11 Fun Things To Do In Quepos and Manuel Antonio (2024)
Quepos and Manuel Antonio is a beautiful and biodiverse region on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. It’s a dream destination for travelers, with gorgeous beaches, excellent wildlife watching opportunities, and several natural attractions.
I spent 3 days in Quepos and seeing the abundance of wildlife at Manuel Antonio National Park was an unforgettable experience. But, there’s much more to Quepos than Manuel Antonio Park.
This article will cover all of the best things to do in Quepos and Manuel Antonio to pack your days full of fun. From waterfall hikes to mangrove boat tours, there’s something on this list for every type of traveler.
Here are 12 fun things to do in Quepos and Manuel Antonio.
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Things To Do In Quepos And Manuel Antonio
Spot Wildlife At Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the best national parks for spotting wildlife without a guide. Despite it being touristy, it’s still an incredibly biodiverse and unique place worth visiting.
The park has eleven hiking trails, which lead to different viewpoints of the coast. I spent around 3 hours hiking, and saw monkeys, deer, lizards, birds, and a sloth right by the beach!
If you have limited time, you can hike the Manuel Antonio Beach trail, a short 0.3 mile hike from the cafeteria to the beach area. The beach has soft white sand, clear blue waters, and you’re almost guaranteed to see a capuchin monkey by the shore.
To get to the park, you must buy your tickets online at SINAC. The entrance fee is $18.08/nonresident, and parking is 3,000-4,000 CRC ($6-$8 USD) by the entrance.
Note: Keep in mind that there’s many parking attendants before the entrance that will try to have you park at their lots. You’ll want to drive as close to the park entrance (by hotel San Bada), and park at one of the private lots on either side.
Hike To Nauyaca Falls
The Nauyaca Waterfalls are a spectacular two-tiered waterfall with a large natural pool in Dominical, an hour south of Quepos.
The hike to the waterfall is 5 miles roundtrip (8km) from the main entrance (Don Lulo’s), and they offer 4×4 and horseback riding tours.
Once you reach the waterfall, you can cool off in the large natural basin underneath the lower fall. It took me around 2 hours in total to hike to the waterfall, and it was completely worth it.
The hike is on a dirt road, where you’ll pass by a horse ranch, and over small bridges. Entrance for the hike is $10/person and there’s a $3 parking fee. For more details, check out our full guide on how to get to Nauyaca Falls.
Relax On The Beach
Quepos and Dominical (45 minutes south) have some of the most idyllic beaches in Costa Rica. If you visit Manuel Antonio Park, you can relax on Playa Espadilla or Manuel Antonio Beach.
These are lovely white sand beaches with bright blue water. However, there’s many amazing beaches outside of the park that are completely free to visit.
Here are some of the best beaches to relax at in Quepos and Dominical:
- Playa Biesanz (Quepos): White sand beach with gentle waves, just outside of Manuel Antonio Park
- Playa Dominical: Stone and sand beach with amazing sunsets and restaurants within walking distance
- Playa Linda (30 min from Quepos): Peaceful, non-touristy long stretch of sandy beach lined with palm trees
Dine At El Avion Restaurant
Dine at El Avion to enjoy a sunset dinner overlooking the coast. This is a unique restaurant located inside of an old cargo plane just outside of Manuel Antonio Park.
Here you’ll have a beautiful view of the ocean, and you may get to see a few capuchin monkeys.
Zipline And Rappel Down Waterfalls
For the ultimate adventure, zipline through the jungle directly into a waterfall, and rappel down into a natural pool!
This tour is operated by Rio del Amigo Adventures, who provides full transportation from Quepos, snacks, and a home cooked Costa Rican lunch to end the tour.
Go Whitewater Rafting
Beyond ziplining, Rio Del Amigo Adventures offers whitewater rafting over the Savegre River.
You’ll get to paddle over Class II-III rapids, stop at the base of a beautiful waterfall, and enjoy a Costa Rican lunch at the end of the tour.
See The Crocodile Bridge
The Crocodile Bridge is an interesting tourist attraction, just 1.5 hours north of Quepos. This is a bridge over the Tarcoles River (home to over 2,000 crocodiles) that you can walk across, and spot crocodiles in the water.
You can also go on a crocodile safari over the Tarcoles River to see these fascinating creatures up close, and learn about their environment.
Visit Jaco Beach
Jaco Beach is a popular surfing beach town, just an hour north of Quepos. In Jaco, you can take surfing lessons, visit Los Sueños Adventure Park (ziplining, horseback riding, ATVs, chocolate tours), or go on a day trip to Tortuga Island.
Tortuga Island are two tiny islands off the coast of the Nicoya peninsula that are only accessible by boat. It’s a 1.5 hour boat ride one way, and on the island there’s beach volleyball courts, and a variety of water activities available.
You’ll pass by Jaco on the route from Quepos to the Crocodile Bridge or San Jose. There’s many great restaurants and cafes (including a Starbucks) in town so it’s the perfect place to stop for a meal.
Go On A Mangrove Boat Tour
Explore mangrove forests on a boat tour of Damas Island. Damas Island is an expansive mangrove forest just outside of Manuel Antonio that’s inhabited by monkeys, lizards, crabs, sloths, and more.
You’ll be pointed out wildlife, and get to learn all about the ecosystem from a knowledgeable guide.
Visit Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary
Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary is a nonprofit animal sanctuary in Dominical, just 45 minutes south of Quepos. The sanctuary has squirrel monkeys, capybaras, toucans, sloths, and other fascinating wildlife.
They offer guided tours Tues-Sun for $33/nonresident and $17/children where you’ll get to learn about the individual animals and their rehabilitation process.
Spot Nocturnal Animals On A Night Walk In The Jungle
Explore the jungle after dark on a night walk tour in Rainmaker Park. Rainmaker Park is a private nature reserve, just 30 minutes north of Quepos.
On their night walk, you’ll get to use flashlights to see several species of tree frogs, snakes, bats, and other interesting nocturnal creatures.
Their tours include hotel transportation, and dinner at the end of the tour.
Quepos and Manuel Antonio Attractions Map
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