Manuel Antonio National Park, located south of Quepos on the central Pacific coast, was temporarily closed on Tuesday by the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Ministry (Minaet) due to damage caused by the rains that pounded the country last week. No date has yet been given for reopening the protected area, although park officials say they expect the park to allow visitors by the end of the week or weekend.
According to Minaet, travel to and form the park is considered a safety hazard due to the condition of area roads. The main road that connects Quepos to Manuel Antonio was closed for several days last week after it nearly collapsed during the rains. The road is expected to be opened for restricted travel on Thursday. A back road joining Quepos and Manuel Antonio remains open.
"The response from the National Roadway Council (CONAVI) and the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) has been incredible," said Harry Bodaan, owner of the Mansion Inn Hotel in Manuel Antonio and president of the Quepos and Aguirre Chamber of Commerce."The damages that we thought would take months to repair have been repaired in a matter of days."
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