Quepos - Manuel Antonio National Park

One of our port stops next year is Puerto Quepos in Costa Rica, but there is very little information here re what's interesting there. I looked into the segway tours in the National Park, but the site is down. I'd appreciate any suggestions on what to do/see there?

What do you want or like to do?

Sorry, to be short. Quepos and Manuel Antonio is a popular tourist location for Costa Ricans. It has most of the usual tourist excursions & things with a slightly less big cruise ship spoon fed feel.

If you want tours there are many to choose from. Mangrove boat tours through the mangroves near Damas to nature walks through Manuel Antonio park. If you want to be independent it's a easy place to get around. There are busses that run a circuit from town (Quepos) all the way down to where the road ends at Manuel Antonio. In between are some great restaurants with incredible views and an Iran Contra cargo plane turned bar and airliner turned into a hotel suite.

Do you know if there are any segway tour operators there....like the Cartagena

set up? I'm not sure if "Segway Tours Costa Rica" still do therainforest/beach tour, as the website is down. Thanks too for your swift reply.

Cheers,

Anna

If there is a Segway tour in Cartagena I think that would be better. Quepos is a small and relatively new city by comparison so there simply is not much to see in town. As for Segwaying through the forest I think you loose much of the benefit of exploring the jungle unless you simply want an off road driving experience.

Thanks for your advice, pilotdane. Appreciate it.

If you're still here pilotdane, I'd like to ask you a question related to your previous post. As it happens, I'm on the same cruise as Kinkacruiser. Our ship is scheduled to be in port on May 6, 2015 from 6AM to 5PM.

Never having been to Puerto Quepos before, I'd like to see as much as possible during that time, but I'd prefer to do it on my own with DH than via a ship's excursion.

Can you please tell me more about the "busses that run a circuit from town (Quepos) all the way down to where the road ends at Manuel Antonio" ? (I have no clue where Manuel Antonio is) Is this like a hop-on-hop-off bus by any chance? Does it stop at or near the cruise ship port? Would it practical for a passenger who doesn't speak Spanish to attempt to get around by bus? Is there perhaps a website where I might find a route map and schedule?

I'd appreciate any information you would like to share, even if you don't have all the answers!

First, understand that the Quepos Manuel Antonio area is a tourist area with Costa Ricans and people from around the world. The area is quite tourist friendly without the "Disney" feel of a manufactured cruise port like found in the Caribbean. This basically means that many people speak English, busses and businesses have been catering to tourists for years and a gringo does not attract unusual attention. Riding the bus is pretty easy and quite safe. It's a good introduction to doing things more like a traveler and less like a cruise tourist and something you can accomplish with little to no Spanish.

The bus is a city bus and not a hop on hop off tourist bus. It has regular stops and is used by both locals and tourists. You get on and off at designated bus stops. They generally will not let you off or pick you up between stops. They come about every half hour and the trip from end to end is about half an hour. In general it's the only bus running up and down the coast between Quepos and Manuel Antonio so it's hard to screw-up. Be careful at the central bus station as most of those are inter city busses.

Keep in mind that bus drivers are bus drivers and these see a steady stream of stupid tourists. Don't take it personally if the driver is not excited to see you. Even if they won't respond to you in English they understand a lot. If you want to go to a particular restaurant or place and don't know what stop to use mention your destination to the driver and pay attention. You can also ask some of the other passengers where you want to go. They can be very helpful. If you miss your stop and see your destination cruise by you can get off at the next stop and walk back or get off and catch another one heading in the opposite direction.

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One of my favorite places is Agua Azul. It's on the 2nd floor above a realty so you'll have to look to find it but it's right by the road and very popular. It doesn't look like much from outside but go up the spiral stair and the view from the restaurant is quite nice.

El Avion Costa Verde is what led us to Quepos & Monte Verde years ago. My wife E-mailed me a photo of an Iran Contra cargo plane turned into a bar. On a whim we headed down for a long weekend. The place is not the same now that they've built a roof and it's not the best restaurant or bar but it has a good view and it's good enough and it is fun just to see. One easy way is to grab a taxi to get there and have the driver drive around the hotel side so you can see the 727 sticking from the side of the hill then drop you off at the bar for a beverage.

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Official taxi's are red but there are far more unofficial taxis. They can be useful to get around more quickly than the bus but a bit of street smarts would be wise if taking an unofficial taxi.

Thank you, pilotdane :)

Does anyone know the name of the dock that the Azamara Journey will be tendering to at Quepos in March? Is there only one possibility? Private tour company wants to know where to pick us up for tour. Thank you.

There is a new port/dock area that has a central parking area so I would say there. It's a small port area so I can't imagine it will be too difficult to find your tour.

Pilotdane is spot-on about the buses. They end right near the park. Come every 30 minutes or so.

We stayed in the hotel San Bada right next to the park entrance. Very nice place.

The guided walk in the National park is very nice! And it is not at all strenuous.

Not far down the beach you can rent Personal Watercraft, go parasailing, surf, or just relax.

There is a new port/dock area that has a central parking area so I would say there. It's a small port area so I can't imagine it will be too difficult to find your tour.

Pilotdane, thanks for answering questions on this thread. if you are still monitoring, my question is the new port area close enough to the town of Quepos to walk into town? we plan to use Eva bike tours and would like to walk to their office to get our bicycles!

Try looking at the area on Google Maps or Google Earth so you can get a better idea of exactly how far. I'd plan for a bit more than a half mile walk or about 10 or 15 minutes . Luckily it's flat. And since you're picking up bikes I'd say it's very doable.

Try looking at the area on Google Maps or Google Earth so you can get a better idea of exactly how far. I'd plan for a bit more than a half mile walk or about 10 or 15 minutes . Luckily it's flat. And since you're picking up bikes I'd say it's very doable.

I tried the maps, but it didn't show where the ships dock, so your info is very helpful! For us, that's a short stroll under any circumstances and is easily manageable! Much thanks for your speedy reply!

Pilotdane is spot-on about the buses. They end right near the park. Come every 30 minutes or so.

We stayed in the hotel San Bada right next to the park entrance. Very nice place.

The guided walk in the National park is very nice! And it is not at all strenuous.

Not far down the beach you can rent Personal Watercraft, go parasailing, surf, or just relax.

You stated the guided walk in the National Park is nice. Can you take a cab to the park and sign up for a guided tour once at the park? Or do you need to make arrangements ahead of time? Appreciate any help given.

You stated the guided walk in the National Park is nice. Can you take a cab to the park and sign up for a guided tour once at the park? Or do you need to make arrangements ahead of time? Appreciate any help given.

Yes. I would buy your tickets then go thru the gates, then inquire about a guide.

Outside of the entrance there are many people dressed as guides trying to sell their services. I'm sure some of them are capable guides, but I would either call the parks office and set up a guide, or use a reputable tour company.

But again you can find a guide once there.

The official guides are easy to spot by their uniform and spotting scope. Most have a Swarovski spotting scope which is a considerable investment for them.

Tourist things are almost always "arranged". Not corrupt but anyone involved up the food chain gets a cut. Arranging a park guide through a tour company, hotel or shop selling excursions means part of the fee goes to them. Many have certain people they like to work with which can be good or bad. In general I think it's good but those same guides can be found waiting outside the park if they don't have a pre-arranged group to take on a tour that day.

And, don't forget to tip.

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The one thing that pisses me off though is the tour usually ends where you come back out onto the public beach. There is a tiny creek and a local usually has a boat tied across and for a "tip" you can walk across the boat so you don't get your feet wet. I just walk through the water. A nominal tip would be appropriate so don't feel taken if you walk across. Everyone's gotta make a living. It's just one of those things that bugs me.

DO NOT take that to mean a park tour with a guide is a scam. A guide is some of the best money you can spend if you want to see animals. They all talk to each other and are very well informed as to what animals are where and they are experts at making sure their clients can see animals.

Thank you so much for your help and suggestions. We never forget to tip for service. Also thinking about having lunch someplace in town or in/around the port. Any suggestions on a good location to have a bite and perhaps a drink?

Agua Azul is good with upscale bar food. Nothing fancy but an incredible view and it's a popular gringo spot so you'll have no trouble with language. There are a lot of English speaking people but it's not "touristy".

El Avion with the Iran Conta cargo plane is OK and it's the thing that got my wife and I going to Costa Rica many years ago.

She saw the plane in an online article and on a whim we said "lets go". It's gotten much more touristy but many tables have good views and the service and food are good but you can tell it's aimed squarely at the tourist crowd. If you go there you should walk across the street and see the airliner turned into a hotel suite.

There are many, many very good places to eat so don't be afraid to check on any place that looks interesting. Don't be bashful to look at the menu and prices and walk out if you don't like it. Some are ridiculously priced, especially the ones that look inviting to gringos.

And, if you've read this whole thread you'll see how redundant I'm being.

Thanks so much. You have given me good information and it is definitely appreciated. I look forward to exploring the area.