This Pacific coast town is the gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park, with a busy marina, local seafood restaurants, and active sport fishing community.
In Quepos, a coastal town in Costa Rica's Central Pacific region, you can fish for marlin and sailfish year-round. From July to November, humpback whales swim past the shoreline as they migrate south. The town sits just minutes from Manuel Antonio National Park, where white-faced capuchin monkeys swing through the trees and three-toed sloths rest on branches. You can paddle through the calm waters of Biesanz Bay, surf at Playa Linda, or hike to the 30-meter Catarata Portalón waterfall.
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Costa Rican Coastal Cuisine
Local fishermen bring their daily catch directly to Quepos's restaurants and central market. Try ceviche made with clams gathered from the nearby mangroves or fish brought in that morning. A typical casado includes rice, beans, and vegetable sides called picadillos - the local version uses green papaya or chayote squash. In the central market, food stalls prepare whole fried snapper and garlicky dolphinfish fillets. Family-run sodas around town serve traditional Costa Rican meals, while restaurants along the waterfront let you watch the Pacific waves as you eat seafood caught by local boats.
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