Manuel Antonio National Park

This 683 hectare park consists of white sandy beaches bordered by rainforests, where various monkey species and sloths occur and the poisonous manzanilla tree grows. Numerous monkeys live here, including the endangered squirrel monkey and cheeky capuchin monkeys, iguanas and three-toed sloths.

The park owes its fame mainly to its spectacular coastline with beautiful beaches and the fantastic sheltered water. Because the many visitors have caused considerable damage, a limit has been set to the number of visitors. A large part of the park is still in private hands and clandestine loggers have wreaked havoc here. An even bigger problem is the pollution caused by the many hotels in the area. Things are much better with the beautiful stretch of coast that starts at the beautiful Playa Espadilla Sur and continues past the densely wooded headland of Punta Catedral to Playa Blanca, also called Playa Manuel Antonio. From here, trails lead up past Playas Gemelas and end at the sheltered but rockier cove of Puerto Escondido, best visited at low tide.