The tourist area of the Central Pacific region covers the Pacific coast between Punta Loros (in front of the Carara Biological Reserve) and the mouth of the Baru River. This may be Costa Rica’s most popular tourist destination and also the most easily accessible, can be reached easily by car or plane.
This area is well known by The Manuel Antonio National Park, the most popular and visited natural area in the entire territory of Costa Rica. This gift of nature, of 1,688 acres (683 has), is located 157 Km. south of San José and only 7 Km. from Quepos. It is famous for its natural beauty, spectacular beaches, fantastic sports fishing opportunities, dense lush rainforests, exotic animal and bird species and exquisite coral reefs.
The Manuel Antonio National Park is surrounded by a huge number of cozy hotels and restaurants that offer fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean.
The best four beaches here include: Playa Esterillos, Bejuco, Playa Hermosa, Palo Seco, Manuel Antonio, and Playa Escondida. With no doubt, Manuel Antonio is the prettiest beach with silky white sand and a stunning offshore coral reef.
Interesting places to visit
Puntarenas
Located in Costa Rica’s largest province Puntarenas, Puntarenas city is the largest city in the Central Pacific. About 120 kilometers west of the capital San Jose, Puntarenas means ‘sandy point’ in Spanish, and used to be one of the country’s principal seaports. Although nowadays it is mostly used as a stopover port for many cruise ships that sail the waters of the Pacific Ocean, it is still used as an important commercial fishing port, offering visitors and locals some of the best seafood and Costa Rican cuisine on the Pacific Coast.
Jacó
With a less than two-hour drive from San José, this is one of the top ten beaches in Costa Rica. Its popularity has attracted large tourist attention, this since Jacó is popular for its surfing and lively nightlife. As Jaco is close to the Los Sueños Marina, and 18-hole championship golf course, it brings a lot to the value of real estate in the area.
Quepos
This is a small town located 160 kms from San Jose and it is known as one of the best places in the world for sport fishing. This is the ideal town to spend a lovely relaxed weekend. Quepos offers tourists not only fantastic fishing opportunities but also plenty of other activities to indulge in as well. This town has a number of reasonably priced hotels, accommodations and luxury resorts scattered all over the place, as well as many fine restaurants, lounges and bars. It is only 7km from the famous Manuel Antonio National Park.
Manuel Antonio
This is one of the most expensive and exclusive areas in Costa Rica, which started out as a tiny village that had a beautiful National Park— Manuel Antonio National Park— next to it. Because of Manuel Antonio’s lack of size, many exclusive hotels started building on the road to Manuel Antonio and took advantage of the magnificent panoramic views; however, some budget hotels can be found too.
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