lorwarn

i was the one responsible for finding a place for my husband and i, and my in-laws to stay while in manuel antonio...i hope this was the right decision. what do you think?

JeanH

I have never stayed at Tulemar, so my views are biased. I loved Makanda. Stunning views, nice rooms, great service. Only 'bad'part was the walk up the hill to the main road to eat and/or catch the bus to town or the park. Of course, you can just take a cab from the hotel, but once you get to the top of the hill there are some great restaurants within a short distance. The hill did get easier after a few trips up it. Leg muscles definitely got a workout. If you are going to walk at night, be sure and bring a flashlight (or two). No sidewalks and it's DARK! Jean

lorwarn

thanks, i feel much better!

SierrasMom

I have not been to Tulemar, but have been to Makanda twice. First time on my honeymoon in October, 1995- we stayed in Villa I BEAUTIFUL, & private! Our second stay was this past Februrary, 2003. Makanda has now added a wonderful (pool-side/jungle-side) restaurant flanked by a brightly colored cabana- the food was wonderful. We had a different Villa (I think it was #7) Again, the room was beautiful- not as private as Villa I (you could hear people walking to/from the restaurant)but Makanda is not so big, so it's still pretty private-has a locked gate with limited access. I don't know when you're traveling, but the weather was p-e-r-f-e-c-t in October, but a little warm in February- no airconditioning in our Villa- but still a wonderful place!!! If you're interested in hiking, find the path to the secluded beach at Makanda! It's a long walk through the forest, but it's beautiful & when you get to the beach- you will probably be the only ones there- make sure you stop at the bar after your climb back up the mountain to refresh with an amazing pina colada made from fresh fruit cut to order, then take a dip in the pool! Be sure to visit La Gran Escape restaurant in town & check out the "Hard Crock Cafe"! Our next trip we will take our 4 year old daughter who can't wait to check out beautiful Costa Rica! Enjoy!

lorwarn

sierrasmom-
thankyou for the useful info regarding the makanda and the area restaurants...anything else you could suggest would be helpful. after we leave manuel antonio we have 3 days to travel before we depart from san jose....ANY suggestions? we plan to travel by rental car, but could fly??? please help!

JeanH

If I had a full three days, I'd consider heading to the Arenal/La Fortuna area. The volcano is so awesome. We hiked the old lava flow, spent some time at the Tabacon hot springs, and had a great time. Even got lucky and saw the full cone of the volcano. We stayed at Tabacon Lodge, and could see the volcano spewing out rocks and steam. Pretty darn impressive. It would take most of a day to make the trip, but it's a beautiful drive.

If you want more jungle, you could always fly to the Osa Peninsula for a few days. We loved it there, although I did miss having a choice of restaurants. Great scenery.

Shonda

I am trying to plan my honeymoon and am torn between Makanda and La Mansion. Any advise?

Also, at Makanda, is Villa 1 the best for honeymooners? I can already picture us chilling on the hammock!

JeanH

I think Villa One is open air. We were in a studio underneath and the woman up there was having a real fit because there was some unexpected, out of season, rain causing some sort of insect to hatch and swarm the lights in the villa. Apparently, they were everywhere. She was pretty much hysterical. They moved them to another property until the next day when the bugs were gone and the suite cleaned up. It wouldn't have bothered me, there is mosquito netting for the beds (and I don't think these were biting insects). Some of the villas are air conditioned. It was hot there in February, we were glad to have the a/c in our studio.

maslow

We also stayed at Makanda for our honeymoon. LOVED IT. The staff is fantastic. We stayed in a studio. Loved sitting out on the hammock in the morning listening to the ocean below.

We definately got our workout everyday with the walk up the hill. Didn't feel a bit guilty about what we ate then! Also lounging near or in the pool with a drink was great. I can't say enough about the staff -- friendly, attentive, knowledgable. You'll love it.

Up the hill from Makanda is La Barba Roja -- best nachos ever and best sunset view. We went there several times.

Enjoy!

Suzann

We recently stayed at the Tulemar Bungalows in Manuel Antonio. I would highly recommend them! We will definitely go back. The bungalows were spacious, clean, air conditioners in both living and bedroom, windows gave 360 degrees of view and yes, they have their very own private beach a short drive down the hill. The wildlife there is amazing - we saw lots of iquanas, white faced monkeys, the elusive squirrel monkeys, and lots of birds. We did not feel the need to go to Manuel Antonio Park as we had all we needed at Tulemar. The staff were very pleasant and did all they could and more to make our stay pleasant. We had a problem the last day with our toilet not flushing and they took 10% off our bill without us even asking! Now, that is amazing!!!