Makanda by the Sea: Adults-Only Hotel in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

"Makanda by the Sea is paradise, nestled in the jungle. Rooms are beautiful, you won’t be disappointed by whichever suite or villa you stay in. We saw sloths, monkeys, toucans, macaws, and much more wildlife in our jungle paradise. The staff here go out of their way to ensure your stay is perfect. Easy access to the private beach, or a short walking distance to larger public beaches, you have it all when you stay here.

The food here is phenomenal. Book directly with the hotel and breakfast is included, and well worth it, and delicious. Fresh fruit and coffee every morning is a fantastic way to start our day.

We really enjoyed the “adults only” hotel, made this a very romantic trip.

We booked tours through the hotel which were great (chocolate tour, park tour, spa). Their shuttle to and from the airport was excellent, clean and comfortable.

I would definitely recommend this place to stay if you are in the Manuel Antonio area. It is world class."

"My husband and I have been to Costa Rica before but this was our first time in this region. We could not have asked for a better location or experience. First, our room was upgraded from Ocean Deluxe to Pacific Ocean Jacuzzi and had stunning views, excellent space and beautiful ambiance. Next, the staff was just fabulous. They were attentive to every need but didn't hover too much. From Sebastian the bartender to Joshua pool side, all were very welcoming and helpful, answering any and all questions with a smile. We did enjoy a spa visit and it was just what we needed after our long trip to get there! Finally the food was wonderful, especially the fresh fruit served daily at breakfast. The Arbol restaurant for dinner was even better than expected and we could have eaten there every night of our stay. We will definitely be back for a visit soon!"

"Absolutamente fantástico. Sin duda el mejor hotel en el que hemos estado jamás. La ubicación es de ensueño, en una colina con unas vistas maravillosas del Océano Pacífico, y en medio de la jungla desde la que puedes observar la naturaleza en su máximo esplendor… pudimos ver desde la habitación más animales que en alguno de los parques naturales que visitamos (varias especies de monitos, perezosos, un montón de anfibios y reptiles, tucanes, loros… impresionante). Nos alojamos en una villa con piscina. Tanto la habitación como la piscina eran preciosas, con un detalle y un gusto x la estética y la decoración de 10. Exactamente lo mismo ocurre con todas las zonas comunes del hotel… tanto la piscina de agua salada como la piscina principal con el restaurante al lado. De nuevo unas vistas maravillosas desde cualquier espacio del hotel. Además la comida es también excelente, el servicio de desayuno es de lujo absoluto (deliciosa la tortilla de langosta!). Y mención aparte merece todo el personal de Makanda. Encantadores y súper profesionales, sin duda nos hicieron la estancia inolvidable. Morimos de ganas de volver!!"

"My boyfriend and I recently stayed at Hotel Makanda and cannot speak more highly of this resort. While expensive, this hotel exceeded expectations. I had reserved a Honeymoon Junior Suite and was complimentary upgraded to the Pool Villa Suite (Villa 9). The room was simply breathtaking. The smart house features, stunning interior decor and the INCREDIBLE full sized private pool with ocean and wildlife views made for the most luxurious and relaxing experience. The included breakfast including lobster omelet and fruit plate were great. Additionally, we purchased the Relaxation Package at the spa which was a 3 hour private spa experience worth every penny. We have both traveled extensively but have never stayed at a place quite like Hotel Makanda. 10/10 recommend. Prepare to be impressed."

"The Hotel is Espectacular ! luxury and high end hotel , the food is amazing and the staff was so kind and helpfull

Our room was a villa and was the best you can imagine every detail in the room and the hotel are very classy and you can see the luxury on each corner

the swimming pool is gourgeos with a breath taking views is the prefect match between the jungle and luxury.

Definitely we will be back ! we love it"

"Really cool, beautiful property. Great views of the ocean while feeling like you’re tucked right into the forest. We saw toucans, spider and howler monkeys, sloths, and iguanas. Our room had our own private pool, view of the ocean, and several monkey visitors. Minutes away from the beach, as well as about 9 minutes from Manuel Antonio National Park, which also has beautiful forest and beach. As great as all of that was, the best part may have been how nice and helpful the staff was. Strong recommendation to stay here."

"Our experience here was amazing. The mix between mystical architecture and nature is perfect for spending excellent relaxing days. The service is very good, everyone is very friendly and attentive. About the food, everything we could taste was delicious. I definitely love this place and would like to come back."

"From the moment we walked in we were astounded by Hotel Makanda! The service, rooms, and overall atmosphere exceeded our expectations. We’ve traveled all over & are happy to say this was one of our favorite hotels we’ve ever stayed at! We will definitely be coming back & recommending to friends/family traveling to Manuel Antonio as well!"

"Hotel makanda by the sea is where you want to visit when traveling to Costa Rica. Nestled in the middle of Manual Antonio rain Forrest is this beautiful luxury resort with only 33 rooms.

With a small amount of people at the resort at any given time you will receive top-notch service for sure. This is an adult only resort so no children under 16 years old is allowed. We saw mostly couples during our time here.

This hotel is nestled in the rainforest so you will see wildlife. We was so excited to learn the monkeys come out and play by the main pool every day around 4-5pm. It was the cutie at thing seeing them carry their babies around. We was lucky to see a sloth one day scratching hisself in the tree. We saw so many butterflies, birds and this little creature I forgot its name walking slow across the path to our suite. There are little iguanas as well. They are so cute and move so slow lol

We stayed in two different types of rooms during our stay. The first room was villa 7. This is the jacuzzi suite with sauna. The sunsets from your patio is amazing. This villa comes with a full kitchen as well if you would like to cook while on vacation. In the middle of our stay we moved to Penthouse SP18. Ok this is what you call luxury with different outside levels, private pool and cabana, outside sun bathing area and a area to eat. The living room has a huge tv, huge walk in closet and bi-level bathroom with wall to ceiling windows so you feel like the rainforest is part of the decor. There is also a separate room just for the rainfall shower.

The grounds are well maintained and the staff is amazingly friendly, helpful and professional. Just to name a few … Luis at the bar was very attentive and friendly, NManuel the bartender made the best drinks, Jordy the waiter took good care of us, the front desk LEO and the manager Leo is phenomenal to say the least. They made checking in and adding an additional night easy. Anything we needed I just texted Leo on WhatsApp or called 311 and it was delivered immediately. Darwin was so helpful and so professional as well. The man and the woman (sorry we forgot their names) at the spa was great. That 60 min massage was what we needed. Everybody who drove us around in the golf carts was polite and kind as well as helpful.

When visiting Costa Rica again we will definitely come back to Makanda by the sea for sure!"

"What a fantastic and unique oasis of nature, luxury and top notch gourmet. This place needs a star system of its own. The service provided by every single staff member we met over the past days has been out of this world amazing. Makanda was the last stop on our honeymoon, and what a perfect destination. We stayed in both the jacuzzi suite and honeymoon grand villa, both exceptional architecture, views, luxury and pura vida service and hospitality. Highly recommend this romantic oasis. The staff and scenery make it exceptional."

"It was really a good surprise, the materials used in the construction and even inside of the villa is quality and really nice.

The architecture is magical, I really enjoy each part of this hotel.

The decorations were nice and harmonious, both pools are wonderful and with a really nice view.

I saw 2 types of monkeys and one “oso perezoso” , it’s really cool that I could enjoy seeing the nature of Costa Rica and also enjoy this luxury hotel in the same time and space.

Thanks Makanda for this great experience."

"Super nuit dans cette hôtel très bon service du restaurant et au petit déjeuner le serveur Jordi a été très sympathique avec nous.

La chambre était très agréable, se reposer à la piscine aussi, c’était parfait, super vue, rien à dire.

Très content de notre séjour nous reviendrons si nous repassons par le Costa Rica"

"Beim ersten Besuch haben wir unsere Costa Rica Rundreise im Makanda ausklingen lassen und konnten in dieser perfekten Umgebung alles Revue passieren lassen. Beim zweiten Mal wollten wir uns im Makanda akklimatisieren und auf die kommenden Stationen einstimmen. Für beides war und ist dieses Hotel perfekt.

Die Architektur fügt sich perfekt in die umgebende Natur ein, die offene Gestaltung der Frühstücksterrasse mit ihrem weiten Ausblick auf den Pazifik nimmt einem schon frühmorgens den Atem. Auf dem Gelände kann man Tiere beobachten, ohne dafür extra in den Nationalpark fahren zu müssen. Wir haben während unserer Aufenthalte Tukane, Affen, Faultiere und noch viele andere gesehen.

Wer nicht auf andere Gäste treffen möchte, kann sich alle Mahlzeiten ohne Aufpreis aufs Zimmer bestellen – von den Gerichten sind besonders der im ganzen gebratene Fisch, der Falafel-Salat und der gebratene Reis in der Ananas zu empfehlen, aber alle Gerichte sind wirklich sehr gut. Das gesamte Personal ist zuvorkommend, freundlich und hilfsbereit.

Der Pool ist großartig, aber noch schöner ist der Strand. Mit dem Golfwagen kann man sich den steilen Weg fahren lassen, dort wird man auch mit Snacks und Getränken versorgt.

Die Villas sind mit Küchen ausgestattet; wer selbst kochen will oder auch nur eigene Getränke kaufen möchte, findet die Straße hoch einen gut sortierten und bezahlbaren Supermarkt. Zu Fuß ein Spaziergang von etwa 10 Minuten."

"Mi estadía en el hotel makanda fue realmente perfecta ! Un hotel de lujo en medio de la selva Increible para descansar con atardeceres inolvidables y una atención maravillosa! Realmente se puede decir que aqui encontraran PURA VIDA ! Yuli cagna"

"Makanda was one of the most amazing hotels I've ever stayed out. From stunning ocean view infinity pools to gorgeous design details, I could not have asked for a more perfect experience. The entire staff was kind, our room was stunning and the food was delicious. Split over multiple levels, each space at the hotel was equally unique. I would highly recommend staying at. Makanda."

"Makanda is truly stunning, a very special place, beautifully created for sumptuous relaxation.

There is lush greenery and wonderful nature all around - different species of monkeys, loads of birds, lizards, agoutis, and we even had a sloth in a tree right outside our room.

The pool areas are divine with a really cool vibe. The service was consistently friendly and fantastic. Cocktails are awesome and happy hour is always great fun - lounging round the pool with a cocktail or GnT in hand and cool tunes playing as the sun sets. Decadent bliss.

We stayed in Deluxe Ocean Club Suite 17. Our gorgeous view was of forest and ocean, although it could be overlooked by the saltwater pool and our terrace did not have a swing bed as most did. So if you have a particular requirement, I’d suggest you contact the hotel to ask.

It was a stunning suite. The attention to detail is fabulous, all furnishings extremely comfortable, there was a spacious bathroom and lovely products.

Breakfast choices were varied and delicious. Dinner in Arbol was very good too. We ate from the main menu (the deep fried fish and lobster special were especially good) and the sushi menu as well, which was exceptional.

We are already planning a second visit to Costa Rica, and will definitely be staying here again. It’s a fabulous treat."

"Hotel Makanda by the sea was our favorite part of our Costa Rica vacation.

It is a very unique place where being in the jungle meets having the ocean close to you. I cannot really describe it’s beauty to give it justice but it is a beautiful place.

The food was great. The service also, we loved the staff. Ther were very kind. My dream was it so see monkeys and they even looked out for them for us and then got us there with the golf cart.

It is a great place to see lot’s of animals like monkeys, sloths, birds etc. and also to be at a private and save beach. We also loved the 2 pools ans jacuzzies.

We really want to come back and woukd recomment it to everyone. We stayed in the Deluxe Suite Ocean Club. A very beautiful choice with an amazing view to wake up to.

Thanks to the team for making this stay amazing."

"My wife and I chose this place for our honeymoon. To say that we were impressed is an understatement. It's just heaven! full of beauty and abundance. Our apartment was just magical, they were very beautifully decorated for our arrival. I can't forget that sun, ocean, birdsong and delicious food! We will definitely be back! because it's just fabulous and it's worth seeing for everyone."

"My wife and I loved everything about Makanda. They managed to design and construct a stunning resort in a hillside jungle setting complete with incredible wildlife, flora, and fauna. The Villa we stayed in (Villa 1) had a private pool, jacuzzi, and an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean, especially when the sun was setting.

The hotel, amenities, and service were phenomenal but the highlight was the wildlife. Monkeys visited our terrace everyday, an iguana would hang out by our private pool, toucans, hummingbirds, pelicans, and macaws would fly by at dusk and dawn. There were sloths eating their breakfast while we ate ours by the shared pool. It was magical.

If your budget allows for it, book a room here."