This post shares information about hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park, providing an overview of each of the 11 trails, with the distance, terrain and wildlife you can expect to see.
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About Manuel Antonio National Park
Located on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, Manuel Antonio National Park is the country’s smallest, but most popular national park.
At just 16 km² (6 mi²), this small area packs a punch, with 11 different hiking trails. Each passes through unique ecosystems with an abundance of wildlife to see. Throw in some of the country’s most beautiful beaches, and Manuel Antonio National Park is a must-visit in Costa Rica.
I’ve got a complete visitor’s guide to Manuel Antonio National Park to help plan your visit, covering all the complexities of buying your ticket, choosing your time slot, going solo or with a guide plus a ton of other helpful information. I’ve also got posts going into more detail about the animals in the park, and the Manuel Antonio beaches, both in and out of the park.
But in this post, I want to focus on hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park. From trails leading to scenic ocean views, sandy paths to postcard-perfect beaches, and elevated boardwalks through dense jungle, I’ll share a guide to all 11 trails.
Hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park
Although some people do treat the park primarily as a beach day (the beaches are great), if you want to see wildlife and experience the multiple ecosystems of the park, you’ll be hiking the trails!
Hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park is easy and non-technical, with most trails being wooden boardwalks, concrete pathways or well-made gravel. It’s hardly ‘wild’, but the park has been designed with accessibility in mind, which is fantastic for everyone.
It’s not mandatory to have a guide when hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park. It’s worth considering though, as a guide can help you spot so much more wildlife than you would on your own.
👉🏼 We recommend this Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour
Considering you’re reading this post, I’m guessing you’re a keen hiker looking to tick off as many trails as possible. But on the other end of the spectrum, you can choose just a handful of trails to hike and still be rewarded with views, beaches and wildlife.
Manuel Antonio National Park trails
There are 11 different trails of varying lengths for hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park.
There are a couple of must-see trails that provide access to the park and beaches. Others are just bypasses between main trails, and others go by a few different names, so it can be a little complicated.
Below is a run-through of each of the 11 trails, including their (approximate) distance, terrain, difficulty and the wildlife you can commonly see on that trail.
👉🏼 Learn more about the animals in Manuel Antonio National Park and get tips on how to best find them
Save a photo of this map to refer back to as you read this post, it will help to interpret the shortcuts and connections I mention.
There are maps all over the park and on the trails, so you won’t get lost.
1. Entrada Principal / Access Road
- 💡 Best for – lots of wildlife and guided tours
- 🥾 Distance – 1.1 km / 0.7 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – flat gravel road
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – monkeys, agoutis, lizards, birds
Also known as the Main Trail, it’s less of a trail and more like a road.
If any vehicles need to access the park (ranger vehicles, emergency vehicles, access for disabled visitors etc.) they will use this road. But it also acts as a trail for visitors hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park, and you shouldn’t be deterred – this is a great place to spot a ton of wildlife!
Starting from the entrance gate, this is one of two trails you can choose from to access the heart of the park. It ends at a junction where the café and bathrooms are, and a number of trails branch out from here including those to the beach.
This wide, flat gravel road doesn’t feel very scenic, but there are a lot of animals around. Being so wide, it also doesn’t feel as crowded as some of the narrower boardwalk trails.
Guides often bring their groups down this road, because it’s more spacious and there is plenty of wildlife to see. Keep an eye on the groups for clues to any animals hiding in the trees!
We entered via this road, and recommend you do the same.
2. Sendero El Manglar / Mangrove Trail
- 💡 Best for – wildlife and rainforest
- 🥾 Distance – 1 km / 0.6 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – elevated boardwalk
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – deer, agoutis, lizards, birds (toucans, macaws)
The Manglar Trail (sometimes referred to as ‘Sendero Bahia 8’) is the alternative trail you can take from the entrance. It is an elevated boardwalk, that allows wildlife to pass under the trail undisturbed, and the jungle is very dense and pretty.
This trail features a lot of educational information, with different signs and displays about the flora and fauna of the park, as indicated by the numbers along the trail on the map.
The trail leads two ways. If you follow the Manglar Trail the entire way (to the right at the fork) it will lead through, as the name suggests, mangroves, before ending at the far end of Playa Espadilla Sur.
Alternatively, the Manglar Trail connects to the Perezoso (Sloth) Trail, if you stay straight at the fork. These two trails together run parallel to the Access Road.
3. Sendero Perezoso / Sloth Trail
- 💡 Best for – sloths and dense jungle
- 🥾 Distance – 600 m / 0.4 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – part wooden boardwalk, part flat gravel jungle trail
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – sloths, monkeys, deer, agoutis
The first section of this trail that connects from the Manglar Trail is a wooden boardwalk, but about halfway through it returns to a ground-level gravel trail.
As the name suggests, this is a great trail to see sloths, and we did manage to see one here!
Although not without the help of a fellow traveller who told us there was a sloth here, and the guided group very obviously standing and pointing at it!
The scenery is gorgeous along the trail, but it is very dense. It’s almost impossible to spot a sloth here on your own, without the expert eyes of a guide and their spotting scope.
But of course, take cues from other groups and travellers, no one keeps secrets and even if you’re not on a guided tour, the guides are happy to point out wildlife if they see it.
The sloth trail ends at the junction, the same as the Access Road. There is the cafeteria, bathrooms and a whole other set of trails branching out from here.
4. Sendero Catarata / Waterfall Trail (seasonal)
- 💡 Best for – waterfall and frogs
- 🥾 Distance – 700 m / 0.4 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – jungle trail, with lots of stairs
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy – moderate
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – poison dart frogs, snakes, lizards
Starting right near the entrance, this short trail leads to a small waterfall. It’s nothing special, and only visible in the wet season, so I wouldn’t really recommend it if you’re at the park in the dry season.
However, this trail is a good place to see green poison dart frogs. They are usually more active after rain, so again, it’s best done in the wet season when the waterfall is flowing and the frogs are out and about!
It’s best to do this trail right at the very beginning or end of your day hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park. It’s an out-and-back trail that doesn’t connect with anything else, and it’s right by the entrance gate.
5. Sendero Mirador / Lookout Trail
- 💡 Best for – stunning views
- 🥾 Distance – 1 km / 0.6 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – concrete path, with lots of stairs
- 🔋 Difficulty – moderate
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – crabs, agoutis, iguanas, ants, monkeys
The Mirador Trail starts next to the cafeteria and heads up to two gorgeous lookout points. It’s steep in parts, with a lot of stairs, but it’s not too long. This is the hardest trail you will encounter when hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park.
The first viewpoint looks out towards Punta Catedral and the offshore islands. The second viewpoint (which I think was nicer!), looks out towards the rugged coastline at the boundary of the park to the east.
We saw a lovely little iguana sunning herself at the top lookout, a crazy number of land crabs scuttling all over the place, leaf cutter ants and their crazy marching production lines, and some agoutis at the start of the trail.
6. Sendero Los Congos / Howler Monkey Trail
- 💡 Best for – shortcutting and howler monkeys
- 🥾 Distance – 300 m / 0.2 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – concrete path
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – howler monkeys
This very short trail acts as a shortcut connector between the Mirador Trail and the Puerto Escondido Trail.
Rather than going all the way back to the start of the Mirador Trail at the junction, you can take this shortcut and end up at the intersection of the Playa Gemelas Trail and the Puerto Escondido Trail, very near to Playa Gemelas.
As the name suggests, you can see howler monkeys on the trail. We couldn’t see them, but true to its name we heard them howling!
7. Sendero Puerto Escondido / Hidden Port Trail
- 💡 Best for – ocean views
- 🥾 Distance – 400 m / 0.25 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – concrete path with lots of wooden stairs
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy – moderate
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – monkeys
The Puerto Escondido Trail leads to a lookout above Playa Puerto Escondido (Hidden Port Beach), a coastal bay in a rough and rugged section of the park. The beach here is dangerous for swimming, so the trail doesn’t actually lead down to the water, just a lookout. There are a lot of stairs involved to walk down (and subsequently back up!) to the lookout.
This trail is frequently closed, and as far as I understand has been in disrepair for a couple of years. At the time of our visit, the final 300 metres were closed, so you couldn’t actually reach the lookout.
The Puerto Escondido Trail is a natural extension of the Playa Gemelas Trail, which starts from the junction. More on that below.
8. Sendero Playa Gemelas / Gemelas Beach Trail
- 💡 Best for – a quiet beach and monkeys
- 🥾 Distance – 400 m / 0.25 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – concrete path
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – monkeys, iguanas
The Playa Gemelas Trail starts at the junction and naturally connects with the Puerto Escondido Trail as above. The Los Congos Trail connects these two trails with the Mirador Trail.
The trail here is short, on a well-made concrete path, but the real appeal is Playa Gemelas.
Meaning ‘the twins’ in Spanish, Playa Gemelas is in a different section of the park to the other two beaches. It’s often empty and is a much quieter and more peaceful option.
This beach is actually made up of two separate coves separated by some rocks. At low tide, you can easily walk between the two. The beach is gorgeous, but the waves and rip currents are very strong here, so swimming isn’t advised.
We saw tons of monkeys along this trail, howlers and capuchins.
9. Sendero Playa Manuel Antonio / Manuel Antonio Beach Trail
- 💡 Best for – the park’s best beach
- 🥾 Distance – 400 m / 0.25 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – concrete path and gravel road
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – humans, capuchin monkeys, racoons, coatis
This very short trail runs from the cafeteria to (in my opinion) the best beach in Manuel Antonio. Along the way, there are bathrooms, and outdoor showers to rinse off in after a swim.
Playa Manuel Antonio is found on a natural land bridge, known as a tombolo. It’s essentially a peninsula jutting out with two bays on either side, Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur. The tombolo connects the rocky Punta Catedral (Cathedral Point) to the mainland.
This is the busiest section of the park but for good reason. The beach here is absolutely gorgeous, and it’s the calmest and safest place for a swim. Which is very much deserved after hiking in Manuel Antonio!
You’re more likely to spot other people than any wildlife, but the cheeky capuchin monkeys are always hanging around the beach looking for food. The same goes for racoons and coatis. It’s not uncommon to see sloths around the cafeteria at the start of the trail.
10. Sendero Punta Catedral / Cathedral Point Trail
- 💡 Best for – ocean lookouts
- 🥾 Distance – 1.2 km / 0.75 mi (loop)
- 🌿 Terrain – gravel jungle path and wooden boardwalks, bridges and stairs
- 🔋 Difficulty – moderate
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – monkeys, lizards, whales, sea birds
This rocky outcrop was formerly an island, but a build-up of sand and other mineral deposits formed the tombolo (land bridge) connecting it to the mainland.
The Punta Catedral Trail is a 1.2 km / 0.75 mi loop around the rocky point, passing a number of lookouts. You get great views of Playa Espadilla Norte outside the park, the hotels and development of Manuel Antonio, and also out to the offshore islands. You might even spot whales in season too!
The beaches are generally too rough here to swim, but the trail is very dense and jungly. This trail juts off from the Playa Espadilla Sur Trail, but you can easily connect with it from Playa Manuel Antonio too.
When we visited, the Punta Catedral trail was closed. The signs and information were confusing, but we attempted to start the trail and found it blocked off, with wooden bridges in disrepair. As far as I know, it is still closed but if you visit and it is open, I would love to hear how you found the trail.
11. Sendero Playa Espadilla Sur / Espadilla South Beach Trail
- 💡 Best for – quiet beach and shaded sandy trail
- 🥾 Distance – 1 km / 0.6 mi
- 🌿 Terrain – sand
- 🔋 Difficulty – easy
- 🦥 Wildlife to see – capuchin monkeys, racoons, coatis, birds (toucans and macaws), lizards
This trail officially starts at the end of the Manglar Trail in the north of the park and ends at the beginning of the Punta Catedral Trail. However, you can access the trail (and subsequently the beach) from the Playa Manuel Antonio Trail.
Playa Espadilla Sur is a quiet alternative to the popular Playa Manuel Antonio. This beach is a lot bigger and feels as if it sweeps on forever. It has the same powdery sand and blue waters, but the waves are not as calm here. The rip tides are strong, and it can be dangerous for swimming if you’re not experienced.
There are dedicated access points to the beach from the trail, with ropes blocking the rest of the way, so if you want to get out on the sand, enter at the start or end of the trail.
There are toilets, changerooms and somewhere to wash your feet at the connection to the Manglar Trail.
We loved walking along this trail. It is flat and runs just behind the beach on the sand. It was shaded with more coastal-style trees like palm trees and almond trees. It felt really different from the more denser jungle we experienced on the other trails.
This trail is a great connector when you are arriving or leaving. We combined it with the Manglar Trail on the way out of the park.
How to plan your day hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park
If hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park is your primary reason for visiting, you can definitely hit all the trails in one day.
We would recommend entering the park as soon as it opens at 7 am and being willing to stay until it closes at 4 pm.
You will sacrifice a little on beach time, but I think it’s possible to do all the trails (bearing in mind that some are often closed) and still have some time to swim and relax on the sand.
We felt like we had a pretty good plan and route throughout the park, that covered all the trails, without needing to backtrack.
We did this without a guide, but I’ll provide an adaptation below if you are going to take a guided tour.
Here’s our suggested plan:
- Book your tickets for the first entrance at 7:00 am – 7:40 am
- Waterfall Trail first if you want to do it and it’s the right season
- Continue into the park on the Access Road
- Toilet break near the cafeteria
- Mirador Trail to the two lookouts
- Cut across the Los Congos Trail to the Puerto Escondido Trail
- Continue to the Puerto Escondido Lookout (if it’s open)
- Stop at Playa Gemelas, swim if you want
- Head back along the Playa Gemelas Trail to the junction
- Walk down the Sloth Trail and return the same way you came (the only backtrack you’ll need to do)
- Eat lunch at the café (if it’s open)
- Head to Playa Manuel Antonio to swim and relax, eat your lunch (if you packed it)
- Cross to Playa Espadilla Sur if desired
- Rinse off in the showers near Playa Manuel Antonio
- Hike the Punta Catedral Trail (if it’s open)
- Head back towards the entrance via the Playa Espadilla Sur Trail
- Connect with the Manglar Trail and take that all the way to the park entrance
- Done!
If you want to take a guided tour, which we definitely recommend doing at least once around Costa Rica, you’ll need to adapt a little.
I would recommend booking your tour for first thing in the morning at 7 am. Your guide will most likely take you along the Access Road or via the Manglar and Sloth Trails. The tours only go for 2 – 3 hours, so ask your guide to leave you at the junction near the café.
From there, hike the Mirador/Los Congos/Puerto Escondido/Playa Gemelas combo, and loop back to the junction. Hit the beaches from there, and hike the Punta Catedral Trail if you have time and energy.
Decide which route to take back, pending which trails you hiked with your guide. You might follow our suggestion of the Espadilla Sur/Manglar Trail combo, or you might like to head back to the junction and use either the Access Road or the Sloth/Manglar Trail combo to get back to the park entrance.
What to wear hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park
No matter what time of the year you visit, you can expect the weather to be warm and humid.
We recommend wearing light, sport-style clothing that you are comfortable walking in.
Shorts, a T-shirt or shirt for sun protection and a hat is a good choice. You could also come wearing your swimwear if you want to, although there are changerooms near the beach.
You might be wondering do you need hiking boots for Manuel Antonio? None of the trails are overly strenuous or technical, so you don’t need to wear hiking boots.
Runners are advised, or hiking sandals if you’re comfortable in them. You will clock up a lot of miles if you’re going to hike all the trails!
Bear in mind that you will be hitting the beach too, so you might prefer a sandal that can get wet or sandy. I wore my Teva sandals and was totally comfortable.
What to bring when hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park
I want to start this section with what you can’t bring into the national park. Being an area with high biodiversity and a large concentration of wildlife, the park is (thankfully) very strict about what you can bring in with you.
Visitors are not allowed to bring:
- 🥤 Single-use plastic bottles
- 🍟 Food with plastic or waste of any kind attached (e.g. chip packets, fruit with inedible peel, wrapping or packaging)*
- 🍺 Alcohol
- 🚬 Cigarettes and e-cigarettes
- 🚁 Drones (all drone photos in this post were taken from outside the park)
- ⛱️ Beach chairs and umbrellas
- 🧊 Coolers
- 🔊 Speakers
Your bags will be checked as you enter, so don’t think you can sneak anything in. You can’t.
*A note about food is coming below
So with that in mind, this is what you should pack for a day of hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park:
- 💧 A reusable water bottle – filled with water. This is permitted, and there are refill stations around the park with safe drinking water.
- 👙 Swimwear – come wearing your swimmers, or change at the changerooms near the beach.
- 🧖🏽♀️ Towel – to laze on the stunning beaches and dry off. There are showers to rinse off too.
- 🧢 Sun protection – a lot of the trails are shaded, but the beaches don’t have a ton of sun protection. Sunscreen (natural!), hat, and shirt to cover your shoulders.
- 🍍 Snacks – a complicated issue, but I think you should pack snacks.
- 🎒 Waterproof bag – rain is possible at any time in Costa Rica. If you don’t want to lug around a raincoat, at least carry a bag that can get wet and keep your belongings safe.
- 🛂 Passport – used to verify your identity in comparison to your tickets on entry.
Check out our Manuel Antonio National Park visitors guide for more information about bringing food into the park. Long story short, the cafeteria inside the park is not always open. If it’s closed, you can bring limited types of food into the park (so you have some sustenance!). If the cafeteria is open, you usually aren’t permitted to bring any food with you.
Where to stay near Manuel Antonio National Park
As we recommend basing yourself in Manuel Antonio for a few days, you’ll need somewhere to stay! The area has more than just the national park, and we would suggest a minimum of 2 – 3 nights here. There are some recommendations below, depending on your budget.
Hotels near Manuel Antonio National Park
There are a number of amazing hotels all over the Manuel Antonio area, and I share some of the best picks in my Manuel Antonio guide post. But here, I would like to specifically highlight some options that are within easy walking distance of the park entrance.
- La Posada Jungle Hotel – you cannot get any closer to the park entrance than this option! A simple but well-maintained hotel with jungle vibes, and tons of wildlife! There is a swimming pool, and the rooms are spacious and well-equipped.
- $100 USD + per night check prices here
- Hotel Playa Espadilla & Gardens – a gorgeous resort-style hotel with large and well-equipped rooms, tropical grounds and a swimming pool. In a perfect location to walk to the park, as well as to Playa Espadilla Norte. Very well rated.
- $180 USD + per night check prices here
- La Vela Boutique Hotel – the pick of the bunch near the park, this stunning hotel is sleek and modern. The grounds ooze tropical vibes and there is a large swimming pool. The suites are worth splurging for, with a spacious covered balcony with jungle views. Daily breakfast included.
- $200 USD + per night check prices here
Hostels near Manuel Antonio National Park
If you’re on a budget it can be a little trickier, as the area is quite affluent, with a lot of luxury hotels. But there are a few hostels around, although none of them are within walking distance of the park, unfortunately. These are the closest and best-rated options.
- Teva Jungle Hotel and Hostel – an eco-style hostel nestled into the jungle near the centre of town. The property has a huge nature reserve attached with miles of trails to explore. There are dorms and privates, an on-site pool, a communal kitchen and a restaurant.
- $10 USD + per night check prices here
- Selina Manuel Antonio – a solid option, the Selina here is just as good as all their other properties around Costa Rica. Privates and dorms are available, and the property is huge and blended into the jungle. There’s a pool and all the usual Selina amenities on-site.
- $20 USD + per night check prices here
- Hostel Plinio – closer to Quepos than the park, this highly rated option is loved by travellers. A true jungle setting with a large swimming pool, daily breakfast and a communal kitchen. There are dorms and private rooms.
- $15 USD + per night check prices here
Happy hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park! I hope you enjoy the trails as much as we did, and spot lots of wildlife! Be sure to check out our other guides to the park, to ensure you plan your day well and skip the crowds.
More Manuel Antonio guides
