Manuel Antonio takes 4th place, in top 10 Relaxation and Spa destinations of Central and South America .

#1 most visited park in Costa Rica:
Manuel Antonio National Park
Out of the the top 10 Relaxation and Spa destinations of Central and South America, Manuel Antonio received fourth place, while Costa Rica received a total of 5 out of 10, with Volcano Arenal in first place.

Top 10 Relaxation & Spa Destinations in Central & South America

Costa Rican National Park Day

Today, 24th of August 2010, we are celebrating COSTA RICA’S NATIONAL PARK DAY and we are happy to share with you that the Manuel Antonio National Park has once again been announced by “La Nacion” (our National newspaper) as the most popular visited park in the country for the year 2009, with a total of 261,156 vistors. The second place goes to the Poas Volcano National Park with 182,900 visitors . Manuel Antoni National Park

Created in 1972 and encompassing an area of around 682 hectares (aprox. 4000 acres), the Manuel Antonio National park is amongst the most diverse and beautiful places in the region. Considered to be the tiniest national park in Costa Rica, what this park lacks in size, it makes up for in stunning natural beauty.
Manuel Antonio National Park Hiking Tour

Humpback whales spotted along the Pacific coastline. These whales can be observed at different times of the year from the Resort. In the background, Punta Quepos with the Parador Suites and Premium rooms.
Costa Rica Becomes Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary

Manuel Antonio Costa Rica

This is how Manuel Antonio Natl. Park looked last week when we visited the area. /// Asi lucia el Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio la semana pasada cuando estuvimos de visita

Wild Life

These past 2 weeks tons of wildlife has been seen around the Parador Resort & Spa grounds and nature trails. A rarely seen 2 toed sloth was spotted with her baby, also a 3 toed sloth with a baby, titi monkeys and white face monkeys with babies as well. This is a positive sign that our fauna keeps reproducing and our efforts towards sustainability are helping with the conservation of our enviroment.

Our rainforest sparkles with wildlife….

Here are two hard to find frogs spotted on the Parador grounds. The photos were taken by our resident manager , Jorge Rodriquez

Another wonderful wedding at the Parador

Jun 30, 2010
We traveled to Hotel Parador as a group (approx. 30) to attend a wedding. We were greeted by warm smiles, cool towels and cold beverages. After the bus ride from the airport, all were appreciative of the great reception. Enough cannot be said about the road one must take to get to Hotel Parador - it is an adventure all by itself. I can't believe they leave the road in such a state, but, it lends to the overall "charm" of the location.

Hotel Parador is a great place to stay - the grounds are impeccably maintained, the pool areas are kept very clean, and all interior spaces appeared to be spotless. Each person encountered on the staff was very friendly. The front desk staff was extremely helpful in arranging transportation and excursions.

The food served at Hotel Parador is excellent. Everything from the breakfast buffet, to lunch and dinners is presented beautifully and expertly prepared. The dinners are all a real treat. Sushi lovers - you MUST try the sushi offerings of Sushi Fune - just wonderful. One mustn't be in a hurry when dining, however. Again, this lends to the laid back charm of the overall atmosphere - trust me, it's worth the wait.

Our group was treated very well throughout our stay and the wedding reception was no exception. Attentive waitstaff made sure everyone was well served and always had a fresh beverage.

As an added bonus, the ability to see monkeys, sloths, iguanas and exotic birds was a real treat.

Since we were there for the wedding, and all of the goings on surrounding that event, we were not able to take in some of the hotel's spa services - I guess we'll just have to go back.