Ocean-view suites and lofts
Four categories from 807 to 860 sq ft, each with a private balcony facing the sunset. The Pacific Jacuzzi Suite adds an oversized ocean-view jacuzzi on the terrace. The best-value entry point for a honeymoon stay.
Why couples choose Makanda for their honeymoon
Most Costa Rica honeymoons involve a lot of moving between lodges. Makanda is built for the opposite. The hotel sits on a forested hillside on the Pacific coast, a few minutes from Manuel Antonio National Park, and it is an adults-only boutique hotel — eighteen and over, throughout the property, all year round.
Accommodations run from ocean-view suites to penthouses and private pool villas: thirty-three of them across nine categories, and no two are alike. Every one opens onto a private balcony facing west, so the sunset reaches your room before dinner does. Everything you need for the day is on site: two infinity pools, the Shanti Spa, Árbol Restaurant, and a secluded wild beach below the hotel, reached by a trail through the forest.
The Ocean Club pool and terrace are for guests only, so the quiet part of the property stays quiet.
The Telegraph placed Makanda first in its 2026 selection of romantic destinations worldwide, describing suites and villas that “appear woven into the forest canopy.”
Where you will stay
Honeymoon pool villas
The Honeymoon Junior Pool Villa (810 sq ft) and the Honeymoon Grand Pool Villa (1,000 sq ft, with a plunge pool and a jacuzzi) were designed for exactly this trip. Your own front door, your own pool, the Pacific in front of it.
Signature homes with private infinity pools
The Luxury Villa Private Pool (1,615 sq ft) and the Sky Penthouse (1,600 sq ft) are the two largest homes at Makanda, each with a private infinity pool above the treeline. This is the category honeymooners ask for most, and the one that fills first in high season.
Thirty-three accommodations in total: twenty suites and thirteen villas, across nine categories.
See all room types and ratesA honeymoon day at Makanda
The Full Breakfast is included when you book direct: a Seasonal Fruits Plate, fresh juice and coffee with free refills, plus one main dish per guest, served on the Pool Terrace above the Pacific from 7:00 to 10:00.
If you are staying in a villa with a private pool, you can have it floating instead. A fresh fruit plate, warm bread, four dishes of your choice, Costa Rican coffee, fresh juice, and a mimosa if the morning calls for one, all on a wooden tray afloat on the water while you swim around it. This floating, fresh-fruit breakfast is the single most photographed thing on the property. $220 plus tax for two, ordered 24 hours in advance through reception.
More about the floating breakfast
After that the day is yours. Drift between the two infinity pools, or take the trail down to the wild beach below the hotel, where the waves come straight off the open Pacific. Loungers, towels, and beach service are set up before you arrive and are included in your stay, drinks come down to you, and the Wi-Fi reaches the sand. The path is steep and takes about fifteen minutes on foot, so most couples ride the golf cart at least one way. Playa Espadilla, Manuel Antonio's main beach, is a five-minute drive from the hotel.
More about Wild Beach
Afternoons go to the Shanti Spa, open daily from 8:00 to 20:00: couples massages of sixty or ninety minutes, wraps, exfoliations, facials. The treatment rooms sit in the jungle with the Pacific in view, and in high season the couples slots are the first to fill, so reception books them alongside your stay.
More about the Shanti Spa
Evenings go to Árbol Restaurant, which serves dinner until 22:00, with cocktails above the waves before or after. The kitchen works with what local Central Pacific farmers and fishermen bring in, setting modern technique against traditional recipes, and the tables are surrounded by forest with the ocean below.
More about Árbol RestaurantWhat we arrange for honeymooners
Tell reservations you are on your honeymoon when you book and we will set the room up for your arrival. Everything below is arranged on request through reception before you travel:
- Private dinner for two, at a table set above the water on the Ocean Club terrace
- Couples massage at the Shanti Spa, sixty or ninety minutes, booked in advance so the slot is yours
- Catamaran on the Pacific: a shared sunset sail, or the whole forty-three-foot boat to yourselves
- Manuel Antonio National Park with a naturalist guide, timed entry coordinated by reception
- Mangrove kayaking on the Damas estuary, the Nauyaca Waterfalls, and surf lessons with an instructor who picks the beach to match the tide that day
- Airport transfers from San José (SJO), about three hours by road, or from the Quepos airstrip (XQP), about twenty-five minutes away. Private air charter and helicopter can also be arranged
- Proposals, vow renewals, and small celebrations, planned with you by email before you arrive
Write to reception@makanda.com and we will put the day together with you.
Manuel Antonio, and what is around you
Manuel Antonio National Park is the most visited park in Costa Rica and one of the most biodiverse pieces of land on the planet for its size. Sloths, capuchins, howler monkeys, toucans, and scarlet macaws are routine sightings, often from the hotel grounds themselves.
The park runs on timed entry. Tickets are bought online in advance through SINAC and are issued in your own name, so reception can coordinate the timing and the guide but cannot buy them for you. Go early, before the heat and the crowds.
Beyond the park: mangrove kayaking on the Damas estuary, waterfall hikes, surf lessons on the beach at Manuel Antonio, and the drive up to the Nauyaca Waterfalls for the day.
When to come
Mid-December to April
Mid-December to April is the dry season: reliable sun, the busiest months, and the period when the pool villas sell out furthest ahead. If you are honeymooning in this window, book early. Easter, Thanksgiving, and the turn of the year carry a three-night minimum.
May to mid-December
May to mid-December is the green season. Mornings are typically clear and rain arrives in the afternoon. The forest is at its loudest and greenest, rates are lower, and the property is quieter. For a lot of honeymooners this is the better trade.
September and October
September and October are the wettest months on the Pacific coast, and the emptiest. They are also humpback whale season: sightings from the sunset catamaran are common, and dolphins often ride alongside the boat.
Planning your Costa Rica honeymoon
Book three to four months ahead for December through April. The pool villas are the first thing to go, and honeymoon dates are rarely flexible.
We do not sell honeymoon packages. Every stay is put together with reception instead: room preference, arrival timing, the floating breakfast, spa slots, a private dinner. Tell us it is your honeymoon when you book and the rest is arranged by email before you arrive.
Fly into San José (SJO), about three hours by road, or take the short hop to the Quepos airstrip (XQP), about twenty-five minutes from the hotel. A private transfer is worth it on arrival day.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen: Costa Rica protects its marine ecosystems and ordinary sunscreen is discouraged near the park beaches. Pack light layers for the evenings — the hillside is cooler than the beach. One carry-on and one checked bag is enough for two weeks.
Airport transfers
FAQ
Is Makanda adults only?
Yes. Makanda by the Sea is an adults-only boutique hotel, eighteen and over, throughout the property and all year round.
Do all rooms have a private pool?
No. Private pools come with four categories: the Honeymoon Junior Pool Villa, the Honeymoon Grand Pool Villa, the Luxury Villa Private Pool, and the Sky Penthouse. Suites and lofts have private ocean-view balconies and share the two infinity pools on the property.
Is the floating breakfast included?
No. The Full Breakfast is included when you book direct on makanda.com. The floating breakfast is a separate experience for guests of private pool villas, $220 plus tax for two, ordered 24 hours in advance through reception.
Does Makanda have a private beach?
No beach in Costa Rica is private. Costa Rican law makes the coastline public. Makanda sits above a secluded wild beach reached by an on-site trail, and loungers, towels, and beach service are included in your stay.
How far is Manuel Antonio National Park?
The park entrance is a few minutes away by car. Tickets are timed entry, bought online in advance through SINAC and issued in your own name. Reception can coordinate the timing and arrange a naturalist guide.
How do we get there from San José?
The drive from San José (SJO) takes about three hours. There are also short domestic flights to Quepos (XQP), and private air charter and helicopter transfers. Write to reception@makanda.com for current pricing.
What is the cancellation policy?
Reservations may be canceled without charge up to 30 calendar days before arrival (check-in date). Payment is due in full at that point and is non-refundable after it. Full terms are set out in our reservation policy.
Can you arrange a proposal or a vow renewal?
Yes. Write to reception@makanda.com with your dates and what you have in mind, and we will plan it with you before you travel.
Book direct and full breakfast over the Pacific comes with every morning, along with no booking fees, free cancellation up to 30 calendar days before arrival, and a reservations team that answers by email rather than a call center.
Check dates and rates
Questions first? Write to reception@makanda.com
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