Location: Quepos, Puntarenas Province Map
Area: 4,014 acres (16.24 km2)
Manuel Antonio National Park is smallest park of Costa Rica located just south of town of Quepos in Puntarenas Province. The park is located about 157 km south of the capital San Jose city of Costa Rica and 7 km south of the city of Quepos, between Damas and Matapalo. Manuel Antonio National Park was established on November 15, 1972 with an extension of 1,983 ha on the land part and 55,000 ha on the marine side, dedicated to conservation, research and ecotourism oriented towards environmental education. Despite its small size and fairly new establishment in 1972 it is one of the most beautiful nature reserves of the the country and the World.
History
The region where the Manuel Antonio
National Park is located, was populated by the Quepoa indigenous
community, name that gave origin to the city of Quepos. With the
arrival of the settlers, the land became a crop area that was later
acquired by the United Fruit Company, until in 1972, under pressure
from the Costa Rican people, it was acquired by the State, under its
protection and is now administered by the Conservation Area of the
Central Pacific (ACOPAC), of the National System of Conservation
Areas (SINAC), of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and
Telecommunications (MINAET).
Characteristics of the park
Manuel Antonio National Park has one of the most impressive
landscapes of Costa Rica and the world, has several inlets with
multiple white sand beaches and lush foliage in the middle of large
mountains and forests that reach the beaches, is in the forest life
zone tropical wet. It has a great terrestrial and marine
biodiversity with wonderful coral reefs.
Due to its excellent climate and scenic beauty, it
is visited by a large number of national and international tourism,
for which it is currently developing an adequate infrastructure,
with emphasis on harmony with nature, quality but mimicked with this
to reduce the visual impact and under strict environmental
protection standards, works designed by the renowned bioclimatic
architects Ibo Bonilla and Rafael Víquez, among which are the
Visitor Center, the Ranger's House, Viewpoints and support
infrastructure and the Master Trail Plan that includes trails :
Punta Catedral, Cascada, Mirador, Espadilla Beach, Manuel Antonio
Beach, Congos, Twin Beaches, Puerto Escondido, Mangrove and Lazy
Path, with universal accessibility facilities, rest areas, panoramic
viewpoints and scientific interpretation.
In the vicinity of
the Manuel Antonio National Park all kinds of commerce is present
along with facilities at all levels for tourism including regional
and international typical food, as well as accommodation for all
tastes and economic conditions.
Flora
Protects patches of
primary forest, secondary forest, mangrove, beach vegetation, marine
environments, islands and a lagoon of 14 ha, the most characteristic
flora species within the primary forest are the guácimo colorado,
the pylon, the cedar mary, the guapinol white, the surá, the black
guapinol, timber tree in danger of extinction, the milky, the
cenízaro and the ceiba.
The mangrove that covers
approximately 18 ha, is made up of three species, red mangrove,
white mangrove and black mangrove, in the vegetation of the beach
stands out the manzanillo, tree that has a milky substance and
poisonous fruits, the almond tree, the savanna oak and the coconut.
Some of the trees presented in Manuel Antonio National Park
Luehea seemanii
Hyeronima alchorneoides
Calophyllum
brasiliense
Hymenaea courbaril
Terminalia oblonga
Cynometra
hemitotophylla
Brosimum utile