All things guides · Central Pacific

Manuel Antonio Park: Tickets, Guides & Timing

The "best tour guide for Manuel Antonio?" post drew 61 comments, but nobody can pick a guide until they sort the tickets. Here's the playbook I give friends: SINAC tickets release on a ~1-month rolling window — January dates aren't on sale in November. Book the morning entry slot. Use sinac.go.cr, never resellers.

Good to know

  • SINAC tickets release on a ~1-month rolling window — January dates aren't on sale in November. Check sinac.go.cr early and often; resellers take your money for nothing.
  • Book the morning entry slot. The park is at its best at opening on a weekday — wildlife before the heat, beach before the crowds. It's Costa Rica's most famous park for a reason, and fame means lines by noon.
  • Guide or no guide: a naturalist guide spots the sloths you'd walk right past — worth it on a first visit, skippable if you've done it before.
  • What to bring: water, reef-safe sunscreen, swim gear for the beach — the jungle-trails-to-beach combo is the whole point of Manuel Antonio. Single-use plastics are banned in the park, so pack accordingly.

Everything on the map

Tap a category above — the map and the list below filter together. Every pin is from The Costa Rica Map.

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