Manatus Hotel — Hotel in Colorado

Almost luxury in the jungle! On the ride from San Jose to the boat launch we stopped several times to see wildlife. And we got to see a mother sloth and baby. The tour guide forwarded a short video of the baby climbing to momma!! The quiet at the hotel is amazing. There is an outdoor shower for the romantics out there. The filet mignon was excellent!!| We were picked up at our hotel in San Jose by Jonathan and a driver in a Manatus van. The pickup was at 6:15 am. We picked up a few other people elsewhere in San Jose and we were on our way. The rooms are generous in size, with 2 queen beds. The mattresses were comfortable. Johnathan made the long ride enjoyable with information about the wildlife, history of CR and general information about CR. His English is particularly good!! Midway we stopped for buffet breakfast (and bathroom). At the end of the ride, we were met by Luis (very good English, and a wonderful guide) and a Manatus boat with captain. We made many stops along the way from the launch point to Manatus to see wildlife. Both the captain and Luis are eagle eyed and spotted much wildlife. Luis is very knowledgeable. It takes 3 years to get a naturalist license. | The boat ride was about 1-1/2 hrs (covered boat). We got to Manatus around lunchtime and checked into our air-conditioned room. A boat trip to the village of Tortugero was planned later in the afternoon. Luis grew up in Tortugero and gave a lively commentary about the history of the village and the national park. There are gift shops, a hostel, small eateries, "convenience" stores, and some local artisans working on beautiful crafts. | For the intrepid, there was a nighttime hike near the hotel. Rubber boots were provided and much needed in the deep mud. Poison frog, moths, and sloth dung were sighted. | For the uninitiated: toilet paper and sanitary products are always disposed in a waste can next to the toilet. The daytime tours are in open boats. Even on a cloudy day most people get sunburned. Be sure to use sunscreen or clothes that are of the SPF type (many manufacturers now make clothes that act like sunscreen). Water is safe to drink throughout CR. There is government regulation of roadside cafes (soda), and they have a good reputation regarding sanitation (we did happen to try any). There are mosquitoes, although we did not have problems.| Two boat tours are provided daily (AM and PM). The morning trip enters the national park (and if the entry fee is not included in your package, then payment is due the day before). Howler monkeys, spider monkeys, 3-toed sloth, iguanas, caimans, purple gallinule -- oh my!!| Pros: dining staff, guides Jonathan and Luis, the boat captains, excellent food, the AC (!!) | Suggestions: Better quality pillows, more comfortable chairs in the room, a larger table in the room, USB ports (or extension cords with USB ports). Lysol spray to use in the bathroom trash baskets. Update the listing to note that a very good buffet breakfast is included on the way to Manatus, and a very good lunch is included on the return. Returns can be made via local bush plane near the hotel, or at the end of the return boat ride, you can have prearranged connections to other places via rental car or driver. We planned the trip on our own and we had a long bus ride back into San Jose (through...

We had initially planned to stay in the town as we’re quite fidgety holiday-makers and like to be independent, but we are so glad we chose Manatus. We stayed for three nights, a little longer than most, because we arrived later (on the public boat). The staff greeted us with lovely tropical drinks and helped us to our rooms. Tortuguero is quite rustic compared to other areas of Costa Rica that we’ve stayed in and so, relative to the standard in the area, Manatus is lovely and actually really good value, especially considering the competition such as Tortuga (eye-wateringly expensive). The rooms have very efficient A/C, are very spacious and the bathrooms have been recently refurbished to a high standard. There is a decent coffee maker, mini bar and a TV which we didn’t use. All the rooms are nice but some have a waterfront lookout which is a bonus. The pool, gardens and trail are wonderful and we saw dozens of strawberry poison dart frogs in the forest behind the rooms.

We did the usual boat tours and an early morning one and we saw so much. The early one was my favourite, overall, for the atmosphere and the sheer profusion of wildlife visible. We saw families of spider monkeys and howlers, caiman, crocodiles, countless bird species, lizards etc and it was all from the comfort of the boat. It gets a little hairy in heavy rain but they give you ponchos and it’s just part of the experience. The town was also interesting to visit although my time there was limited by our older child vomiting on the dock!

The staff at the hotel were universally charming and attentive. Not everyone speaks fluent English, obviously, but don’t mistake that for a lack of interest. The food was fine, very well cooked and with a decent variety of menu options for a short trip and the cocktails were cheap and excellent.

Staying in Tortuguero is not like staying in some of the slick Pacific resorts and expectations have to be adjusted accordingly, but it is a spectacular, atmospheric place that has fixed itself in my memory. Manatus was the perfect place to stay for us and our two boys (aged nine and six - turned whilst here and the staff did him birthday pancakes with chocolate decorations). Strongly recommend. Special thanks to Jhon and Luis...

We spent two days at this hotel from Jan 31 - Feb 2, 2025. Arrived on a short flight from San Jose. The airport is actually just an airstrip on the Caribbean Sea. It is on the same canal as the hotel. We were met planeside by Ricardo, who helped with our luggage and got us on a motor launch. It was a 5 minute trip down the canal to the hotel. We checked in and had lunch right away. |The food at this hotel is all included in the price. All of it is ala carte and everything we ate was delicious during all three meals per day. There is a bar, although it is not always open. Cocktails, wine, and beer are available at a reasonable price. There is a modest wine list by the bottle, but it had everything and was reasonably priced. |The service is low key, yet attentive. Everyone was quite friendly. |There is a small pool, although we did not use it. The gym is actually just an exercise bike and a treadmill, maybe a couple of weights. |The rooms are spacious. Two queen beds in each, a TV (we did not use it), some limited storage, and a mini bar. The mini bar is not free. The bathroom was quite spacious and modern, and it opens onto a small outside area with an outdoor cold shower. Note: you cannot flush anything, including used toilet paper. There is a receptacle for that. Tip: bring some Poo Pouree or Lysol spray. Liquid soap, shampoo, lotion are provided. |While there, you have the opportunity to go on a boat ride to the village or Tortuguero. It was pouring rain, so we did not go. The next day offers morning and afternoon boat tours of the canals. Splendid! We had Bonnie (guide) and Ronnie (eagle-eyed captain). They did an excellent job, finding us lots of different wildlife. Bring your camera and binoculars. And don’t forget some money for gratuity. |Overall, a great visit. It is a little more rustic than posh, but keep in mind you are on the sea and everything arrives by water. There...