mabella101

I just hung up with Tulemar Bungalows for our July visit and they only have 2 nights available! My original plan was : 4 nights Manuel Antonio
4 nights Arenal
1 night San Jose for morning flight.

Are 2 nights enough for MA?
Is Tulemar worth the hassle of staying 2, nights in their 3 room villa then breaking up our group and switching to individual rooms for the other 2 nights?

Are there any suggestions for a group of 10 on the beach? (If we have to split up, we can't spend more then $300.00 per room

Should I look at another beach area instead if MA?

Was looking at home rentals but don't know how safe they would be or how far from the beach.

Wanted Tulemar because I wanted to have beach access for our group. We have a total of 10 ages 13 to 88.

Am hoping someone who's been can give me some insight. Thanks in advance.

RAC

There are lots of beach areas in the NW Guanacaste area that are actually closer to Arenal than is Manuel Antonio.

You could try renting out the entire hotel at a place like La Gaviota Tropical which is right on Playa Hermosa.

volcanogirl

Yes, it's worth switching; we did that on our last trip, and it was actually fun to see different styles of villas. Tulemar is one of our favorite spots.

mabella101

Thanks RAC, I hadn't considered guanacaste coast being that I'm flying into San Jose. I've just heard such great things about MA and Tulemar seems like an amazing place. But I guess it is doable.

Volcano girl, that's what I feared, the reviews are all great. I just having change rooms mid stay.
Any other opinions or suggestions to consider?

volcanogirl

To me, Tulemar is the best in that area. Great for the concierge service and the easy beach access. Does Buena Vista Villas have anything available? I believe they share property with Tulemar.

sf7307

Wow, Tulemar is going on my "futures" list!

volcanogirl

It's great - if you go, try to get a place with a balcony. One of the ones we've stayed in even had an outdoor kitchen with an ocean view. The concierge will stock the frig for you if you let them know what you want. We got avocados, cilantro, etc. and had fresh guacamole with chips and Imperials out there - also made fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast. Lots of good restaurants in walking distance if you're careful walking along the road.

baldone

FWIW, I found the Tulemar beach to be the most overrated beach ever. Private, yeah. Dirty and fugly, however.

volcanogirl

Yea, it has about 2,000 five star reviews on tripadvisor, sf, I think you would love it. They supply free boogie boards and kayaks as well.

volcanogirl

baldone, dirty in what way? I've never heard anyone have that experience. They clean the beach every day. It's usually immaculate. Friends of ours just stayed there as well and loved it.

mabella101

OK, we ended up splitting our stay between a 3 bedroom premium villa and 2 bungalows. I feel after staying in the villa, the bungalow will be a let down , but hopefully the resort will more then make up for it. Thanks for your help.
If you have any restaurant recommendations, feel free to post them.
Off to secure a spot at Arenal.

volcanogirl

Wow, I can't believe they booked up that early, but glad you found something that works for you. There are several restaurants that we like - some have nice sunset views too. Check out Cafe Agua Azul, Barba Roja, Cafe Milagro, and Ronny's Place.

We've gone to Arenal several times so I'm happy to help if you need it.

volcanogirl

In Arenal, we've stayed at Nayara, The Springs Resort and Spa, the Arenal Observatory Lodge, and the Lost Iguana and have liked all of them.

mabella101

Hello! Hadn't noticed Beldones reply, that kinda freaks me out. I'm going to MA based on reviews and I really haven't read any negative ones. Maybe it was an isolated case? We go to Sanibel every winter and one year they had red tide and the water was disgusting. If it had been my first visit I probably wouldn't return.

Anyway Volcano girl thanks for the recommendations, I'll look them up, and I definitely have questions about Arenal but I think I'll start a new thread.

volcanogirl

Read the reviews on Tripadvisor. Every person I know who has gone there has loved it. There are plenty of photos there as well. Felicity Huffman was there when we were there!

Happy to help with Arenal when you're ready.

baldone

Brown beach equals brown water. No, the beach is not trashy with garbage, just brown. Like the Missouri river. Wasn't a weather phenom as MA's water was crystal clear. I think because it's a small cove, there's not much water exchange and the silt and foam doesn't go anywhere. Hey, just my experience. The little crabs are cute, tho. Who is Felicity Huffman?