Quepos: County seat, sort of. Dangerous park at night...drogeros mostly. Undulating sidewalks is right, Green Go! Damn near killed myself my last trip there.
Playa #3 inside the Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most beautiful beaches on Earth. During rainy season, you'll have to wade through chest-deep water to get to the path leading to the beach.
In my opinion, M.A. is ridiculously overdeveloped, and much of the charm of ten years ago has been buried under concrete.
The folks are still pretty friendly. Try Gran Escape on Saturday nights for both p4p opportunities and a smoked trout quesadilla that rocks. Wacky Wanda's, Sergento Garcia's and Mar y Blues might also be good places to hook up with pros and semi-pros.
Beware... Many of the lovelies trying to sell their wares are...er.... how you say, jail-bait?

Ceck sedulas (ID cards) with a microscpe.
Good lodging: Hotels in Quepos tend to be less expensive than those on the M.A. road; consider Hotel Malinche ($39.00/night for room with private bath...not bad). Also in town is the Best Western Kamuck, a hotel with a small casino and as I recall, a pool.
Weekend nightlife in Quepos is lively and fun, but again, be careful not to employ chicas of less than legal age. Room range from $30.00 or so for very rustic accomodations, up to $250.00/night at Si, Como No. Costa Verde is a nice option but expensive.
Quepos/Manuel Antonio is about four hours by car from San Jose, as I recall. The drive is nice though...and you'll get to see Jaco along the way.
HTH
Check tripadvisor for recommendations on beach hotels. Also
