Manuel Antonio it is an amazing National Park where you can find not only the most beautiful beaches on the Costa Rican Pacific side but also a lot of animals, plants and incredible food. To get to Manuel Antonio there are many options: tour, bus or flight. You can find one-day tours if you don't have enough time. Buses are pretty cheap, around 18 USD for a round trip from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. The main company is TRACOPA (www.tracopacr.com) and it takes 3.5 hours (there are some stops for food and breaks). Flights can be bought on SANSA (flysansa.com), the round trip is around 100 USD and is an amazing flight where you can appreciate the beauty of the pacific coast from the sky.

Manuel Antonio National Park is in the middle of the Tropical Forest, the entrance to the park costs 16 USD, you are not allowed to take food with you inside the park, specifically unpacked food that can grab the attention of all the animals. You will need to bring a lot of water, fruits, sandwich but nothing artificial or snacks. Seriously, the park is full of funny animals like white-faced monkeys and local raccoons (pizotes), they already know how to steal food from tourists and they are all over the national park and beaches. When you get inside, there are a lot of trails and maps to walk, ranging from a 20-minute stroll to an hour-long walk. While travelling through the trails, you can observe and discover animals such as birds, deer, monkeys, frogs and many more. At the end of the trails, you will find a pristine beach decorated by shimmering rays and glistening waves. You will find yourself in the middle of nature. Remember to bring your sunscreen and enjoy the beautiful sunset in the Pacific Ocean.
In Manuel Antonio, there are some gay amenities. The gay beach is named La Playita (Little beach in Spanish) and is the prime location for the LGBT community. Manuel Antonio is a gay-friendly town, since many years ago a community of local and international gays has moved to live there, and now they are owners of many places. It is a beautiful place with a freedom and relaxed vibe.
Other interesting activities that you can try are parasailing (around 200 USD for a couple), you will be actually flying around Manuel Antonio beach. If you like intense activities, there are zip lines and canopies. Even if Manuel Antonio is a pretty small town, once there you’ll realize that is full of hotels, restaurants and cafes, you just need to pick one.

Before we book a holiday or a flight, check if we need a holiday visa or a transit visa (if we're not sure), just to have as little as possible unpleasant situation. The best you can check is on your embassy ( the origin of your passport), but other sites will also give you some ideas of how strong your passport is for free visa traveling; please check here.

Enjoy!