Active Pursuits

The Beaches -- Playa Espadilla Sur is the first beach within the actual park boundaries. It's usually the least-crowded and one of the best places to find a quiet shade tree to plant yourself under. However, if there's any surf, this is also the roughest beach in the park. If you want to explore further, you can walk along this soft-sand beach or follow a trail through the forest parallel to the beach. Playa Manuel Antonio, which is the most popular beach inside the park, is a short, deep crescent of white sand backed by lush rainforest. The water here is sometimes clear enough to offer good snorkeling along the rocks at either end, and it's usually fairly calm. At low tide Playa Manuel Antonio shows a very interesting relic: a circular stone turtle trap left by its pre-Columbian residents. From Playa Manuel Antonio, there's another slightly longer trail to Puerto Escondido, where a blowhole sends up plumes of spray at high tide.

The Hiking Trails -- From either Playa Espadilla Sur or Playa Manuel Antonio, you can take a circular hike around a high promontory bluff. The farthest point on this hike, which takes about 25 minutes round-trip, is Punta Catedral, where the view is spectacular. The trail is a little steep in places, but anybody in average shape can do it. I have done it in sturdy sandals, but you might want to wear good hiking shoes. This is a good place to spot monkeys, although you're more likely to see a white-faced monkey than a rare squirrel monkey. Another good place to see monkeys is the trail inland from Playa Manuel Antonio. This is a linear trail and mostly uphill, but it's not too taxing. It's great to spend hours exploring the steamy jungle and then take a refreshing dip in the ocean.

Finally, there's a trail that leads first to Puerto Escondido and Punta Surrucho, where there are some sea caves. Be careful when hiking beyond Puerto Escondido: What seems like easy beach hiking at low tide becomes treacherous to impassable at high tide. Don't get trapped.

Beaches Outside the Park -- Playa Espadilla, the gray-sand beach just outside the park boundary, is often perfect for board surfing and bodysurfing. At times it's a bit rough for casual swimming, but with no entrance fee, it's the most popular beach with locals and visiting Ticos. Some shops by the water rent boogie boards and beach chairs and umbrellas. A full-day rental of a beach umbrella and two chaise longues costs around $10 (£5). (These are not available inside the park.) This beach is actually a great spot to learn how to surf. There are several open-air shops renting surfboards and boogie boards along the road fronting this beach. Rates run between $5 to $10 (£2.50-£5) per hour, and around $30 to $40 (£15-£20) per day. If you want a lesson, check in with the Manuel Antonio Surf School (tel. 777-4842; www.masurfschool.com), which has a roadside kiosk on the road to Manuel Antonio.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling -- Manuel Antonio Scuba Divers (tel. 777-3483; www.manuelantoniodivers.com) and Oceans Unlimited (tel. 777-3171; www.oceansunlimitedcr.com) offer both scuba diving and snorkel outings, as well as certification and resort courses. Because of river run-off and often less than stellar visibility close to Quepos, the best trips involve some travel time. However, Isla del Caño is only about a 90-minute ride (each way). This is one of the best dive sites in Costa Rica, and I highly recommend it.

ATV -- If you want to try riding a four-wheel ATV (all-terrain vehicle), check in with the folks at Fourtrax Adventures (tel. 777-1825; www.fourtraxadventure.com). Their principal tour is a 3-hour adventure through African palm plantations, rural towns, and secondary forest to a jungle waterfall, where you stop for a dip. You cross several rivers and a long suspension bridge. Either breakfast or lunch is served, depending on the timing. Cost is $95 (£48) per ATV. A second rider on the same ATV costs $20 (£10).

Biking -- If you want to do some mountain biking while you're here, check in with Estrella Tour (tel./fax 777-1286) in downtown Quepos. Well-maintained bikes rent for around $24 (£12) per day. You can also do a number of different guided tours according to skill level for between $45 and $90 (£23-£45) per day, as well as multiday expeditions.

Butterfly Garden -- Fincas Naturales/The Nature Farm Reserve (tel. 777-1043; www.butterflygardens.co.cr) is just across from (and run by) Hotel Sí Como No. A lovely bi-level butterfly garden is the centerpiece attraction here, but there is also a private reserve and a small network of well-groomed trails through the forest. A 1-hour guided tour of the butterfly garden costs $15 (£7.50) per person, or $35 (£18) when combined with a 1-hour guided hike through the forest. This is also a good place to do a night tour ($30/£15).

Canopy & Canyoning Adventures -- There are several canopy tours in the area. The most adventurous is offered by Canopy Safari (tel. 777-0100; www.canopysafari.com), which features 21 tree-top platforms connected by a series of cables and suspension bridges. Adventurers use a harness-and-pulley system to "zip" between platforms, using a leather-gloved hand as their only brake. The Titi Canopy Tour (tel. 777-3130; www.titicanopytours.com) is a similar but mellower setup. A canopy tour should run you between $55 and $65 (£28-£33) per person.

Horseback Riding -- If your tropical fantasy is to ride a horse down a beach between jungle and ocean, contact Stable Equus (tel. 777-0001), which charges $35 (£18) for a 2-hour ride in Manuel Antonio. This stable treats its animals more humanely than other stables in the immediate Manuel Antonio area and is also concerned with keeping horse droppings off the beaches. Back in the hills, Brisas del Nara (tel. 779-1235; www.horsebacktour.com) offers full- and half-day horseback excursions that pass through both primary and secondary forest and feature a swimming stop at a jungle waterfall. A full-day tour with these folks, including breakfast and lunch, costs $55 (£28) per person; and $45 (£23) for a similar half-day tour, with less time on the horse.

Soothe Your Body & Soul -- There are quite a few massage therapists around Manuel Antonio and a couple of day spas. The best of these are Raindrop Spa (tel. 777-2880; www.raindropspa.com), Sea Glass Spa (tel. 777-2607; www.seaglassspa.com), and Serenity Spa at the Hotel Sí Como No. A wide range of treatments, wraps, and facials are available at all of the above.

Sivana Yoga (tel. 356-7492; www.sivanayoga.com) has open classes ($12/£6) Monday through Friday at 8am above the Anaconda restaurant, across from the Hotel Costa Verde. Private classes are also offered.

Ultralight Tour -- If you want a really good view of Manuel Antonio's spectacular scenery, you might sign up with the folks at Costa Rica Flying Boat (tel. 777-9208; www.flyingboatcostarica.com), who offer ultralight flights out of the Quepos airport. A 20-minute flight runs around $70 (£35).