Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park is a small national park on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of Quepos in Puntarenas Province, established in 1972 after the local community moved to conserve the area from development. An IUCN category II park, it combines about 1,983 hectares of land with more than 25,000 hectares of surrounding marine waters, protecting beaches, rocky islands, and tropical forest that shelter sloths, monkeys, iguanas, and some 184 bird species. Forbes named it among the world twelve most beautiful national parks in 2011, and it draws millions of visitors.