Moment · Costa Rica
Manuel Antonio: Costa Rica’s Gay Coast
Walk Manuel Antonio National Park with a naturalist at opening time, then spend the afternoon on the beaches below the rainforest.
Where the Rainforest Meets the Pacific
Manuel Antonio sits on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, just south of the town of Quepos. Rainforest runs right down to white-sand beaches, and monkeys and sloths live in the trees above the hotels.
It has also long been one of the most popular places in Central America for gay travelers, with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere along the road between Quepos and the park.
Arriving here means slowing down, with mornings in the forest and afternoons by the sea.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Manuel Antonio National Park was created in 1972 and is one of the smallest and most visited parks in the country. Trails lead through the forest to beaches and lookouts over the coast.
With a naturalist guide and a spotting scope, you see far more than you would alone, from sloths and white-faced capuchins to the endangered Central American squirrel monkey. Arriving as the park opens gives you the best chance of seeing wildlife before the heat and crowds build.
The Beaches
Inside the park, Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Espadilla Sur are sheltered coves of pale sand. Outside, Playa Espadilla is the long public beach, and the smaller La Playita, at its southern end, has long been popular with gay visitors.
Afternoons can be spent swimming, reading in the shade or taking a boat along the coast to look for dolphins, with a picnic packed by your hotel.
Tell us where your mind keeps going back to. We will do the rest.
Request a quote →A Welcoming Town
Manuel Antonio’s reputation as a gay-friendly destination goes back decades, and today many of its hotels and restaurants are LGBTQ+ owned or openly welcoming. Your specialist knows which ones suit couples looking for quiet and which suit friends looking for a livelier evening. Evenings are relaxed, with dinner on terraces overlooking the ocean and a handful of bars along the hill.
Costa Rica decriminalized homosexuality in 1971, and in 2020 it became the first country in Central America to recognize same-sex marriage.
Sunset on the Hill
The road from Quepos to the park climbs along a ridge with views over the Pacific. Many hotels and restaurants sit along it, and sunset from a terrace here is a daily ritual.
As the light fades, you may hear howler monkeys calling across the valley. For a different view, a late-afternoon catamaran sail along the coast gives you the cliffs and coves of the park from the water, with time to swim before the sun goes down.
Planning Your Manuel Antonio Experience
The dry season runs from December to April, while the green season brings afternoon rain and fewer visitors. The national park is closed on Tuesdays and limits daily entry, so tickets should be booked ahead. Manuel Antonio is a short flight from San José to Quepos, or around three hours by road.
Out Of Office can arrange your flights, a naturalist guide, and a stay at a hotel we know and trust. Your LGBTQ+ travel specialist can also combine Manuel Antonio with the cloud forests of Monteverde or one of our beach vacations across Costa Rica.
The best trips begin with a conversation, not a booking form.
Tell us how you would like the trip to feel, and a specialist will take it from there.
More Moments in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Marrying on the Pacific Coast
A First for Central America On May 26, 2020, same-sex marriage became legal in Costa Rica when a ruling by the country's Supreme Court took effect. Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to recognize it. The first couple, Alexandra Quirós and Dunia Araya, married just after midnight in a ceremony streamed live online. Since then, couples from around the world have come to marry here.
Discover more
The Arribada: Mass Turtle Nesting at Ostional With a Biologist
When the Beach Begins to Move Playa Ostional, on Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, is a long curve of black volcanic sand that looks ordinary for most of the year. Then, on certain nights, the waterline starts to stir.
Discover more
Ziplining the Costa Rican Canopy, Privately
Born From Science Ziplining started as research, not recreation. In 1974 biologist Donald Perry came to a rainforest research station in Costa Rica to study the upper canopy, then thought almost unreachable and called "the last biological frontier." He fired lines over the tallest trees with a crossbow and rigged ropes and steel pulleys so scientists could glide quietly above the forest floor.
Discover more
We plant trees for every booking
For every booking made with Out Of Office we commit to planting trees in your name to help reduce the impact of travel on future generations. You'll even get a link to see where your trees are planted in the world via our partner Ecologi.
We donate to Rainbow Railroad with every booking
Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. A donation goes with every trip we sell, funded by us and never added to your price.
Start Planning Your Trip
Tell us where you would love to go, when you are thinking of traveling and what kind of trip you have in mind. One of our LGBTQ+ travel specialists will create a tailor-made itinerary designed around your destination, style and preferences.
One named specialist, first inquiry to homecoming. No call center, and nothing is charged until you decide to book.