Here the forest reaches all the way to the sea, with no transition or compromise. From the anchorage, Quepos appears as a small town squeezed between green hills and the ocean, with the docks of its marina in the foreground. It's the gateway to Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica's best loved, and this proximity defines the whole port call: rarely will a cruise day let you get so close to so much wildlife in so few kilometres.

Manuel Antonio, nature up close

The park is only a few kilometres from the centre, about ten minutes' drive to the south. Beyond the entrance, flat, well-maintained trails wind between tall trees to crescent beaches considered among the prettiest in the country. The wildlife is what makes the place famous: sloths hanging in the cecropia trees, cheeky capuchins, iguanas motionless on tree trunks and, with a little luck, the Central American squirrel monkey, an endangered species for which the park protects one of its last refuges. A guide with a spotting scope transforms the walk: in ten minutes, they spot what the naked eye would miss all day. Come early; the cool of the morning guarantees the best sightings and quiet trails.

Quepos and its marina

Back toward town, Marina Pez Vela is worth lingering over: restaurants facing the docks, shops and a sportfishing fleet that makes Quepos one of the world's sailfish capitals. Downtown, a few gridded streets between the market and the waterfront, lives at a simple pace: sodas where the midday casado satisfies hungry walkers, fruit stalls, craft shops. The town once served as an export port for bananas before converting to oil palm and tourism; a few wooden buildings from the company era still stand in the old quarter, and the palm plantations lined up as far as the eye can see along the roads tell the rest of this agricultural shift.

Between mangrove and catamaran

Other outings share the day. By flat-bottomed boat or kayak, you travel up the Damas estuary at the level of the mangrove trees, home to herons, crabs and capuchin monkeys that sometimes come to inspect the boats. Catamarans leave from the docks to sail along the protected coast, anchor in a cove and allow time for a snorkelling exploration, with dolphins often making an appearance. The more active will choose canopy ziplines or whitewater rafting on the nearby rivers, while agriculture enthusiasts will visit a plantation where cocoa, spices and tropical fruits are discovered through tasting.

A few pointers before heading ashore

The park limits the number of daily visitors and requires named tickets purchased in advance: going with an organized excursion spares you this logistics. No food is allowed past the entrance, a rule strictly enforced to keep the animals from becoming dependent on handouts. Bring closed-toe shoes, water, a swimsuit under your clothes and keep a constant eye on your belongings: capuchins and crab-eating raccoons have turned bag raiding into a fine art. The official red taxis wait near the marina for trips to the Manuel Antonio trails; agree on the return trip with the driver in advance.

As the ship pulls away, the hills of Manuel Antonio gradually melt into the heat haze. What remains of the day are images of rare clarity: a sloth slowly turning its head, a golden beach glimpsed between tree trunks, a fishing boat returning to port. Costa Rica keeps its promises with disconcerting consistency, and Quepos may well be the most direct demonstration of it.