1 active Manuel Antonio alert
- ClosurePunta Catedral Trail ClosedPunta Catedral Trail is temporarily closed; do not use the trail. Check current Manuel Antonio National Park status before visiting.Official details
Overview
About Playa Gemelas
Why stop
- A distinctive pair of coves with a low-tide view toward Punta Catedral.
Heads up
- Rocky footing and variable surf can make swimming uncomfortable.
Map
Where it is
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Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Manuel Antonio Tour Guide
Your drive to Playa Gemelas, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Manuel Antonio National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Little Pools in the Canopy0:00 / 0:30
“On a forest walk, look up for leafy clumps sitting on branches. Some are bromeliads, plants that use the tree for support without taking food from it. In tank bromeliads, the leaves form a funnel that catches rain.”
Plays on the road 1.3 km from Playa Gemelas in the Parkwolf Manuel Antonio Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Playa Manuel Antonio and Punta Catedral
- Playa Espadilla Norte
- The Iguana’s Sunny Perch
- The Garden Beneath the Ant Trail
- 18 audio storiesacross Manuel Antonio’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Howler Monkey, White-faced Capuchin Monkey, Three-toed Sloth, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 10 trails, 13 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Playa Gemelas
Two coves in one stopPlaya Gemelas is a small beach in the western trail network of Manuel Antonio National Park,…
Playa Gemelas is a small beach in the western trail network of Manuel Antonio National Park, split into two coves by a rocky ridge. Its name means “twins.” This is a tucked-away change of scene from the park’s headline beaches; come for the paired shoreline and forest edge, not a broad stretch of soft sand.
Check the tide for the viewAt low tide, the shoreline can connect the coves and open a view toward Punta Catedral.
At low tide, the shoreline can connect the coves and open a view toward Punta Catedral. Look back along the rock divide and forest edge to see what makes Gemelas different from a single cove. It’s the best time to frame both sides of the beach together.
A rocky, changeable swimExpect stones and uneven footing at the water’s edge.
Expect stones and uneven footing at the water’s edge. Water conditions vary: some visitors find the water warm and manageable, while others report strong waves or rip currents. Check the surf before getting in; this isn’t a reliably calm swimming beach.
Keep an eye on the forest edgeVisitors have spotted iguanas, coatis and howler monkeys near the beach, though wildlife…
Visitors have spotted iguanas, coatis and howler monkeys near the beach, though wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. Keep bags close and don’t feed the animals; park wildlife may investigate unattended belongings.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Manuel Antonio
415 sightingsHowler MonkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,199 sightingsWhite-faced Capuchin MonkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
807 sightingsThree-toed SlothMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
271 sightingsTwo-toed SlothMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
112 sightingsRed-eyed Tree FrogMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
170 sightingsCoatiMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Manuel Antonio. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
