Discover everything you need to know about buying tickets for Manuel Antonio National Park, from online reservations to essential tips for a seamless visit.
Manuel Antonio National Park Tickets at times seem to be a conundrum; however, this is within reason. Please continue reading to find out all you need to know to purchase your tickets to the Manuel Antonio National Park.
Why is it that we have a whole ordeal in terms of buying Manuel Antonio National Park tickets?
Mainly because the conservation of the rainforest, wildlife, coast, beaches, and water are as important as the travel industry is in Costa Rica. They come together, you see? One cannot survive without the other.
Not that we don’t care about the money! Don’t take us wrong! But mainly, there has been a lot of research regarding the distribution of these 2000 visitors throughout the day and throughout the park, and the conclusion is that the environment cannot take more than that a day. Providing we still have one day closed for the park rangers to clean the park thoroughly.
Online Reservations (Important)
We include the Manuel Antonio Park tickets in our tours, so probably the easiest, safest, and most convenient is to take a tour with us! That will spare you all the trouble, and we grant you a great fun and learning experience.
If, nevertheless, you want to try it on your own, please go ahead and read some more! You can find the Manuel Antonio National Park Tickets here.
The website features an English option as well as a tutorial that walks you through the process of buying tickets.
During the very low tourism season months, when the park has not reached capacity, you may be allowed to get park tickets at the door. This occurs primarily in October, which is the wettest month in Manuel Antonio and thus has the lowest tourism season.
National Park Tickets
Some tips on the Manuel Antonio National Park tickets are:
- The tickets are a one time entrance and cannot be used for multiple days.
- You will need to buy them every time you want to go to the park.
- As soon as the purchase is finished, you will receive a confirmation with a bar code in your email inbox.
- Keep this email on your phone (you do not need to print it). Park rangers will ask to see it.
What do you have to have to get in?
- The barcode, or the reservation number.
- Your passport, or a photocopy or photo of the passport ID page.
Manuel Antonio Parking: Important!
There isn’t an official parking lot at Manuel Antonio National Park, which is unfortunate.
However, locals have created parking lots just 150 meters from the national park entrance, and they charge you to park on their property.
While these are not official government-managed parking lots, they are near the national park entrance and typically have one person sitting there throughout the day until around 3 or 4 p.m. Consider that the park closes at 4 p.m., and everyone must leave by then.
An Epic Adventures Tip:
Never leave any valuables in your car, even though it’s a parking lot. If you have luggage, put it in the trunk or under your trunk cover. Or go by the hotel and drop it in the storage until check in time. And whatever item you have that is not coming to the national park: Do not leave anything sitting out or visible in the car.
Lock your doors and roll up your windows.
If you’re driving to the park, this is a must-read!
When driving down to the national park, as soon as you see the beach on the right, at the bottom of the last hill, you will notice guys waving at you from a parking lot on your right hand side on a curve. This is not even close to the National Park!
You’re still about a kilometer away, and these guys will encourage you to park and offer “guiding services.” They may also tell you that you cannot go into the national park unless they take you. They may act aggressively at times; they may physically touch your car or even step in front. Just say no with your head and go on. Don’t park there if you are going to the national park.
4×4 necessary? Road Conditions?
The route to Manuel Antonio National Park is fully paved. A sedan can easily reach the destination, eliminating the need for a 4×4 or high-performance vehicle. Just be aware that once you pass Quepos, the road becomes very narrow and curvy, so drive slowly.
Facilities
At the park’s entrance, you may want to rent lockers. It costs $6 USD per day (7 a.m.–4 p.m.).
There are three different bathrooms area in the National Park.
There is one facility with changing rooms, showers, and bathrooms. It is usually clean.
A cafeteria serves snacks like sandwiches, pizza, ice cream, smoothies, pastries, salads, fruit juices, coffee, and bottled water inside the park.
Bringing food into the park is completely forbidden. Rangers will check your bags at the entrance.
Single use plastics are not allowed inside the national park.
Epic Tip: If you’re hungry after visiting the park, there are restaurants and supermarkets as you go out. Local vendors will also be selling cold coconut water.
Reference:
Sammi. (2024, January 2). Manuel Antonio National Park: Visitor’s Guide. MytanFeet. https://mytanfeet.com/activities/hiking-at-manuel-antonio-national-park/
