Arenas del Mar and Makanda

Friends of ours went to Makanda for their honeymoon and really liked it. Have you looked at Buena Vista Villas?

ADM the superior property

www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g309274-d673363-Reviews-Arenas_del_Mar_Beach_and_Nature

Makanda more rustic vertical no beach food staff issues

I would go to Arenas del Mar. It's right on the beach, where as Makanda is not.

Thank you both so much. I took a look at Buena Vista and it would be great if we were taking our boys with us. Arenas seems to be more service oriented which we would like for this trip. VG, I noticed you went to Tortequero on another post. Did you fly in or out? What was that like? We are going to Tortequero also but I am really nervous about flying in a small plane. Not sure if I can actually do it. Anyone else fly to Tortequero?

millie, we had a private driver that took us part of the way and then our hotel Tortuga Lodge picked us up and we went by boat the rest of the way. You don't have to fly at all if you don't want to. It's just quicker. We really loved going in by canal.

The Tortuga Lodge is a little different than some of the other spots in Tortuguero; they specialize in private tours and gourmet food. A lot of the other lodges will assign you to a group, and then you do all your tours and eat with your group. TL is a little more expensive as a result; we just loved it and really thought it was worth it. Their service was wonderful. On the way in by canal, they surprised us with this great little picnic. It was so charming and one of our favorite memories of CR. Our boat pulled over on the side of the river, and there was a picnic table set up with nice linens, a silver bowl full of ice and beer, wine, and fresh juices, and then a table full of chilled salads, bread, meat, cheeses, fresh fruit, cookies, etc. Even a man in a starched white shirt ready to pour or serve anything we wanted - really just seemed sweet and thoughtful.

When we left Tortuguero, we were ready to get to the next spot, so we booked our own flight out on Sansa. The planes are small, maybe about 12 people or so, but we did feel very safe. TL also has their own flights, but it was cheaper for us to do it ourselves, so we did. You can check Sansa or Nature Air if you decide you want to do it. The flight back to San Jose was very quick, and it was kind of amazing to see Tortuguero from the air; you can see the ocean and the canals.

If you travel via the canals, you'll see amazing animals. We saw lots of monkeys, crocs, roseate spoonbills, blue morphos, caimans, otters, etc. Really up to you if you want to go via water or boat. Once you get to Tortuguero, it's all canals except for the little town.

VG, I am definitely looking at Tortuga. How were you able to separate your package to arrange the flight yourself? I would like to do the same because what I have been quoted seems quite high.

I didn't buy a preset package with them. Actually getting it arranged was a little confusing, but I asked them for different scenarios. How much if we go by boat both ways, how much if we fly, how much if you don't include a flight out, etc. We came from Arenal rather than San Jose, the way most people do. They just set up a custom package for us. I was very happy with the way we did it. We saw a lot of boats from other lodges with about 25 people on board, and we had our own guide for just the two of us that took us wherever we wanted. We could really get up close to everything, take good photos, etc. We were asking questions about the ocean, and he just zipped us over there so we could see it. I really wasn't sure when I booked it, but having done it, I would it the exact same way all over again. The food was amazing, and you eat on the water by candlelight - just really a charming spot. Check out the reviews on tripadvisor.com if you haven't already. It will give you a good idea of the place. We were there during turtle nesting season, so that was an added bonus.

VG, thank you so much. I am sold on Tortuga. We are going to Arenal after Tortuguero and will be staying at another of your favorites Lost Iguana. We have been offered a 20% discount on a standard deluxe room. I originally wanted a suite. Will the standard be okay? The price is certainly right.

Okay, take me with you; you're going to all my favorite spots - lol!

We've only stayed in the luxury suites at LI, so I can't speak to the standard rooms. I think the difference is the bathroom. The suite has a jacuzzi tub out on the balcony that I love. If that's not important to you, I think the standard room would be great. The suite also has a little sitting area, but we never use it. The beds are big with great volcano views, so we just hang out there.

We've stayed at both Arenas del Mar, and Makanda. I wouldn't say Arenas del Mar is more service oriented. I would describe Arenas del Mar as similar to a 3 story high end resort in Naples, Florida. Their rooms are very lush and comfortable, but they could be in any country. The standard rooms are small, though. Makanda by the Sea is very romantic and private. It is not brand new like Arenas del Mar, but it has a distinct Costa Rican feeling that we loved. You can sit on your porch to watch whales and monkeys, and you see nothing else but jungle and ocean. Their restaurant is outdoor and poolside with very good food. It all depends on what you are looking for. They are right across the road from each other.
You will love Tortuga Lodge. Go ahead and try the small planes. The flights are early in the morning when the weather is good. We opted to fly in and boat out to spend more time at the resort, since the plane gets in at 9 am. It was only 45 minutes long, and it was so cool to see the coast and canals in the jungle as we approached.

Shooie thank you very much. It is very important to me that it feels Costa Rican. I have also been looking at Gaia also but have not seen anyone discuss it on this board. I think I am going to opt to fly out in the interest of time. If I can get myself to do this it will be a miracle.

Makanda much nicer than Arenas IMHO. Nestled in the jungle, private, romantic, original...the fact that its not on the beach is no big deal...an interesting hike down the road to Biesanz Beach, or down the jungle steps to its own little beach.

For my honeymoon we stayed in the big unit of Villa 1(I think...?). Huge, cathedral cieling, open air, amazing....

It's been several years since we stayed at Makanda, but I do have fond memories. We stayed in one of the 'cheaper' studios. It was lovely.

I belive it might have been under Villa 1--anyway it was under an open air villa.

While we were there, there was some very unseasonal rain. It poured for several hours. Literally hundreds of land crabs appeared. They were everywhere. The rain also caused some sort of flying insect hatch. The woman in the open air villa was hysterical. Apparently, there were these small flying insects everywhere. Eventually, they had to move she and her husband to another property.

The next day, the insects were gone, they cleaned by villa all up, but the husband decided he liked the other property better because it had TV......

while in Manuel Antonio I suggest staying at Issimo Suites for your anniversary (this is where we celebrated for ours this past summer). It is so beautiful, ROMANTIC, the views from the rooms are breath taking. It was an amazing place. At first when speaking with a travel agent he was pushing Makanda. What I didn't like about here is they are more like condos then a beautiful, luxury room and I read some peoples comments saying the rooms were dated. And more importantly, I think this is the place that has an ocean view with NO blides or curtains on the windows. Hmmm I am on vacation, I want to sleep past 6 am. Read reviews on tripadvisor to find out.

Issimo is directly next to the road, no?? Lots of constructions going on/ trucks passing etc.

ParkerSunshine,
They have very good rates right now. Is there construction and noise. Also what unit did you have? Thank you for your input. BTW, I saw your video, it is fantastic!