Manuel Antonio National Park's beaches are beautiful, pristine, with clear aquamarine water and white sand. Playa Manuel Antonio is especially beautiful since it is an alcove, with mushy waves, great for swimming. Even in low season (I went in July), the beach gets very busy, with lots of families and couples - where it is impossible to take pictures without a ton of people in them. However, the beauty of the beach overcomes the constant hum of screaming children and touristy college students seeking a tan. It's best to get there in the morning when the weather is good because in the afternoon, the skies become overcast and the water not so brilliant blue. You can find smaller beaches around the park with less people such as Playa Escondido. The beach on the west side of the park is nice, but not as nice as Playa Manuel Antonio since it opens directly out to the Pacific ocean with lots of traffic of water sports coming from the "public" public beach directly outside of the park.

Just beautiful! Hire a guide so that they can point out all of the animals that are teeming in the rainforest. The beaches in the park are postcard perfect and deserted in the mornings at least. We had a beach to ourselves for several hours until we moved along... sharing it only with some inquisitive iguanas, a deer and dozens of hermit crabs. Plenty of cheeky monkeys around, too! Watch out for the acidic trees, though.

Manuel is a great day trip if you are in the area (Jaco, Playa Hermosa). There are easy trails to follow to the beach and a few hidden, trails that lead to less frequented beaches. A great place to wade in the water, have a picnic, hike and see wildlife. Sloths, Capuchin monkeys (watch out - they like snacks and aren't afraid of people), Howler monkeys (these guys are harder to spot), capybaras, woodpeckers, the list goes on...

Manuel Antonio National Park has a vast amount of beautiful beaches and wildlife. While in the park I saw Toucans, a lot of different species of lizards and frogs. If you have some time to relax the beaches aren't crowded with touts trying to sell you goods. Take advantage of this jewel.

A good hub on the way south for checking out jungle and nice beaches with others (it is one of the more resort-esque towns of Costa Rica). Watch yourself with the nightlife flowing from Manuel Antonio onto Quepos .... sometimes it is best to call it a night instead of having your stuff stolen.