Manuel Antonio National Park: Pros and Cons

Manuel Antonio National Park - The Busiest Beach in Costa Rica 🙈🏝️🦥 I love the spider monkeys and the beautiful beach. However… it was also the most frustrating day of our family Costa Rica trip. 🤷‍♀️ {👉Save list list of rules and tips. And to remember to ask me your Qs!} A list of DON’Ts: 🍎Don’t try to bring snacks. No food is allowed inside the park other than fresh fruit. 🥤Don’t bring a disposable water bottles. Refillable only. 🏖️Don’t bring beach toys, umbrellas, boogie boards, or chairs. 😤Don’t turn before you get to the park. Official looking people will try to get you to turn into the public beach and say they need to check your ticket… It’s all a lie to try to sell you a tour guide. (Made me so 😡😡😡) 🛍️Don’t be discouraged; the path to the entrance is shady, but it’s a good place to buy souvenirs. ⚠️ The waterfall hike has missing stairs and handrails. Also, the waterfall itself, compared to all the others in Costa Rica, is tiny. Don’t waste your time. 🏝️Best beach: Stay on the trail past the crowded beach and past the monkeys to find solitude at South Espadilla Beach. ‼️And most importantly… 🎟️Getting a ticket online is a major pain. A user name. Passport numbers. Online RSVP only days in advance. Limited slots. ❗️Even though it looks like plenty of tickets are available for your day, don’t wait. I missed our first choice even though there had been hundreds of tickets just the day before. ❓So why go to Manuel Antonio? Spider monkeys, sloths, and iguanas - lots of them. If you’re just going for the beach, skip it. 👉Hope this helps! Sorry to be the pessimist. 😂 . . . .