One of my all-time favorite spots and activities in the central Pacific Coast region is a full afternoon of hiking and tracking the sloths and monkeys within Manuel Antonio National Park. Plan for 3-6 hours at this pristine oceanfront park.

My biggest tip will be to make sure you have a guide for this adventure. I have done it alone and with a guide and there is no comparison, for many reasons! First of all, it can be quite intimidating just getting to the entrance, through the gauntlet of street merchants, guides services (some legit, some not...), ticket queues, etc. I am happy to set up all of the details in advance so you can bypass all of this craziness, as well as have a qualified and quality guide who will be able to get you amazing views, photography, and memories to last a lifetime.

If you are a hiker or a walker, make sure you take the extra time and effort to hike out onto the peninsula to see and hear the Howler Monkeys that inhabit this spit of land. It is a great hike with some up and down trails and some steps, but it is deep in the forest and the loud and sometimes eerie sounds of the Howlers is an experience in itself!

While here at the park make sure you take some time for a picnic and a swim at the beautiful sugar sand beach, but also keep an eye out for the 2 ft long iguanas that also like to sun and enjoy the sand. They are very cool!

If you will be on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, South of San Jose - then Manuel Antonio is a must do!