Hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park
If you are visiting Costa Rica and looking for some easy hikes with opportunities to see diverse wildlife, hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park should be on your list! Located along the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio is one of the country’s smallest, but busiest, parks, with miles of trails that will take you through lush rainforest, along beautiful beaches, up to view points, and bring you close to amazing wildlife. We don’t suggest a visit to this park without hiking at least some of the trails in order to fully experience what Manuel Antonio has to offer.
In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about hiking in Manuel Antonio…we’ll describe the trails, what you need to bring, how much time you’ll need, and where to go to avoid the crowds (and see the wildlife)!
Now that you’ve done that, let’s learn about the best hikes in Manuel Antonio!
Article Contents
Hiking trails in Manuel Antonio National Park
Summary of hiking trails in Manuel Antonio
What to pack for hiking in Manuel Antonio
How much time do you need for hiking in Manuel Antonio
Tips for hiking in Manuel Antonio
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Hiking Trails in Manuel Antonio National Park
There are ten hiking trails in Manuel Antonio (plus one service road) that will take you through different areas of the park. They range in difficulty from easy flat walks to those with moderately long sections of continuous stair climbing. We wouldn’t say any of the paths are particularly difficult…you won’t be climbing any mountain, more just like walking in the woods… but what makes hiking in Manuel Antonio a little bit difficult is the intense tropical heat!
Let’s take a look at each trail in Manuel Antonio!
1. Sendero Elevado El Manglar (The Mangrove Trail)
2. Sendero Catarata (The Waterfaill Trail)
3. Sendero Peresozo (The Sloth Trail)
4. Service Road
5. Sendero Playa Gemelas
6. Sendero Puerto Escondido
7. Sendero Congos
8. Sendero Miradores
9. Sendero Playa Manuel Antonio
10. Sendero Punta Catedral
11. Sendero Playa Espadilla Sur
Map of hiking trails in Manuel Antonio National Park
Here is a map of all the hiking trails in Manuel Antonio for your reference. This is a picture of one of the signs that are located throughout the park, so it’s pretty easy to navigate when you’re there.
1. Sendero Elevado El Manglar (The Mangrove Trail)
The first hiking trail in Manuel Antonio that you’ll come to from the park entrance is El Manglar Trail, or the Mangrove Trail. This trail is a flat raised boardwalk that is wheelchair accessible, with plenty of benches along the way to rest and enjoy the jungle around you, and several interpretive signs with useful information about the flora and fauna in the park.
After short walk, you’ll come to intersection where you can continue straight, which will take you onto the Sloth Trail, or go right and continue on El Manglar Trail. This section of the Manglar Trail continues along the raised boardwalk and goes through a swampy mangrove area on the way to one of Manuel Antonio’s beautiful beaches, La Play Espadilla Sur. This part of the trail is short but quite exposed to the sun, so make sure you are well protected with a hat and sunscreen.
Overall, this path is super easy and accessible and completely flat. We wouldn’t call this a hike at all, just a walk through the rainforest. And if you take your time, you may see some wildlife here. As soon as we started out, we saw a small deer sneaking through the trees, and then on our way out of the park on this trail we ran into a troupe of both capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys!
2. Sendero Catarata (The Waterfall Trail)
This is the one hiking trail in Manuel Antonio that we actually did not do. It’s a short (.42 mile) trail that branches off from El Manglar trail shortly after the entrance and leads to a small seasonal waterfall.
If you are visiting the park in the rainy season, it may be worth it to take this short side trail, but we didn’t feel it necessary in the peak of dry season when the waterfall is usually dried up, although we have read of people finding some good wildlife along the trail like poison dart frogs.
The trail is paved but has some long sections of uphill climbing on stairs.
3. Sendero Peresozo (The Sloth Trail)
Ok, let’s be honest, if there’s one thing you came to Costa Rica for, it’s the sloths, right?!
We were super excited about The Sloth Trail! We had high hopes, as we read before coming here that you are practically guaranteed to see sloths all over the place on this hike in Manuel Antonio, and of course, seeing a sloth in its natural habitat was one of our main goals for coming to Costa Rica.
The Sloth Trail intersects with El Manglar Trail before El Manglar Trail turns right towards Playa Espadilla Sur (simply continue straight here to get onto The Sloth Trail). It continues as a raised boardwalk for about half of the trail and then turns into a paved and mostly flat path that goes through some dense section of rainforest, with very minor ups and downs.
Dense is the keyword here. Because, while you may come with high hopes of seeing sloths left and right here, and they might be, actually spotting them is a different story. The foliage here is so thick, and sloths are so well disguised and, well, barely moving, that we determined it’s nearly impossible for people with untrained eyes (like us) to spot one.
And trust us, we tried! We spent probably close to an hour and a half on a trail less than a half a mile long moving slowly down the path, with our heads looking up into the tall trees so much that are necks started hurting! And sadly, we never found any (at least on this trail). We got to the end of the Sloth Trail with our hopes dashed. I mean, if there was anywhere we were going to see a sloth in Costa Rica, it would be The Sloth Trail in Manuel Antonio, right?! (Spoiler alert: don’t worry, we saw some later on…four to be exact!)
But I mean, just look at this forest. You can imagine it would be pretty hard to spot a sloth in there right?
We did still see plenty of wildlife along the trail, though. Particularly along the raised platform section of the trail, there are tons of colorful red and blue land crabs scurrying in and out of their holes. We saw so many we jokingly said the trail should be named the Crab Trail instead of the Sloth Trail! We also ran into a large group of capuchin monkeys playing in the trees, and spotted some Howler Monkeys quietly resting in the treetops.
There is so much potential for spotting wildlife along this trail in Manuel Antonio, and we suggest taking your time to try to find it. We were so surprised at how many people just kind of barrel through here, not even taking time to look around, but many people use this path as just a means to get to the park’s main beach, Playa Manuel Antonio.
The trail comes out at the park’s main intersection of trails. Here you can find a small cafeteria, lockers, bathroom and changing rooms, and it’s just a short walk from here to Playa Manuel Antonio. You also get access here to several other park trails.
And it was here that we finally managed to find our very first sloth of the day! I noticed a group of people clumped under a tree, and a kind employee at the cafeteria was nice enough to point it out for people. High up in a very tall tree was indeed a sloth (with a baby!).
Which brings me to my next point…we didn’t find any sloths on our own in the park. We found them through other groups, most often guided groups, looking up at the trees with a giant scope. There was one time I thought I might have spotted one and got myself all excited, but it turns out it was just a clump of tree stuff.
I mean, you can see how I got excited at first, right?
But that’s the difficulty you’re working with here. If you are dead set on seeing some wildlife, consider joining a guided tour group in the park. Guides are professional naturalists who can teach you a lot about the flora and fauna of the park, know where to look for the wildlife, and bring along good scopes to spot far away animals high in the tree tops. We talk more about the options, pros and cons for getting a guide in our Manuel Antonio post.
Overall, The Sloth Trail in Manuel Antonio is a great and easy trail to take to see some wildlife, and is a main trail through the park to get to the main beach, cafeteria, and access to other trails.
The trail runs parallel to our next trail on the list…well, not so much a trail…
4. The Service Road
Ok, this isn’t so much a trail as it is a road. It’s a wide dirt road that runs from the park’s entrance to the cafeteria and parallels The Sloth Trail. Now you might think that because it’s a road, it’s not as interesting to walk on as the trails. That’s what we thought anyway. But, as we were walking along on The Sloth Trail, we actually overheard a guide talking to a couple and telling them that the service road is actually a better place to see wildlife! Most of the guided tours actually take the service road, too, because there’s much more room for big groups here than along the narrow Sloth Trail and because of the wildlife viewing opportunities.
So, at the end of the day, we made a last-minute decision to just take a walk down this road and see what we could find. And, to our surprise, we saw the most wildlife we had seen on any of the park’s trails! Right away we saw a couple of agoutis cross our path, we passed some tour groups who pointed out some poisonous grasshoppers, and another guide who found two sloths hanging out in a tree together! And at one of the junctions where the road connects back with El Manglar Trail, there were some playful capuchin monkeys.
But the absolute coolest part was the howler monkeys! As we walked down the road, we started hearing their louds howls in the distance (and if you haven’t heard a howler monkey howl…it’s kind of a chilling experience). The further down the road we walked, the louder the calls got until finally the sounds were right over our heads. We were able to finally spot the group of monkeys responsible for all the ruckus, and got to see them jump from tree to tree and actually see them howl. Hands down one of the coolest moments for me in Costa Rica.
So, even though it’s just called a service road and doesn’t sound as appealing as, say, The Sloth Trail, don’t completely discount taking a walk here!
5. Sendero Playa Gemelas
This trail in Manuel Antonio starts behind the park’s cafeteria and leads to a series of trails that make for a great loop hike through a quiet section of Manuel Antonio.
The Playa Gemelas Trail is a short, relatively flat trail through dense rainforest. Not many park visitors come this way, as it leads away from the main beach in Manuel Antonio, which makes for a much quieter and authentic experience through the Costa Rica rainforest. Plus, it leads to Playa Gemelas, a tiny beach set in a cove with the same gorgeous blue water and white sand as the more popular beaches, but without the crowds.
To get here, you’ll follow the Playa Gemelas Trail from the cafeteria and pass by two intersections. The first is towards the left down the Miradores Trail and the second is also on your left to the Los Congos Trail. Keep straight on the Playa Gemelas Trail. As you continue down the trail, you can’t miss this beach towards your right down a short set of stairs.
Playa Gemelas is a beautiful gem of a beach that’s quiet and secluded, with calm water for swimming. You also might get lucky and see a couple of iguanas sunning themselves on the beach.
6. Sendero Puerto Escondido
If you continue down the Playa Gemelas Trail passed the beach, you’ll find yourself on the Puerto Escondido Trail. This trail is continuous with the Playa Gemelas Trail, and combined, they are just less than a half mile one way from the cafeteria all the way to the mirador, or viewpoint at the end. It’s a great hike in Manuel Antonio to avoid the crowds.
The Puerto Escondido Trail is another quiet walk through the rainforest and brings you gradually uphill to a viewpoint. However, at the end, you’ll have to walk down a long series of steps, 145 to be exact (if I counted correctly!) to get to the viewing platform that overlooks Playa Puerto Escondido (and then, of course, you will have to climb back up). You can’t access this beach, but it’s a nice overlook towards that jungle-meets-the-sea view, and you’re likely to have it all to yourself, at least for a little while, so enjoy! You will be in the hot direct sun here though, so make sure you have a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water.
7. Sendero Congo
The Sendero Congo Trail is another short trail through the thick forest of Manuel Antonio that serves as a connection between the Playa Gemelas Trail and the Miradores Trail. As you are walking towards Playa Gemelas, the intersection for Los Congos Trail will be on your left, not too far before you reach the beach.
This is another quiet trail in Manuel Antonio, but it requires some work. Basically, the entire trail is a set of stairs…the first half goes continuously up and the second half brings you back down.
There are supposedly lots of monkeys here, particularly howler monkeys, as that is what the trail is actually named after. But of course, it’s always luck, and although we didn’t see any on this trail itself, we did see some on the Miradores Trail right near the intersection with Los Congos Trail on the way back down.
8. Sendero Miradores
Los Congos Trail will bring you to an intersection with the Sendero Miradores…you’ll be about a third of the way down the Miradores Trail at this point.
The full Miradores trail begins at an intersection with the Playa Gemelas Trail, shortly after the cafeteria, and ends at a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the ocean, totaling about .6 miles in each direction.
Sendero Miradores is probably the toughest trail in Manuel Antonio. We wouldn’t say it’s difficult, but it does have LOTS of stairs, and when it’s as hot as it gets in Manuel Antonio, it can get a little rough.
After passing the intersection with Los Congos Trail, it’s not too long until there’s a long continuous series of stairs leading up to a midway viewpoint along the trail. There’s a platform and some benches with a viewpoint out towards Playa Espadilla Sur, and it’s a nice resting point here.
From here, you’ll walk down some stairs for a bit (which will make you a little mad at all the uphill progress you’ve gained up to that point!), walk through a flat section for a bit, and then it’s final short set of stairs up to the final viewing platform. Overall, there was about 254 stairs total going up from the Los Congos Trail intersection to the viewing platform and almost 100 going down, so you get quite a workout in!
Luckily, the trail is pretty much in the shade until you get to the viewpoint, but it is still hot! By the time we got to the viewing platform, I couldn’t really stand out on it for that long because of how hot it was combined with the sun beating down there.
This viewpoint overlooks the ocean along the southern cost of Manuel Antonio, as well as a piece of land, called Punta Serrucho (Saw Tip), that juts out from the mainland. It gets its name from its irregular rugged shape resembling that of a saw due to its position on a shifting tectonic fault line.
There was a good amount of wildlife along this trail, too. We saw an iguana, a bunch of lizards scurrying alongside the trail, a couple of agoutis off in the woods (you really don’t see these guys first, you have to hear some rustling in the leaves and then look closely!), a group of howler monkeys playing in the trees, and, one of my personal favorites that we saw all over Costa Rica…a line of leaf cutter ants! These guys are quite mesmerizing to watch.
Once you’re done on this trail, you can backtrack and follow it all the way back to where it meets up with the Playa Gemelas Trail and then back to the park’s main intersection by the cafeteria.
9. Sendero Playa Manuel Antonio
The Playa Manuel Antonio Trail is a super short trail that leads from the cafeteria area to the park’s main beach, Playa Manuel Antonio. It brings you out along the short land bridge that houses Playa Manuel Antonio along its southern edge, and Playa Espadilla Sur along its northern edge. At the top of the trail you’ll find bathrooms and a changing area, and portable bathrooms, picnic tables, and drinking water can be found at the beach itself.
Playa Manuel Antonio isn’t the biggest beach in the park, but it’s quite scenic, with white sand and blue water, but it’s also pretty crowded. The water is relatively calm so it’s a good swimming spot.
You’re also likely to see tons of curious capuchin monkeys running around and hopping through the trees. They really are everywhere here. Definitely enjoy watching their silly antics, but please don’t try and feed or pet them! Human food could be dangerous to them and it’s important to try and keep these guys wild.
Raccoons are also common to see here, and we even saw a sloth hanging out in a tree with its baby right on the beach! (Again, it was the crowd of people staring up gawking the piqued our interest and got us looking, too.)
There is also a short trail that connects Playa Manuel Antonio with Playa Espadilla Sur, the beach that lies on the opposite side of the peninsula, which we will talk about shortly. On this small trail, you can climb up to an observation tower to try your luck at seeing wildlife in the nearby trees.
And, if you walk all the way to the far side of the beach, you will meet up with the next trail on our list.
10. Sendero Punta Catedral
Punta Catedral is a small landmass connected to the main land via a short land bridge that houses the park’s two main beaches, Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur, on either side of it. It’s quite picturesque, and aerial shots of this peninsula are often seen in advertisements for the park.
The Punta Catedral trail is a ¾ mile hike in Manuel Antonio that loops around this landmass, with entrances at the ends of both beaches. And even though this trail starts at the park’s popular beaches, not many people can be found on this trail, so it’s another good opportunity for an authentic quiet rainforest experience without the crowds.
The loop goes through thick forest, with three platforms along the way, each with a beautiful viewpoint out to the ocean from each side of the landmass. From the second lookout, located at the tip of Punta Catedral, you can supposedly see whales if you come at the right time of year (the best time here would be July to November but you may see whales between December and April as well), and of course, with some luck and patience.
Most of this loop is stairs as you climb up and down to each view point. As with other trails in Manuel Antonio, most of this trail is in the shade, but the viewing platforms are in the direct sun and get quite hot. And, as with many of the hikes in Manuel Antonio, it’s the stairs in combination with the heat that really get you, not necessarily any difficulty with the trail.
We didn’t see too much wildlife along this trail…an agouti, and some quiet howler monkeys high up in the trees (this is the monkey I spotted on my own and was super proud of myself!). Even though we didn’t see a lot, it’s there if you go slow and really look for it.
11. Sendero Playa Espadilla Sur
This trail in Manuel Antonio runs all along Playa Espadilla Sur, which is a beach that spans the entire northern edge of the short land strip connecting Punta Catedral to the main land, just opposite from Playa Manuel Antonio. On one end, this trail connects with the Punta Catedral Trail, and at the other end connects with El Manglar Trail closer to the park entrance.
This trail is mostly gravel but completely flat and is a nice walk with beach views and opportunities to see lots of lizards and iguanas hanging out in the trees along the beach.
Playa Espadilla Sur was our absolute favorite beach in Manuel Antonio. In our opinion, it was the most scenic by far, and a bonus was that it was much quieter and emptier than Playa Manuel Antonio. Plus, it was much longer so that people could stay spread out. If you walk onto the beach from one of the entry points and walk just a little ways down the beach, you’ll likely find a spot all to yourself.
But a little tip: The sand is actual FIRE. Ok, not actually fire, but it’s super hot. Just walking on it barefoot for 5 seconds made my feet feel like they were getting third degree burns…not an exaggeration! Make sure you wear shoes, like flip flops or water shoes, to walk along the beach, even just to walk to and from the water. You’ll thank me.
Also, the current here was a bit stronger than Playa Manuel Antonio. The waves were big and the riptide was strong, so be careful swimming here.
Overview of Hiking Trails in Manuel Antonio
To make things a little easier for you, here is a quick summary of hiking trails in Manuel Antonio based on what type of hike you are looking for.
Trails to hike in Manuel Antonio if you want to see wildlife:
Sendero Peresozo
Sendero Manglar
Sendero Playa Manuel Antonio
The Service Road
Trails to hike in Manuel Antonio if you are looking for views:
Sendero Punta Catedral
Sendero Puerto Escondido
Sendero Miradores
Trails to hike in Manuel Antonio if you are looking to avoid the crowds:
Sendero Gemelas/Puerto Escondido/Congo/Miradores loop
Sendero Punta Catedral
Trails to hike if you are looking for easy walks:
Sendero Manglar
Sendero Peresozo
The Service Road
Sendero Playa Manuel Antonio
Sendero Playa Espadilla Sur
Sendero Playa Gemelas
What to Pack for Hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park
Be prepared for the sun and heat. Even though many of the trails are in the shade under tree cover, it still gets HOT, and the heat will get to you, especially if you are hiking all the stairs, lingering on lookout points under the sun, and spending any time on the beaches. We were burnt, hot and very sweaty about midway through the day. Bring sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen (and reapply a lot).
Bring a resuable water bottle. There is potable drinking water at Playa Manuel Antonio and along the Playa Espadilla Sur trail so that you can refill.
Bring your own food. The cafeteria in the park is pretty expensive. Just know that you can only bring into the park sandwiches, pre-cut fruit, and non- alcoholic drinks.
Wear a good pair of walking shoes if you plan on doing a lot of hiking. Sneakers are fine here, as there is nothing technical about the paths.
A swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes if you plan on swimming. There are changing rooms at both Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur.
Watershoes or flip flops are also good to have for walking around the super hot sand on the beaches.
How Much Time Do You Need to Hike Manuel Antonio?
So, how much time do you need to hike all of these trails in Manuel Antonio? I know it seems like there is a lot of ground to cover, but all the trails are pretty short and doable and all of them can certainly be done in one day, with time to spare.
The park’s hours are 7am-4pm, which we felt was the perfect amount of time. We were able to hike every trail in Manuel Antonio (except the Waterfall Trail) in a day, and really took our time, going very slowly in search of wildlife, taking short rests, and even spending time on and swimming at the beaches.
Tips For Hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park
There are lots of helpful signs and maps at each trail intersection, so it will be hard to get lost, but they do give out maps at the ticket office by the park entrance if you ask for one.
Get to the park nice and early, as close to opening as you can (which is 7 am). It might be a bit rough waking up to get there so early, but it will help you to avoid the crowds a bit, as many tour groups don’t begin until later in the morning, you may see more wildlife, and you will avoid waiting in line to get into the park (see our Manuel Antonio post for more information on getting tickets and when to go).
As we mentioned earlier, consider getting a guide. While you probably will spot a lot of wildlife on your own, especially monkeys, guides are much better at spotting the hard to see animals like sloths and birds, and will teach you a little bit more about what you are looking at. They have more experience and a well-trained eye for spotting things. That said, we saw plenty without a guide, so it’s all a matter of your preference and budget. See our Manuel Antonio post for more information about booking a guide.
On the beach, keep your belongings close by. Monkeys and raccoons have been known to steal things from bags. Don’t feed or touch the monkeys, as tempting as it may be...it can be harmful for them both in the short and long term.
And there you have it! We hope this helps you plan out your must-do hikes in Manuel Antonio National Park! If you have any questions about hiking in Manuel Antonio, let us know below!