We are a couple (male)traveling to MA and we booked Makanda by the sea for 12/21-12/26. We are not a honeymooning couple. Will there be enough to do in the area and does anyone have specific recommendations on excursions/restaurants in the area?

I had friends that stayed at Makanda, and they really liked it. MA offers loads of great restaurants. Our favorite was Ronnie's Place/Mi Lugar for fresh seafood and sangria, Cafe Milgro for coffee drinks like espresso shakes, and also liked Salsipuedes for tapas, Barba Roja, and Cafe Agua Azul. El Avion gets lots of recommendations too - kind of a novelty because it's built in a plane.

For activities, hit the park for the prettiest beach and hire a guide to take you around to see the wildlife. Also horseback riding with Finca Valmy and the Damas mangrove tour are popular. We went snorkeling which I wouldn't recommend due to poor visibility in the water.

The restaurant at Makanda is called the Sunspot Grill. Fabulous. Some of the best meals I have eaten in Costa Rica have been right there. Pricey by Costa Rican standards. But worth every penny.

I also like Hotel Plinio for more casual fare. Diverse menu, and friendly atmosphere. They bake their own bread too.

Salsipuedas is great for tapas. Great fresh fish, and an amazing view of the sunset.

Avoid the overpriced Mexican restaurant in downtown Quepos. Trust me on this one!

I hope this helps! Let me know if I can offer more advice.

Warm Regards,
Pat Hewitt
(Travel Professional)

Oops, typo on my part - should be Cafe Milagro.

If you like seafood, you'll be in heaven in Manuel Antonio; several times we commented on how fresh the fish was, and the servers would say, "We just caught it this morning" - wow!

As you can tell there's more than enough to do in MA. Besides those mentioned, there's also sailing, catamaran trips, ziplining, parasailing, the butterfly reserve (across street from Si Como No Hotel).

There have also been some recent threads on restaurants in MA. Do a search and you'll have lots of recs.

Thank you all so very much on the recommendations! We're travelling over the holiday and planning on 5 nights at Makanda. I was worried given that they mention more 'honeymooners' there since we are a male couple, but it looks as if there is a lot of fun to be had in the area and Makanda looks so beautiful and quaint. Can't wait!

We enjoyed a fairly new restaurant in MA - Kapi Kapi. We had a fantastic meal, plus a great atmosphere. More of a fine dining place.

My DH did a day of deep sea fishing and loved it. Not cheap, but he caught 2 tuna and 4 dorado. This kept him happy the rest of our trip, no more whining! Our hotel cooked it for us that night - great!

Have a great time.

MY