As an avid day-tripper always on the lookout for new places to explore nearby Manuel Antonio, here are a few highlights of what I have discovered along the way.

The town of Ojochal is a tiny French and French-Canadian community that is home to some of the country’s best quaint restaurants with wonderful food and colorful culture. It is located just an hour South of Quepos and makes for the perfect place to visit for a leisurely lunch and seeing more of the Southern landscapes. Who would have thought to find a little piece of Europe in Southern Costa Rica? To complete this experience, located right across from Ojochal is an entrance to a stunning mangrove and beach where you can swim in calm waters and enjoy the company of only a few other people. Traveler Tip: All restaurants are closed on Sunday.

Marino Ballena National Park is another gem to explore and is only 45 minutes south of Quepos. You can combine this trip with Ojochal, depending on how early you leave. This park has a stunning array of seven protected beaches and walking trails. My recommendation is to ask your luxury villa concierge to organize a chef-prepared lunch- to-go to and a cooler complete with drinks of your preference. What better way to spend the day than under a palm tree on a protected and pristine beach in Costa Rica while eating delicious food and enjoying a cool beverage? Traveler Tip: You are not allowed to bring alcohol into any of the national parks in Costa Rica, so if you do wish for this, you will need to disguise your beverages.

A bit closer to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica is Naranjito. A day trip to Naranjito will show you country living at its best. Here you can find fresh chicharrones, tilapia, patacones, and ice cold beer. On this day trip, you can horseback ride or learn about cattle herding culture. For the best look into this Costa Rican countryside, drive a 4×4 down to the river for a picnic lunch and enjoy some time sitting in the cool flowing water. Have your villa’s personal chef prepare a picnic-lunch for you, or keep going further into the countryside to the amazing co-op town of Quebrada Arroyo, a town where 13 families came together to create a co-op based park complete with suspension bridges, hiking trails, lookout points and waterfalls. Call ahead and reserve an authentic Costa Rican lunch prepared over the open-fire in the palm-thatched rancho located at the entrance of the hiking trails.

While Manuel Antonio has some of the nicest beaches in Costa Rica, there are other beaches nearby that make for great day-trips which are perfectly complemented by a cooler full of snacks, sandwiches, and of course, ice cold beers, a chilled bottle of champagne or a refreshing white wine. Playas Matapalo and Platanillo are 25 minutes South of Manuel Antonio and provide vast stretches of sand and incredible landscapes with very little population. With the absence of buildings, you see only palm trees and the rich coastline, for which Costa Rica was named. It’s a perfect day trip for those wanting to relax on beaches or go walking or jogging. The Savegre River is found along the way, which is also a great place to go river rafting. The river is appropriate for kids, as it is calm and peaceful. A day out on this Costa Rican river will provide opportunity after opportunity to see Costa Rica’s monkeys and other wildlife.
Another great day trip in the opposite direction is golf at Los Suenos. This is an hour north of Manuel Antonio, in Herradura, Costa Rica. It’s an Americanized resort community that holds itself to international standards. The golf course is famous and the marina is complete with shops, elegant dining, a gelato bar, and cafes.

Of course this Top 5 list doesn’t even include the nearby surfing beaches, world-famous for their breaks and swells or the numerous off the beaten path cafes serving fresh fish and other delicious meals beachfront, but I’ll save more day-trip tips for another day… Until then, whether you ask your Costa Rica luxury villa concierge to arrange a rental car to go explore on your own, or you hire a private driver to show you around, these places should keep you quite entertained and showcase, just as they consistently do to me, just how colorful and vibrant this destination is!