kjpollock asked 9 years ago
My husband and I leave for Costa Rica in two days! We generally like exploring things on our own but so many people seem to use guides and tours in Costa Rica. We’ll be in Manuel Antonio for three days. We’d like to explore the national park and the beaches. Can we do this on our own or do we need a guide?
Jenn and Matt Staff answered 9 years ago
Hi again kjpollock,
You can definitely visit Manuel Antonio National Park without a guide, you just pay the entrance fee and follow the trail map that they give you. One nice thing about having a guide is that they can point out a lot of wildlife that people generally just pass by without noticing. They also have powerful scopes so that you can see things like a sloth, high up in a tree, really close-up. We generally don’t use a guide because we have taken many tours and have learned how to spot different wildlife through those experiences. But whenever we do have one, we always learn something new about a plant, animal, or some cool natural history about the area. If you do end up hiring a guide, you can always visit the beaches within the park after the tour with them is over too. Enjoy!