A Gem of a Park, Tarnished by Unsustainable Ecotourism
Written: Feb 28 '06
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Pros: A beautiful slice of Costa Rica's rich natural heritage.
Cons: Overcrowded, overdeveloped buffer zone.
The Bottom Line: It's one of Costa Rica's most popular seaside parks, and one visit is all it takes to see WHY everybody loves this park to death!
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Manuel Antonio National Park |
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio. One of the smallest national parks in Costa Rica. One of its most popular. One of its most fragile. It's a place of stunning beauty Folks come to Manuel Antonio for the scenery, they come to lay on the beach, they come to hike the jungle trails, they come in buses, they come in droves. Believe me, you want to come to Manuel Antonio too! Just do it gently, okay? Here's the straight deal...
Laying, Swimming, Playing and Chilling On The Beaches of Manuel Antonio...
The Central American Pacific coast is an amazingly beautiful place, and Costa Rica has really capitalized on its wealth of stunning yet often secluded beaches. There are hundreds of outstanding beaches in Costa Rica, and there are thousands of places on the coast that offer stunningly gorgeous vistas of sheer cliffs, soft sands, and towering shady palms. It's been said that the most beautiful of them all are in Manuel Antonio National Park. I can't vouch for the "most" part of that sentiment, since I haven't seen all the others yet, but I certainly agree with the "stunningly beautiful" part.
There are at least five good beaches within the park --- three of which are popular with the day trippers, and two of which are good opportunities to get away from the crowds (such as they are). In between and around the beach areas are rocky greyish white cliffs, a fascinating point (dubbed Punta Catedral) that juts out into the waters, separating two of the park's most popular beaches and forming small bays there with calm swimming waters. There's even coral reefs just off-shore to beckon the snorkel wearing crowd.
There's a couple small islands just off the park's shoreline, and a number of scattered rock formations that I suppose you could call islands, not that there's much room on them. These islands and rocks though provide nesting grounds for a lot of different kinds of birds. There were huge flocks of frigate birds, with their distinctive swept back black tails, swooping around in circles, not to mention all the brown pelicans clustering together anywhere a dry spot over the waves could be found.
The waters are beautiful here. Bluish green and with better clarity than you usually find on the Pacific coast. I can see why people love the beaches here.
A lot of folks coming to Manuel Antonio are really there for the beach. Oh sure, they'll walk the trails and admire the nature stuff, but it's the beach that's their focus....and it's hard to argue with its magnetic Siren call. I do recommend taking some time though to at least walk the trails for a little while (almost everyone does).
Hiking The Jungle Trails of Manuel Antonio...
You're in Costa Rica to see the wildlife. To see the dense jungles and green spaces. So naturally, you want to do the hiking trails through Manual Antonio. After all, they're famous and are as much a draw as the gorgeous inlets and beaches. What makes the jungle trails so cool is the monkeys.
Two decades ago, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio had about 10 times more monkeys than live there now. I find it hard to believe since even today, it seems like there's quite a few of the swinging simians around the place.
There's several species of monkey living in the park, not to mention the usual assortment of sloths, coatis, lizards, poison tree frogs, snakes, birds, etc.
The biggest and loudest of the monkeys are the big black howler monkeys. Catch them throwing a tantrum and it's not too hard to see how they got their name! I know 2-year olds who can't out-bellow these fellows!
Smaller and cuter are the squirrel monkeys and the white faced monkeys. Manuel Antonio is the only place in Costa Rica where the little orange squirrel monkeys live, and they're regarded as a species on the brink of extinction, so wave "bye bye" when you leave the park...they might be gone by the time you get around to bringing kids or grandkids back.
There's four trails here, and the trails are short --- I don't think any are longer than 1 mile (2km). Some go back into the hilly jungles, some go along the shoreline. One of my favorite trails was called Sendero Serrucho --- it takes you up along some of those seaside cliffs that I mentioned, giving you spectacular views of the Pacific ocean and a backward glance at the majestic grace of the gentle inlets of the park itself. Views are all well and good, but there's very rugged scenery here, and even a blowhole that folks gravitate towards come high tide.
Local guides will accompany you for about $20. Not a bad deal if you want to make sure you get the wildlife photos you came for. The guides have an uncanny knack for spotting critters you would have walked right on past. Some of the critters though are more likely to spot you! Once a hungry raccoon or monkey decides that your energy bar looks tasty, just try obeying the "Do Not Feed the Animals" signs. Just try...
I'm not usually captivated by talk of plant life, but at Manual Antonio it's worth listening up --- for your own good. There's this big leafy tree there called the manchineel that you want to stay away from. It's said to be very poisonous --- eating the fruit will call for a trip to either the hospital or the morgue, and even burning the deadwood will cause inflammations to break out. It's been called "the tree of death". Killer trees!!
The Dark Side of Eco-Tourism...
Manuel Antonio is a beautiful park, and I can see why people love visiting the place. The only downside I see to the whole area is the way that too many people have jumped on the bandwagon to turn it into a "tourist destination". All those "ecotourism" businesses and "cozy inns" that butt up to the park and that line the last few kilometers of the drive to the park have cost the local ecosystem dearly. Some of those businesses go so far as to mislead the public into thinking that they "exist in harmony with the natural environment."
Hogwash!
That small cluster of businesses killed off some 90 percent of the park's monkey population over the past 2 decades, mostly through developer negligence and stupidity (like using uninsulated power lines). For some reason, they don't seem to mention that to arriving "eco tourists"...
It's been said that Manuel Antonio "is a park that's dying." It's hard to believe when you see how lush and green the place is, and how much wildlife there still is, but I suppose that when you see the bigger picture, and know a bit about its recent past, then the decline is startling and heartbreaking. Eco tourism killing the eco...I suppose that's part of the reason why only 600 people are allowed into the park per day (a little more on weekends).
When I was first scoping out places to stay in this area, I'd considered booking one of those "cozy Manuel Antonio villas" that you hear about. After finding out on another web site about the black side of the Manuel Antonio over-development, I chose to stay at Jaco Beach and just drive down to Manuel Antonio for a day (though it takes over an hour). If you're genuinely concerned about the environment, but still want to be close to the park, I'd recommend staying closer to Quepos, or maybe one of the small beach communities that you pass through between Jaco and Quepos. It looked like there were some pretty cool little places near Parrita too.
If you must stay in Manuel Antonio, at least pick a hotel like Si Como No that tries to conform to sustainable eco-tourism objectives.
Let your conscience be your guide...mine doesn't even let me stay close to the park.
The Bottom Line...
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio is no diamond in the rough. It's a diamond all cut and polished and shined up in a sparkling Tiffany setting. It's small, but totally accessible and totally beautiful. I recommend a visit to this park very highly. I'm leery of recommending any of the nearby hotels for environmentalist reasons, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't go back. It's a place I'd love to come back to...I just hope and pray that the locals don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
Want to Read More About Costa Rica Parks??
Here's a few more reviews about the beautiful natural areas of Costa Rica...
* Braulio Carrillo National Park
* Tortuguero National Park
* Irazu Volcano National Park
* Monteverde Cloud Forest
* About Costa Rica's National Parks
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
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