I am renting a beautiful home in Quepos first week in August. I have some minor concerns which I can get over, but my husband is a little harder to convince. I keep hearing how the beaches to go to are IN Manuel AntonioNational Park, but surely, there are public beaches I would have access without having to ENTER the park, no? Also, can I take a cooler or backpack into the park since once there, I'm sure we'll spend the whole day and I assume there is no where to eat IN the park? Lastly, I KNOW we are going in green season, but having spent my summers in Costa Rica as a child, I recall that it was not a wash out daily. It usually rained a couple hours a day..and it was over. It's been a L O N G time since I was a child...so memory could eaily be failing me!! Has the weather changed that significantly that I should expect 10-days at the beach and eco adventure is going to be flop?

Hi - we just came back from Manuel Antonio and yes, there was a public beach (outside of the Park). Not as nice as the one in the park though. We heard about how unsafe the beaches are, but we felt alright there (we were there for a few hours) and we had 2 backpacks. I saw a lot of people bring in coolers. We didn't see a place to eat inside. It rained both days we were in Manuel Antonio but it rained in the evenings (one evening, it rained for 9 hours straight). Have a great trip!

Hi,
We went in August 2010 and while it rained sometimes pretty hard we still had wonderful beach days and the rain never really stopped us from doing any of our activities. When we visited inside the park we packed a lunch. You are right that there isn't anywhere to eat inside the park.

Actually, August is the driest month of the "green season". You will usually wake to sunshine, and get rain in the afternoon. Sometimes at 2:00, sometimes not until sunset. But you rarely have a complete rainout.

I have been going to Manuel Antonio for many years. But it has been a little while since I have gone into the National Park. Unless something has changed in the last couple of years, there is no vending in the park.

Our drill has always been to have a good breakfast before we head to the park. We travel with a collapsible cooler, and fill this with beverages (beer is nice, but don't forget water), and a light lunch. We usually just pick up a couple of fruit plates at one of the sodas (small restaurants) at the beach. At the end of the day, we grab a shower, and head out for the best dinner we can find.

The cooler comes in handy on the long drives too, and you can fill it with coffee for the flight home.

You definitely want to visit the park. It is a very cool place. Good beaches, and a lot of nature. It is worthwhile to hire a guide for a half day. You will see a lot more animals that way.

Another nice beach day is to ask the front desk to arrange a taxi to "Biesanz beach". This is a beautiful little beach with a gentle current. Mostly a local crowd, and it is not far off the main road. Same deal here, you have to pack everything in. Just make sure you pack it back out.

The reason you want the front desk to arrange a taxi, is that you want to make sure the taxi comes back! I have been caught a couple of times in a remote location waiting for a taxi that never returns. The hotels usually have a relationship with certain drivers. So if they set it up for you, there is a lot better chance that you will have a ride back.

Fun story. Almost twenty years ago, I got stranded here. After a while, I started to walk out. I met Barry Biesanz on the road, and walked with him a little while. His family had a house there, and he invited me up to call another cab. At the time, I did not know who he was. I found out later that he was kinda famous in Costa Rica. He is quite well known as a woodworking artist. It was a fun (short) visit, and he was a really nice guy.

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer any more advice.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
Travel Professional

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. I especially appreciate the reassurance about August being the "dryest" of the rain season and how may days will not be complete wash outs!!

We've been in July and got daily rain but no washouts. The beach inside the park is the prettiest one that we've seen, but you can definitely do outside the park as well. If you bring food and drink, watch out for the klepto monkeys; they will steal from you!