Jungle-covered rock islands, tropical beach, ocean waves
© Kryssia Campos/Moment/Getty Images
A pint-sized paradise
While it isn't the largest national park in this Central American country, it may be the most beautiful: Situated on less than 8 square miles of land, Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio National Park is a slice of central Pacific coast heaven. The nature reserve was established in 1972 to preserve the area from commercial development. Instead of beachfront resorts and souvenir shops, visitors will find four pristine beaches—some dotted with greenery-topped sea stacks—and accessible hiking trails traversing the thick rainforests that carpet the hills above the coastline. The park is an example of how big of an impact a small amount of preserved paradise can make.
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