Quepos
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Pura Vida | Pure Life
Why visit
Quepos exists primarily as the launch pad for Manuel Antonio National Park, the country's smallest but most-visited national park, where rainforest tumbles down to white-sand beaches and squirrel monkeys, three-toed sloths, and toucans appear within steps of the trail. Sport-fishing charters depart Marina Pez Vela for sailfish, marlin, and dorado. Sunset zip-line tours, mangrove kayak trips on the Damas Estuary, and surfing at Playa Espadilla round out the standard offerings. The town itself is more functional than compact, most travelers stay in the hillside hotels along the road to the park.
When to avoid
The road from Quepos to Manuel Antonio is overdeveloped with traffic that can crawl. The main park entrance gets jammed by 9 AM in dry season, arrive at opening (7 AM) or after 1 PM. Petty theft on Manuel Antonio's beaches is common. Never leave belongings on the sand. Don't feed monkeys or take selfies with sloths. Some tour operators are unscrupulous, book through your hotel or vetted operators. Skip mid-September to mid-November when many beaches close after heavy rains.