Manuel Antonio National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio) is a small national park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and 157 km (98 mi) from the national capital of San José. It was established in 1972, when the local community sought to conserve the natural environment by prohibiting development and destruction. They also protested the beach restrictions imposed by foreign owners on locals. The park has a land area of 1,983 ha (4,900 acres) and 25,634 ha (63,340 acres) of water area for a total of 27,587 ha (68,170 acres). Despite being one of the smaller Costa Rican parks in terms of land area, Manuel Antonio is the most popular of the 30 national parks, attracting 4,388,460 visitors from 2012 to 2022. In 2011, Manuel Antonio was listed by Forbes as among the world's 12 most beautiful national parks. The park is known for its beaches, rocky islands, hiking trails, tropical forests, and a diversity of wildlife.
