It was the middle of February, and we were sitting with a group of friends in a restaurant overlooking the Pacific. A long, palm-fringed beach stretched out into the distance as far as we could see. Behind us loomed mountains covered with rain forest, sweeping down to accent the beach, with its azure-blue water and sparkling surf. The sun was at its zenith, beating directly down with dazzling strength. Two members of our group were complaining about the heat. We consulted a thermometer and found that the temperature was 85 degrees. Suddenly they broke into laughter as they realized that Baltimore, their hometown, was dealing with 4 inches of sleet and snow. Two weeks of Costa Ricas idyllic weather had turned them into indignant complainers over an ordinary 85- degree day at the beach! We all ordered a cold beer served over ice cubes (a Costa Rica tradition) and looked out over the panorama with renewed appreciation for where we were: Costa Ricas famous Playa Manuel Antonio.
What kind of name is that for a beach? According to legend, a husband, worried about his pregnant wife, placed her in a dugout canoe and headed north for Puntarenas, hoping to find a doctor to deliver the baby. But before they could go very far, the wife went into labor and they paddled ashore to camp in the shelter of a gentle beach cove. His wife gave birth to a healthy child, whom they named Manuel Antonio; the beach has been called that ever since. Travelers who have visited beaches all over the world swear that Manuel Antonio is the most beautiful of all.
The coastline north of Manuel Antonio is a long shore of golden sand that catches the full force of the Pacifics waves as they roll in from China. Then, at Manuel Antonio Park, a narrow peninsula juts out into the ocean, curving about to form two protected coves on either side of the land. Here the waves suddenly become gentle, a place where you can float on your back for an hour without worrying about getting surf in your face. You will often find a sailboat or two anchored here, gently swaying, resting on the way to the Panama Canal or the big voyage north to Acapulco.
Originally United Fruit Company banana property, the area was made into a national park in 1972 with almost 700 hectares of land, partially expropriated, partially donated. The park contains three beaches, each with its own character. The first is Playa Espadilla Norte, which sees occasional riptides malthough many people swim here anyway. Next is Playa Espadilla Sur and then Playa Manuel Antonio, both quite safe for swimming and snorkeling. From the beginning the emphasis has been on preserving the natural beauty and protecting wildlife. Whiteface capuchin monkeys frolic in the trees, competing with arboreal iguanas for food. A tropical storm in 1993 ripped up some of the trees, causing the sloth population to go elsewhere, but other than that the damage was minimal.
One of the earlier tourist developments, Manuel Antonio soon became a popular place for retirement and vacation homes, hotels, and restaurants. To protect the area from total development, the government demands that new construction be connected with tourism in some manner. Buildings cannot be more than three stories high and must provide a minimum of three times the square footage of green space for each foot of building. To satisfy the requirement that development be tourist- related, several North Americans have built homes with rooms or apartments that can be rented out to tourists; they keep part of the house as living quarters.
Since Manuel Antonios fame makes it an almost obligatory part of a tourists itinerary, a bed-and-breakfast or Room Rentals can be a very viable business. Rooms are likely to be rented solidly through the summer (December, January, and February) and to have low vacancy rates during the rest of the year. During a recent trip we rented an apartment from a woman who came from Florida several years ago to build a small house for herself. She added a couple of rooms for extra income during the tourist season. As the volume of tourism during the off-season increased, she added more rooms, until she now has a pleasant ten - room hotel plus two apartments across the road all with a splendid view of the ocean. I hadnt considered becoming a Hotel owner when I came here, she explained. It just happened to work out that way. Over the thirty years that Ive been visiting Manuel Antonio, Ive seen the most profound changes of anywhere in the country. It has changed from a very rustic, low-density tourist destination to a full-tilt, full-service community. The road from Quepos to Manuel Antonio Park is jam-packed with hotels, restaurants, and other tourist accommodations. Scarcely a square meter of land remains undeveloped. Oddly enough, this doesnt seem to detract one iota of the regions beauty and charm.

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