About the Area

Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Central America

A natural tropical paradise, pure & unspoiled... a living Eden

Welcome to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica!

Manuel Antonio is the jewel of Costa Rica's central Pacific Coast... where the rainforest meets the beach in unmatched splendor.

In 2013, Trip Advisor reported Manuel Antonio beach as the #1 Beach in Central America, according to the popular Traveler's Choice Awards.

In 2011, Forbes Magazine lauded nearby Manuel Antonio National Park as one of the World's Most Beautiful National Parks.

With beautiful beaches, a world-class national park, great tours, restaurants & amenities, and a living rainforest — Manuel Antonio brings it all together in one, perfect destination!

see costa Rica travel guide

Surrounded by virgin rainforest, turquoise ocean waters, crystalline rivers, stimulating waterfalls, and the signature sound of the local howler monkeys, Manuel Antonio is a paradise for your leisurely exploration.

Manuel Antonio is the 5-mile stretch of rainforested hills that begins with the small town of Quepos in the north, and ends with the Manuel Antonio National Park and public beach in the south.

Within an hour's drive you can experience a surprising number of distinct terrestrial and aquatic biomes, or biological habitats.

"In a single day, you can listen to jilguero finches trill in the cloud forest, watch resplendent quetzals in the upper montane rainforest, visit tiger herons in a coastal mangrove swamp, and still have time for tea with toucans in the treetops at 3:00 p.m. You can have zesty gallo pinto for breakfast at the market, fresh mahi-mahi for lunch (which you caught that morning while fishing), and coconut crusted shrimp at Gaia for dinner."

~ K. Thompson

If golf or world-class spa treatments are your passion, check out the luxurious Los Sueños Golf Resort, just 40 miles away. Test your luck at the casino and then stop at the marina and yacht club for a steak sandwich before heading home.

Quepos is named after the Quepoa, the indigenous tribe that inhabited the area when
the Spanish first arrived

Quepos

Quepos, a small town in Puntarenas province, is located on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast and is undoubtedly one of the best places in the world for big game sport fishing, an internationally recognized sport fishing mecca.

With a population of only 14,000, Quepos is a small town and easy to get around. Downtown is a 4x4 grid, at the center of which is the bus station, the central market, and the best supermarket in the area.

The plaza in Quepos also offers visitors a great selection of fine restaurants, art galleries and souvenir shops.

Quepos is also home to the new Marina Pez Vela, host of the 2013 Offshore World Championship which is the Olympics of sport fishing. As the largest full-service marina in Costa Rica, perhaps even all of Central America, it's the ideal port for ocean sports like fishing, sailing, scuba diving, and snorkeling.

Marina Pez Vela in Quepos

Quepos and Manuel Antonio offer something for everyone amidst uniquely breathtaking fusion of scenic mountain beauty and azure tropical waters. From championship surf tournaments, hiking, rafting, kayaking, canopying, bird watching or sport fishing, you'll wish you could stay longer!

Convenient Location

Casa Brisa Dulce is ideally situated:

10-minute drive (2 miles) to nearest beach, Playa Espadilla
2-minute walk (0.2 miles) to nearest restaurants and bar/pub, La Luna and Ambar Lounge
10-minute drive (2 miles) to the Manuel Antonio National Park entrance
5-minute drive (1.2 miles) to the nearest town of Quepos (grocery store, bank, post office, etc.)
4 miles to the Pacific Coastal Highway
5 miles to Quepos domestic airport
40 miles to Los Sueños Golf Resort, Casino, Yacht Club and Marina

Beaches

The nearest beach is the pristine and secluded jewel Playa Espadilla, which is only a short 2-mile drive from the villa.

Here, you'll discover for yourself one of the most iconic images in Costa Rica, the famous Cathedral Point, or Punta Catedral. It's a 100-meter-tall 'island' right off shore, connected by a gorgeous land bridge called a tombolo. Cross the tombolo, and you'll be at Playa Manuel Antonio, the most popular beach in the park.

Punta Catedral and beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park

Two beautiful hikes take you up around the circumference of Cathedral Point (25 min), or to a lookout above Puerto Escondido (45 min). For the nimble, a steep path leads down to Playa Escondida (Hidden Beach), which is only accessible at low tide.

One of the 'World's Most Beautiful National Parks'

In 2011, Forbes Magazine lauded Manuel Antonio as one of the 'World's Most Beautiful National Parks'.

Costa Rica is considered by many scientists to be the most densely bio-diverse country in the world. And, at 4,000 acres, Manuel Antonio National Park is Costa Rica's smallest national park—yet it is also its most biologically dense and diverse of all.

Hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians call this garden home, as well as a stunning variety of exotic plant and tree species.

The breath-taking number and variety
of the flora and fauna here are rarely seen anywhere else on the planet in such a concentrated area.

Many of the plants and animals native to this ‘Living Eden’ are rare and endangered such as the Scarlet Macaw and the stunning quetzal.

Multi-lingual certified guides know where to spot the animals, a worthwhile investment for an educational, inspiring and memorable visit. Bring your camera!

Experience firsthand the unparalleled beauty of this lush tropical wonderland.

Beach at Manuel Antonio National Park

Ziplining at Manuel Antonio National Park

Weather

The climate of Costa Rica is lushly tropical year round, with many microclimates depending on elevation.

The average temperature throughout the year is deliciously balmy—between 71°F and 81°F.

Costa Rica's seasons are defined by the amount of rainfall. The year is split between the dry season known to the locals as summer, and the rainy season, called winter.

The "summer" or dry season goes from December to April.
The "winter" or rainy season goes from May to November and is characterized by sunny mornings splashed with bouts of warm afternoon rain.