The 12 Best Manuel Antonio National Park Tours

1.Catamaran Ocean King Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 281 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $86Our pick

Spend about three and a half hours aboard a large, family-friendly catamaran from Marina Pez Vela. Expect Manuel Antonio coastline views, music, snacks, drinks, a fish dinner, wildlife watching, swimming, snorkeling, jacuzzis, and water slides. Hotel pickup is available from select Quepos and Manuel Antonio locations.

“We were able to get transportation from our hotel room to the catamaran. It was easy communication and we had no issues. We stayed on the top deck, which was relaxing. The workers were very friendly and funny. Wasn’t much seating but with everybody dancing and mingling, it was fine. You get four alcoholic drinks and all you can drink soda. The Alcoholic drinks were good and they gave you a good amount of serving. Jumping from the top deck was thrilling. They give you pool noodles so you can hang in the water. If you aren’t a great swimmer then no worries!! It was beautiful seeing the sunset. Would…”

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2.All Inclusive National Park Manuel Antonio with Binoculars

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 134 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $80Top rated

Join a small group of up to 12 for a 2.5-hour guided walk through Manuel Antonio National Park. A certified naturalist guide, including Ariel when scheduled, helps you spot three monkey species, two sloth species, and other wildlife before you relax on the park beach or return by shuttle to Quepos.

“Ariell was incredible!!! He was so knowledgeable and passionate about the rainforest. We were able to see so many animals that we would have never seen if we had gone on our own! Best excursion we did while in Costa Rica!”

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3.Manuel Antonio National Park from San José

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 131 reviews · 12 to 13 hours (approx.) · from $155

Leave San José at 6:00 am for Manuel Antonio National Park, with hotel pickup, breakfast, lunch, park admission, a guide, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Walk forest trails to a beautiful beach, look for monkeys, sloths, iguanas, birds, and raccoons, and consider the Punta Catedral viewpoint. Expect a very long day on the road.

“My trip to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica was incredible. The scenery and wildlife were breathtaking, and our guide was knowledgeable. However, I was disappointed when the guide wouldn't drop me off at my hotel just 1 km away from the scheduled stop.”

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4.Customized Nature Walk in Manuel Antonio National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 125 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $25Best value

Meet your certified English-speaking guide at Manuel Antonio National Park for a 1 to 3-hour wildlife walk. Javier uses a telescope and quality viewing equipment to help you find sloths, monkeys, birds, and reptiles you could easily miss alone. Park admission, transport, food, and drinks cost extra.

“It was very informative and we saw many animals including sloth, stick birds, toucans . Without Javier we could not find any! We enjoyed tour a lot.”

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5.Manuel Antonio National Park Hiking Tour from Jacó

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $135

Leave Jacó at 6:30 am for Manuel Antonio National Park with a bilingual guide such as Jeremy, Ronald, or Sylvia. Walk mostly flat rainforest trails, use a guide’s scope to spot sloths, monkeys, birds, and reptiles, then swim at Manuel Antonio Beach before lunch and the ride home.

“This was our last excursion in Costa Rica before heading home on Sunday after two weeks in country. As my wife told our guide Jeremy, it was the best day ever. Our driver and Jeremy picked us up on time and made our trip from Jaco to the park an educational one. We learned all about the history of the area as well as a couple of stops for a great breakfast (not mentioned in the description) and to see a few animals along the road. Guillermo our driver spotted a red macaw and a sloth after breakfast and before the park. At the park we saw all the monkeys,…”

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6.Surf Lessons in Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $65

Meet Glen and his surf team at Playa Espadilla Norte for a two-hour lesson suited to beginners and improving surfers. Instructors such as Derek, Sebastian, Isaac, and others teach water safety, wave timing, and board technique. After class, keep the board for the rest of the day and practice on your own.

“Very fun, good instructors!!! A lot time was spent on the water, which was great. Would recommend!!!”

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7.Damas Island Mangrove Kayaking Tour from Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 89 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $75

You’ll paddle through Damas Island’s mangrove channels near Quepos for about four hours, with guides pointing out monkeys, birds, reptiles, and plant life. The trip includes hotel pickup, bottled water, and a Costa Rican meal at the Tucanes Tours base. Tide times control the actual start, so confirm your pickup time.

“It was very interesting to kayak the mangroves and see the monkeys. The tour itself was not impressive and not worth the money we paid for it. The time of the tour is not what is posted on the website but is dependent on the tide - in our case the pick up was at 12:40 (instead of 6am.). The guide was nice but a newbie - he was not very engaging, his english was adequate, and he was not very knowledgable. The kayaks were uncomfortable and the first double kayak in which they launched us quickly took on water so we had to get back - they didn't have…”

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8.Savegre River Rafting Class II-III from Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $125

From Manuel Antonio or Quepos, you’ll ride about an hour to the Savegre River, learn basic paddling strokes, and raft Class II to III rapids with a guide and safety kayaker. Guides such as Nico, Nicholas, Jonathan, Mario, Jairo, and Eric have helped first-timers and families enjoy the river. Lunch, snacks, drinks, and hotel transfers are included.

“What a great time- be prepared to get absolutely drenched! The guides knew their water safety, spotted more animals than we ever could have, and shared great information about the nature and the culture”

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9.Beach Day Experience in Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 1 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $25

Spend up to eight hours at Manuel Antonio’s Cacha Beach with Dante’s Water Sports. You get air-conditioned transport, a beach chair, umbrella, water, fruit, games, and boogie boards. Surf lessons, board rentals, lunch, drinks, and photography cost extra. The beach is public, so vendors pass through.

“Great location, friendly staff. The perfect place for a day on the beach. Boogie boards were fun. Would do again.”

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10.Damas Island Mangrove Boat Tour with Wildlife from Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $95

Travel from Manuel Antonio or Quepos to Isla Damas for a quiet two-hour boat ride through one of Central America’s largest mangrove ecosystems. Guides such as Stephanie, Alvin, Raul, Maria, and Danny point out monkeys, birds, bats, and local history. Transport, safety gear, bottled water, and a typical Costa Rican meal are included.

“This tour is a wonderful and relaxing experience. Stephanie and Alvin were absolutely the best guides well informed and on top of everything in order to make this an unforgettable experience!”

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11.Manuel Antonio Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $57

At 6 p.m., Efrain’s Nature Tours takes you from your hotel to a private reserve beside Manuel Antonio National Park. Guides such as Alejandro, Dillon, Mauro, and Jimmy use spotlights and a high-definition telescope to find frogs, snakes, sloths, scorpions, bats, and insects. Expect a small group of up to eight, muddy paths, possible rain, and a return around 8 p.m.

“Alejandro was fantastic. He is so knowledgeable and made sure we went at a good pace. He was very prompt.”

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12.ATV Tour Half Day Trip From Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 59 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $93

Spend about three and a half hours riding Honda FourTrax ATVs from Quepos through palm plantations, village roads, muddy trails, creeks, and rainforest. Guides such as Gabriel, Alex, Carlos, and Oscar have led practice sessions, waterfall hikes, and wildlife spotting. A waterfall swim, snacks, lunch, water, and Manuel Antonio hotel transport are included.

“Our teenaged boys had so much fun, and so did we. It was great playing in the mud. The lunch and snack were yummy.”

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