)
Wetlands are an important habitat for the wildlife around Manuel Antonio. A boat or kayak tour through the nearby Damas Mangroves will give you a different perspective than you’d get on land.
These mangroves, just north of Quepos, are home to white-faced monkeys, iguanas, snakes, and many kinds of wetland birds like kingfishers, herons, and Mangrove Hawks. There is even a special racoon that lives here called the crab-eating racoon.
For this tour, you can choose to take a small covered boat or kayak (easy paddle) in a single or double kayak.
Note: There are several tour operators that feed the monkeys to attract them to the boats. Feeding monkeys changes their natural behavior and the bacteria from humans can make them very sick. The operator we use is a biologist who understands the importance of protecting wildlife. You will still be able to see the monkeys close up anyway, so don’t worry.
Book an Isla Damas Boat or Kayak Tour:
Zip Lining
There are at least a half-dozen zipline companies in the Manuel Antonio area. Our favorite takes you deep into the rainforest-covered mountains and gives a glimpse of country life. From there, you will gear up, have a safety talk, and do a short hike through the jungle to the starting point. You’ll get to do 11 exciting zipline cables, all while enjoying amazing canopy views.
This was one of the first tours we ever did in Manuel Antonio and we loved it. The guides were really fun and safe, and the experience is much more personalized than through some other companies.
Book a Zipline Tour:
Adventure Combo Tour
If you can fit only one adventure tour during your visit, this is a great option. This tour combines zip lining, waterfall rappelling/canyoning, a Tarzan swing, and freefall into a river so you get to try a little bit of everything. Best of all, it takes place in a section of remote rainforest that’s so wild, you’ll feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.
Book an Adventure Combo:
Whitewater Rafting
For rafting, the nearby Savegre River offers an exciting whitewater experience on Class II-III rapids (good for beginners but still fun and bumpy). The scenery is also stunning as you float through sections of dense rainforest and visit a sparkling waterfall for a snack break. These tours are about a half day and include a traditional meal.
Class II-III Whitewater Rafting: $120 per person plus 13% tax
Tour Times: 8:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m.
Duration: About 6 hours, door to door from your hotel
Includes: Bilingual guides, all the professional gear required (U.S. Coast Guard approved), breakfast, fruits, snacks, and full lunch. Round-trip transportation from your hotel or vacation rental in Manuel Antonio/Quepos.
Minimum Age: 6
To book this tour, contact us by email at bookings(at)twoweeksincostarica(dot)com with your preferred date/time, number of people in your party, and pickup location.
Catamaran Cruise or Sailing with Snorkeling
Manuel Antonio is beautiful from land, but the view of the lush green coastline from the water is spectacular. Several different boat cruises leave from the marina in Quepos. Each offers a slightly different experience.
A grand 100-foot catamaran has a party feel with music, plenty of booze, and zippy waterslides. A smaller 50-foot trimaran gives a more personal, low-key experience but still has some cocktails, great food, and music onboard. A wooden pirate-ship-like sailboat offers an intimate, high-end experience.
All three boats motor down the coast and explore the area around Manuel Antonio National Park. On the way back north, they’ll search for sea life like dolphins, turtles, and even whales (seasonal). They then anchor in a calm cove for snorkeling. While Costa Rica isn’t a famous snorkel destination, it’s still fun to swim off the boat and see some colorful fish.
Book a Catamaran Cruise on the Ocean King (100′ boat with waterslides, includes a meal and 4 drinks per person):
Book a Catamaran Cruise with Sunset Sails (smaller boat with a slide, unlimited drinks and meal, and a family-friendly atmosphere):
Book a Sailing Tour on Brisa Elegante’s Pirate Ship (includes 1 alcoholic drink and meal):
Spice Farm Tour
A unique activity in the Manuel Antonio area is the Villa Vanilla spice farm tour. Villa Vanilla grows an array of spices like cinnamon, pepper, and vanilla. But this isn’t a traditional farm. The spices are grown alongside other tropical plants and trees on their lush rainforest property.
The tour starts with a walk through the jungle to see what’s growing and ends with a tasting of various spices in delicious homemade drinks and desserts. The tasting is in a beautiful open-air building so you get to enjoy nice jungle views.
For more information about the experience, read our post.
Book a Villa Vanilla spice farm tour:
Hiking and Hanging Bridges at Rainmaker Conservation Park
For an off-the-beaten-path hike, we love Rainmaker Conservation Park. This is a huge private reserve in the countryside about a half-hour from Manuel Antonio. The main draw is the lack of crowds and grand rainforest. The property is primary rainforest, meaning it is original and has never been cut down. As you hike along the trail, it literally feels like you’re in the middle of the jungle.
Although the property is rustic, the trail is well maintained. It takes you along a scenic river, over some rickety hanging bridges, and to a few waterfalls that are fun for swimming.
The hike is easy to moderate in difficulty and good for most people. For more information, read our full Rainmaker post.
You can go on your own (admission is $20 pp) or with a guide if you’d like to see more wildlife. Guided tours include transportation from Manuel Antonio.
Book a Guided Tour of Rainmaker Conservation Park:
Kids Saving the Rainforest Wildlife Center
If you haven’t seen enough wildlife around town or want a closer look, head to Kids Saving the Rainforest. This non-profit rescue and rehabilitation center does a lot to protect local wildlife. You’ll see their monkey ropes draped over roadways as you pass through town. These bridges are essential to keeping many animals from getting hurt by passing cars.
Kids Saving the Rainforest is also the go-to rescue and rehabilitation center in the area for animals that are injured, confiscated, or in need of a permanent home.
The organization offers tours to teach the public about wildlife, let them see animals up close, and help in the conservation effort. They usually have monkeys, sloths, wild cats, parrots, and much more. This is a great one if you’re traveling with kids or are an animal lover.
For those looking for a more in-depth experience, Kids Saving the Rainforest also offers a full-day volunteering tour.
Book a Tour at Kids Saving the Rainforest:
Conclusion
We hope this list of things to do in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica has helped you plan your visit and got you excited for your trip!
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Last Updated: November 15, 2024
Have a question about things to do in Manuel Antonio? Ask us below.
Looking for more information to plan your trip to Costa Rica? Check out these posts:
Off-the-Beaten Path Things to Do Near Manuel Antonio: These activities take you to a bee farm, rural tourism organization, and other lesser known places.
Manuel Antonio Hotel Guide: The choices for accommodations in Manuel Antonio is almost overwhelming. Check out this curated list.
Manuel Antonio Restaurant Guide: Get tips on our favorite places to eat.
