Gaia Hotel and Reserve

Jungle views and a slower hillside rhythm

The rainforest surrounds Gaia Hotel and Reserve, a five-star, eco-friendly boutique retreat in Manuel Antonio’s hills. For adults and teens, this is a place to let the hours between adventures become a pleasure of their own.

Pools, spa time and a forest outlook

The Art Deco hotel brings together tropical gardens, three pools and a jungle-facing swim-up bar. Terra Spa has six treatment rooms, with a sauna for another way to unwind. The small fitness center is open 24/7, with weights and cardiovascular equipment for keeping a familiar routine before a swim or a slower afternoon. WiFi is available in public areas.

Dinner with a wider outlook

La Luna serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, drawing on international and Costa Rican cuisine. Its 180-degree outlook makes the setting part of the meal. Later, Ambar Lounge opens daily for a drink, with happy hour from 4 to 6 pm.

Rooms and suites have a tropical character, with air conditioning, cable television, premium bedding and jungle views. Individual layouts and outdoor spaces vary by category, so choose the room around the time you want to spend in it as well as the activities on your itinerary.

From golden sand to a jungle-view evening

Gaia is on a hillside and is not near the beach; allow about ten minutes by car to reach the coastal area. Playa Espadilla stretches for several kilometers along green, jungle-covered hills and volcanic rock outcroppings. Swimming, boogie boarding and beginner surfing give a beach day several possibilities. At the end of the main beach, Manuel Antonio National Park leads onto forest trails, with a chance to see monkeys, sloths, iguanas and birds on a guided hike.

A Damas Island Estuary riverboat safari offers a different wildlife landscape, with opportunities to see silky anteaters and crocodiles. Whitewater rafting on the Rio Savegre and the Titi Canopy Zipline bring more active days, while daily surf lessons keep another adventure close to the beach. The Manuel Antonio tours guide provides further choices. Return to the hotel with time for a swim or dinner as the jungle becomes the evening’s backdrop.

Highlights to help you choose

• A five-star boutique setting amid Manuel Antonio’s rainforest hills makes the hotel’s landscape part of the stay; it is not a beachfront property.
• Three swimming pools and a jungle-facing swim-up bar let you keep an afternoon at the hotel, with gardens surrounding the Art Deco setting.
• Terra Spa’s six treatment rooms and a sauna provide ways to unwind; the small fitness center is open 24/7 with weights and cardio equipment.
• La Luna serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with Costa Rican and international flavors and a 180-degree jungle-and-coastline outlook.
• Ambar Lounge opens daily, with happy hour from 4 to 6 pm, giving the evening an easy place to begin.
• Tropical rooms and suites have air conditioning, cable TV, premium bedding and jungle views; compare individual categories for the outdoor space and layout you want.
• Allow about ten minutes by car for the coastal area. Golden-sand beach days and park hikes are outings from this hillside retreat.
• Build active days around the national park, a Damas Island wildlife boat trip, Savegre rafting, Titi Canopy ziplining or surf lessons, then return to the gardens.