 Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica,
is the "Fun Capital" of Costa Rica beaches in high season. The nightlife scene
in Manuel Antonio and Quepos -- from nightclubs to discos, from casinos to
beachfront dancing, is livley, and daytime tours and travel activities abound.
This article highlights the
area’s tours and vacation attractions. You won't find most of this info in your
travel book, so feel free to print a copy of this page for the trip.
Manuel Antonio update: March,
2002
Billy's Bar shut down at El
Mirador del Pacifico in late March and is no longer the hot nightspot it was a year
ago. But things were picking up in March, especially after 5 PM. The sports bar at Byblos
has had little action, but is still the place for billiards.
Still lots of partying down at Mar
y Sombra by the public beach, especially from 10 PM on Thursday and Friday
nights. But the real action is on Saturday nights.
Downtown Quepos update: March,
2002
In beautiful downtown Quepos, Isabel's is shut down (guess no one visits Quepos to
watch DVD music videos on letterbox monitors.) Skippy MaGoo's is also gone,
supporting a local theory that Canadians cannot manage a bar in the Tropics.
Sargento Garcia's (after
the character in Zorro) is the only real action downtown. Loud reggae and neo-tech
music, Chinese food, a disco ball -- what more could you ask for?
Several new ancient artifacts
were placed on display at the Guaro Indian Museum in Mar y Blues. Ask Mike or
Charlie for a guided tour.
On the beaches: the National Park
and the public beach
Manuel Antonio Park consists of seven beaches, all more private than the free beach and
featuring more exotic, tropical setting. ($7 for gringos; food, drinks, water gear, tours
are available. Closed on Mondays).
But in April, 2001, visitors
reported seeing less wildlife after a road to the new entrance made it possible to picnic
and party closer to the beaches. And in March, 2002, the animals and birds were still less
abundant than two years ago.
Most of the beaches can be
dangerous for swimming, so stay close to shore and don’t go in alone. Take a diving
cruise if you want to see more of the marine life, Planet
Dolphin offers two daily in high season. Jungle Coast Jet Ski Tours offers
a two-hour guided tour of the area from the sea.
During low tide, you can see
remnants of circular stone turtle corrals built by pre-Colombian Quepoa
Indians.
The public beach, within
walking distance of Playa Manuel Antonio, is a convenient place for sun but also tricky
for swimming. Beach umbrellas, jet skis, food and drink are nearby, and the bus (75
colones) and taxi stop (900 colones) is handy.
You can ride horses on the public
beach. Unless you are a bacterium, the beach in front of downtown Quepos is too polluted
for swimming.
In the ocean: water sports and
fun
Manuel Antonio is great for snorkeling, especially on a cruise like Planet Dolphin’s
40-foot boat. Offshore from remote Drake Bay, Cano Island is clearly the place for scuba.
Either way, you can take great pictures of the palm-fringed beaches from the boat.
Waverunner Safaris leads
two-hour, guided snorkeling excursions to seek dolphins and other aquatic life ($95, $143
for two). Parasailing is also available.
A surf shop, run by Burro, is
located behind Hector’s downtown. In Manuel Antonio, get your surfing supplies at
Harold’s.
Fishing off Quepos and Manuel
Antonio
September through May is billfish season, peaking in October. June through August, expect
yellow-fin tuna, rooster, snapper, dorado, amberjack, snook and tuna. In March,
sportfishing captains were tagging lots of saifish and some marlin. A full day costs from
$500-$1,000. For more Quepos fishing news, Costa Rica fishing.
From January through March, the
top boats in the bay are WaveDancer,
a 44-footer, and Predator,
a 37-footer. Enchantress, a 29-footer, works offshore and inshore year 'round.
Sunset cruises
For a sunset cruise on the Surfari, a 35-sailboat. $45 low season, $55 high. It
includes lunch, booze, snorkeling gear, and a dolphin and whale watch. The Surfari also
does overnights at secluded coves such as Uvita’s Ballena Marine Park. The Windjammer
cruise ship visits the area twice weekly during high season (see photo).
The Blue Fin, a 31-foot
motor boot, offers four hour cruises booze & cruise tours in the day and for sunset.
Drinks, fruit, and bocas. $49.00 p/p.
Just sunsets
For some spectacular views of the sun setting over the Pacific, try Villas Parque and
Immaculada, both in Manuel Antonio.
Parks and nature preserves
Under development for several years, Rainmaker Mountain Nature Refuge covers 1,500 acres
of virgin mountain and primary rainforest near Parrita, 40 minutes north of Quepos. The
panorama of wildlife, butterflies, birds, poison frogs and snakes, and medicinal plants is
described by guides on the 4-hour tour, which costs $45-65. Includes shuttle, breakfast,
lunch.
A five-hour boat ride, the Isla
Damas Nature Tour takes you to see monkeys and aquatic life along the estuary north of
Quepos ($55 low season).
Hot springs and caves near Damas
and Cerros will open to the public in December, with horseback riding on rarely visited
trails along a winding stream.
A free 15 km. nature trail can be
explored from the grounds of Hotel California on the way up the hill from downtown. It
features a 60-meter observation tower with hypnotic views of the Damas Mountains, quaint
Quepos, the beaches and the jungle.
Guided horseback riding tours
trot off to Nara Waterfalls for 5 1/2 hours. Mountain bike tours are also available from
local tour companies.
Canopy tours & nature trails
Several canopy tours are available. The Canopy Tour is a traditional "glide along
cables through the trees" to five platforms, then go for a nature hike and swim
beneath the falls. Includes transportation, breakfast, lunch and snacks, trained
bi-lingual guides.
At the Canopy Safari, you will
glide between five platforms in primary rainforest on a cable, then take a nature hike for
a swim beneath the falls. Includes transportation, breakfast, lunch and snacks, trained
bi-lingual guides.
Another canopy tour takes you to
the secluded Londres area on ATVs. And the new Canyoning Tour combines rappeling up and
down a waterfall. New mountain biking tours are available through Estrella tours.
The wild bunch can try the
Canyoning Tour (go rappeling up and down a waterfall, and more) near Londres, and ATV Tour
(why walk through the rainforest when you can ride?).
The Damas Estuary Tour takes you
on a 5-hour boat ride to see monkeys and aquatic life along the estuary north of Quepos.
Rainmaker Mountain Nature Refuge covers 1,500 acres of virgin mountain and primary
rainforest near Parrita, 40 minutes north of Quepos. A guided 4-hour tour, which includes
shuttle, breakfast, lunch, costs $45-65.
River rafting
Iguana Tours ventures to the Rio Naranjo for a half-day class III-IV, the Rio Parrita for
a full day of class III, and the isolated Rio Savegre for a class III challenge through
the jungle. $60 in low season.
Iguana uses 6-man U-paddle rafts
in high water, two-man inflatable kayaks in low water (high season). They also offer a
kayaking, a three-hour Manuel Antonio Park tour, and dolphin tours on a Zodiac. The Zodiac
tour visits marine life, blow-holes and other sites inshore, goes offshore for sea turtles
and dolphins, and concludes with snacks and a swim in Biesanz Bay.
Amigos del Rio advertises
a "100% Satisfaction Money-back guarantee." They hit the Naranjo’s white
water, seven miles of challenging class III-IV river, and also offer ocean kayaking around
the Damas Island estuary and Manuel Antonio’s coast.
Amigos del Rio is the only outfit
to run the world class Upper Rio Savegre through the jungle, called among the most
difficult and beautiful stretches on the planet. The trip pauses at a waterfall for lunch.
Nightlife
 Kamuk’s
La Bocita is a hectic downtown disco. For live music, try El Banco Bar (weekends) and the
Crazy Horse Bar at Isabel’s, also downtown.
On weekend nights, lots of young
locals and a few gringos show up for disco at Mar Y Sombra, the open-air restaurant on the
public beach. (If Quepos is a ghost town, head for the beach!)
Casinos
The Rainforest Casino in Manuel Antonio, along with the Divasamar Hotel, is closed and now
for sale. Downtown, the Kamuk Hotel’s casino is cramped and more like a Reno sawdust
joint. The Parador usually opens its casino for high season.
Sports bars
Best place to watch the big games is Banco Bar. In Manuel Antonio, the Billfish
Billiards Sports Bar at Hotel Byblos has four full-size pool tables, six ping pong
tables, and slot machines. They will screen your fishing and surfing videos at the bar,
popular with the college crowd.
Drinks
Don’t miss trying a Guaro Sour, a specialty at Banco Bar downtown. Or a Guaro
Colado at the Kamuk, also downtown.
Downtown Quepos dining
Best food downtown is still at Banco Bar, where Live Wire and other groups perform.
Breaded calamari is great, and also the Tex Mex dishes and dinner specials. Banco has the
best beer prices in downtown Quepos, lots of TVs for sports -- and you can change dollars
there too.
Don't miss the Italian ice cream
at Escalofrio up the street from Sargento Garcia's. Coconut, banana and mora
(blackberry) are all sensational when the temperature hits the high 80s.
Epicenter is a new Tico
restaurant in the former location of Marquesa's. But don't bother -- the locals and savvy
tourists eat at El Almendro. Excellent food, huge servings. From Dos Locos, go left
past Escalofrio and again at the end of the street. It's across the street from
Hi-Tech Sportfishing.
Sights to see in beautiful
downtown Quepos
The La Botanica Spice Shop offers an agroecological tour of an organic spice farm and
private wildlife refuge that ends in a guided nature trail to Rio Naranjo. All spices
grown on the farm are blended and sold at the shop in town.
Mar y Blues is home of The
Original Guaro Indian Museum, where several new artifacts recently went on display. For
local news, look for a copy of Guarolandia, available at Mar y Blues, Banco
Bar and other sophisticated clubs and bars.
Getting around
Taxis are reasonable and will suffice for most travelers. They don't use meters here, so
ask the driver. Most speak a little English. You can take a local bus or a rental car
south to Playa Dominical for a day trip. Click here for a road map. |
Hoteles de
Quepos
PLaya
Jaco
Mapa 
7
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