Interesting Things To Do in Quepos

An Overview of Quepos

Quepos is a small, Pacific Coast town known as the primary gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park. The area is home to mangrove coastlines, broad lagoons, clear seas, beach-lined rainforest and nearby islands. The town itself is home to a variety of open-air attractions, such as bars, hotels, shops and shoreside hangouts. Aside from spotting the howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys and squirrel monkeys in Manuel Antonio National Park, visitors can also enjoy the nearby Damas Island Mangrove Zone, home to caimans, snakes and iguanas.

Advice For Visiting Quepos

The main bus to reach Quepos is Bus Station Tracopa LTDA, which is located in a neighborhood of south San José.  Be sure to check times, as some buses take a much wider loop requiring four and a half hours, while direct busses only require three hours.  Tickets may be purchased at the terminal on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Coffee Stop (a small indoor café) is one of the only places in Quepos where there is publicly available air conditioning and WIFI. 

Buses drive to Manuel Antonio National Park every half hour from the Quepos Bus Station. 

Espadilla Beach is publicly accessibly for free, though it is somewhat more crowded than the beaches found within Manuel Antonio Park. 

There are many monkeys which hang around Manuel Antonio National Park and the surrounding area.  Though locals are wary of them, the monkeys are used to humans. They’ve been known to grab things, such as unattended backpacks.  Be sure to keep an eye on your goods.

Interesting Things To Do in Quepos

Restaurante Mira Olas 

This is a nice restaurant in Quepos with decent, slightly pricey food. The restaurant’s broad windows overlook the bay facing west.  It’s an excellent location for sunset meals.

Restaurante La Cocina

This is a small restaurant in the town of Quepos known for its affordable meals and traditionally-styled foods.

Coffee Stop 

Coffee Stop is one of Quepos, many coffee shops, located close to the bus station with air conditioning and WIFI.

El Malecon 

The El Malecon of Quepos is a shoreline walking area which passes a skatepark, a photogenic plaza space with the name of the city and series of benches and stones overlooking the bay.

Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio

This is a famous park about half an hour south of Quepos by bus or car.  The park is well known for monkey sightings and coastal views. Visitors can also enjoy rugged rainforests, white-sand beaches , rocky island swimming areas and coral reefs. While tickets don’t always need to be bought in advance, it’s highly recommended that visitors pre-book. The online system for selling national park tickets called SINAC.

Cathedral Point 

This is a large, scenic penninsula which overlooks the western portion of Manuel Antonio National Park.

Espadilla Beach 

This is a free-access beach located just outside of Manuel Antonio National Park.  The shores are fairly active with lots of swimmers, surfers and walking areas.  There are many restaurants and lodging locations nearby.

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