A new digital reservation system has made visiting the Manuel Antonio National Park in the Puntarenas Province easier.

According to the National System of Conservation Areas (Sinac), the governmental institution in charge of managing all national parks and protected areas, tourists can make faster online reservations and pay for tickets through its website.

Furthermore, the obligation to provide printed entry tickets (previously purchased online) at the park gate has been annulled, allowing visitors to present only the reservation number or ticket code saved on their phones or other devices.

The new approach would enable faster and safer entrance to the park, authorities added.

Additionally, the park has already upgraded the refreshment stand where guests may purchase snacks and alcohol-free drinks.

The park was established in 1972. It is now the most popular tourist destination in the country, with an average of 1,000 visitors daily.

The park comprises 4,900 acres of land and 63,340 acres of territorial waters. It is recognized for its beaches, rocky islands, hiking paths, tropical woods, and a wide range of fauna.

The beaches inside the park's humid tropical forest are home to a diverse range of endangered flora and wildlife. The area also features a mangrove, marine ecosystems, islands and a lagoon.

The ability to enter faster is one of the most recent enhancements at the natural park. Recently authorities announced the new hiking routes developed in the Punta Catedral zone, one of park's major attractions.

In May, the Tourism Institute announced its plans to build a new port in the San Lucas Island National Park to enhance the visitor experience.

Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Costa Rica. Approximately 884,000 tourists arrived in the country via air between January and March of this year, representing a 16.8% rise over the same period in 2023, noted the tourism authorities.

The country reported a new tourism record reached in 2023, with more than 2,4 million travelers.