Arenas del Mar

Rooms

The 7 blocks of suites are spread out along a winding path which descends from the reception area down to the beach, with another swimming pool and bar; so you can choose to be nearer the beach, or nearer the restaurant. The architecture is remarkable, fitting so organically with the rainforest all around it. All of the blocks will be covered with plants, as if reclaimed by the forest.

Yet inside, the design is smart, sophisticated and carefully considered. The 38 rooms and suites are elegant and welcoming: neutral walls and polished wood floors; lavish fabrics in warm colours, and white Egyptian cotton sheets. Original paintings by celebrated Costa Rican artists are inspired by the natural world.

Ocean Breeze Suites have a bedroom with a balcony and a pretty tiled hot tub. Along a corridor, there’s a sitting room with a sofabed, and a separate bathroom. Ocean View Premium Suites are similar, but they have an extra bathroom and (as the name suggests) views of the ocean. The Playitas Suite is the largest, and has three double beds, three bathrooms and a living room plus a hot tub on its covered balcony, making it ideal for families.

Superior Rooms are also divided into ocean breeze or ocean view categories. They all have an ensuite bathroom, but no sitting room or Jacuzzi, though they're still quite spacious. The Garden Rooms similar, but are set furthest away from the ocean.

The bathrooms are gorgeous: ochre tiles, period lamps and glass bricks bring a 1920s feel. Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion) are provided in big bottles, and to be used with confidence: they’re excellent quality, biodegradable and organic. There are bathrobes too, and a hairdryer; you also get a safe, an LCD cable television, an Ipod dock, a well-stocked minibar, air-conditioning above your bed and living rooms have a fan.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Microwave
• Minibar/fridge

Eating

The El Mirador fine dining restaurant seems to merge seamlessly both with the more organic bar area and with the rainforest seen through its cinemascope windows. Yet it’s a chic, very stylish space. Polished stone floors, dark hardwood high-backed chairs, well dressed tables, and contemporary fabrics come in pale olive green, and chocolate brown, with some splashes of warm colour. A series of interconnecting, open-sided rooms give guests a choice of atmosphere, all subtly-lit; and wildlife is ever present, with trees growing through the roof, as if the jungle might reclaim it at any moment. The sound of the ocean mingles with gentle Costa Rican music.

The dinner menu is quite exceptional for Costa Rica in remaining faithful to native ingredients and flavours, while cunningly introducing some international elements; look out for guest chefs or sample the Dock to Dish menu. Chef Olmos Dixon has created lots of surprises from his locally-sourced organic produce: a terrific Mangospacho soup; freshest tuna sashimi, and a divine Pacific lobster and cayote escabeche. Try the sea bass with garlic, ginger and chives, or the spice-encrusted pork tenderloin with a guava glaze. The wine list is excellent and well-chosen, with some superb Argentine and Chilean bottles.

Light and delicious lunches are served in Playitas bar restaurant down by the beach and the lower pool. Open 10am to 5pm, it serves a different menu - more salads, wraps and sandwiches, and some hot dishes. There are great cocktails too, right on the beach.

Breakfast is a treat, starting with a good plate of tropical fruits, fresh juice, tea (in pots!) and excellent organic shade-grown coffee from sister hotel Finca Rosa Blanca. Follow this with a little basket of home baked breads and pastries, and a choice of hot dishes, including Costa Rican favourites and international staples. Our rice and beans with fried plantain and eggs was excellent. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff, who take pride in welcoming you to this very Costa Rican restaurant.

Features include:

• Children's meals
• Microwave
• Minibar/fridge

Activities

• The highlight is obviously Manuel Antonio National Park - Costa Rica’s smallest, with lots to see if you know where to look. And Eduardo Valverde knows. He’s the hotel’s resident guide and naturalist, and extremely knowledgeable and personally fascinated (unlike so many guides operating in the park). He’ll find monkeys, 2 kinds of sloths, and the famous red-eyed tree frog - among a myriad of other species
  
• Arenas del Mar has its own 5-acre nature reserve where Eduardo guides walks which enable you to see yet more species not seen in the National Park: porcupines, snakes, owls, more frogs, and monkeys at close quarters. The reserve is planted with native species to reproduce the forest that was originally here, and give a habitat to indigenous animals
  
• Highly recommended is the 6am bird-watching tour around the hotel, when Eduardo manages to find an astonishing array of tanagers, robins, hummingbirds, flycatchers, woodpeckers, toucanets and hawks in his powerful scope. The night walk will convert even arachnophobes: you’ll see opossums, kinkajous, cats, snakes like boa constrictors, frogs and even - if you wish - tarantulas
  
• Learn to surf or SUP, right on the beach. The fantastic teachers won’t make you feel like an idiot
  
• Take a hike to Villa Nueva waterfall - 2 beautiful falls that converge at the same spot. You need to be in good shape but it's great for wildlife and birds
  
• Take a trip to visit the local community: see schools and organic farms, have breakfast with the locals, milk a cow and generally get involved
  
• Thrill-seekers will want to try the canopy tour for a birds-eye view of the trees, and follow magical trails through the forest. Breakfast or lunch is included
  
• Kayak through mangrove swamps to see huge numbers of birds close up
  
• Go white-water rafting for a day (you have a choice of rivers and grades)
  
• Horse-riding through the jungle to waterfalls can also be organised

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Wildlife

Kids

Families with kids of all ages will love it here with direct access to two beaches and a choice of swimming pools, wildlife galore at the hotel, plus a full menu of on-site activities and an impressive tour book. Children up to 11 years of age share their parents' room for free, including breakfast.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Ocean View Premium Suite and Ocean Breeze Suite categories have pull out sofabeds/trundle beds that can accommodate two children. If you book a room near the beach you will be able to watch your children play in the beachside pool from your balcony. The Playitas Suite is the best for larger families or a couple of families travelling together as it sleeps up to 8. Suites and adjacent Superior rooms can connect for larger groups too.

Cots Available

Distances:

• Airport: 3 hours
• Hospital: 15 minutes drive
• Shops: 15 minutes walk

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Arenas Del Mar Manuel Antonio Hotel is on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, about 2km from the port of Quepos in Manuel Antonio, and 4 hours' drive from San José.

By Air:
You'll fly into San José Juan Santamaria International (99km) or Liberia (260km). From San José you can take an internal flight to Quepos airstrip (2km), although most guests opt for a transfer. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
Arenas del Mar can arrange a transfer from any airport - see Rates; from Quepos it may be a bit cheaper getting a taxi on arrival, but less reliable.

By Car:
Consider carefully if you really want to drive in Costa Rica. The roads can be awful and the signage is hopeless. In Manuel Antonio you really won’t need a car, and you might prefer to arrange transfers if you’re travelling to a couple of destinations within Costa Rica. If you'd still rather travel under your own steam, see our car rental recommendations. Make sure you choose a 4-wheel drive for a more comfortable journey on the uneven roads.

By Public Transport:
If you're feeling adventurous, there's a public bus from San José to Quepos. Once in Quepos, take a taxi to the hotel.

Detailed directions will be provided when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Costa Rica and getting around