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By far the smallest Park in Costa Rica's system, PARQUE NACIONAL MANUEL ANTONIO (Tues-Sun 7am-4pm; US$6; www.manuelantonio.com ), some 150km southwest of San Jose, fights it out with Parque Nacional Volcan Poas in the Valle Central for the title of the most popular national park in the country. It's hard not to appreciate the foresight that went into the establishment of the park in 1972: considering the number of hotels and restaurants sidling up to its borders, you can just imagine how developed the white sands would be today were they not protected. Even so, the park is suffering from the numbers it receives, and frequently reaches its quota of six hundred visitors a day. Covering an area of just under seven square kilometres, Manuel Antonio preserves not only the lovely beaches and the unique tombolo formation of Punta Catedral, but also mangroves and humid tropical forest . Visitors can walk only on the coastal section of the park. The eastern mountain section is off limits to the public, and is regularly patrolled by rangers to deter poaching, which is rife in the area, and incursions into the park from surrounding farmers and campesinos. This forest is one of the few remaining natural habitats for squirrel monkeys . Other mammals in the park - you're likely to see many of the smaller ones - include the racoon, coati, agouti, two-toed sloth and white-faced capuchin monkey. Birdlife is also abundant, including the shimmering green kingfisher, the brown pelican, which can often be seen fishing off the rocks, and the laughing falcon. Beware of the snakes that inhabit the park, draping themselves over the trails in imitation of jungle vines; you may not see them, but they're here. The climate is hot, humid and wet, all year round. Though the rains ease off in the dry season (Dec-April), they never disappear entirely. The average temperature all year is 27°C, and it can easily go to 30°C and above. Beaches in Manuel Antonio are known by a confusing number of different names, but because some are not safe for swimming, it's important to grasp which one is which. Playa Espadilla , also sometimes called Playa Primera, is actually outside the park, immediately north of the entrance. One of the most popular beaches in the country - it is very beautiful, with a wide stretch of smooth light-grey sand and stunning sunsets - it is also very dangerous, plagued by fast rip tides . However, lots of people do swim here - or, rather, paddle and wade - and live to tell the tale, and now that there are professional lifeguards around, it's considerably safer than it used to be, in the dry season, at least. Inside the park, swim only at Playa Manuel Antonio (also called Playa Tres or Playa Blanca), which is where everyone else will be, anyway. Immediately south of Punta Catedral, it is situated in a deeper and more protected bay than the park's other beaches. Playa Espadilla Sur (or Playa Dos) is very calm - like a swimming pool, say the rangers - but you can still get clobbered by the deceptively gentle-looking waves as they hit the shore.
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