Published on Wednesday, May 29, 2024

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Tourists visiting the Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos Canton, Puntarenas Province, may enjoy the new trails built for hiking the Punta Catedral zone.

According to the National System of Conservation Areas (Sinac), Punta Catedral is one of the top attractions in Manuel Antonio, which is also the most visited park in Costa Rica.

The building of the paths, which are more than a kilometer long and over a meter wide, with fences on both sides to allow climbing to the park's highest point, cost more than $950,000 and was funded by the Rural Development Institute.

The new pathways allow tourists to stroll comfortably around the park and reach Punta Catedral, as well as appreciate the rich environment, more readily access panoramic ocean views and white sand beaches.

Manuel Antonio National Park was established in 1972. It is now the most popular tourist destination in Costa Rica, with an average of 1,100 visitors daily.

The park comprises 4,900 acres of land and 63,340 acres of water. 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.

For those interested in visiting the park tickets are available through the Sinac website.

This is one of the recent improvements in a natural park in Costa Rica.  Recently, 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.

  

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Which other natural park in Costa Rica requires infrastructure improvements? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com