The Tulemar Resort
Manuel Antonio
The Tulemar Resort, formerly named Buena Vista Villas, combines the convenience of a vacation rental with the service of a luxury hotel. Set on a jungle-covered hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the 33-acre Tulemar property slopes from the main hilltop road in Manuel Antonio all the way down to the resort's exclusive beach area. Bungalows, Villas, and Casas are found throughout the property, but most are up on the hillside overlooking the beautiful jungle and coastline. Anybody seeking a rainforest and beach experience in a luxury vacation rental is sure to appreciate this hotel. Resort amenities include several swimming pools and a Jacuzzi, tropical gardens and trails, restaurant, beach access, and WiFi in some common areas.
Manuel Antonio is the ideal setting for a beach and nature vacation. Rainforest covered hills roll down to the golden sands of the beach. Volcanic rock outcroppings frame it all in. The national park is home to loads of exotic and rare animals, but wildlife is just about everywhere in Manuel Antonio.
Most visitors to The Tulemar Resort and Manuel Antonio come for a mix of beach time and activities. Adventurers will be thrilled with tour selections including canopy ziplining through the forest treetops, rafting the raging Rio Savegre, rappelling down waterfalls in the jungle, or taking surf lessons on Playa Espadilla. Take a riverboat ride or go kayaking at the Damas Island Estuary to see local flora and fauna. Or go on a guided hike at Manuel Antonio National Park for an up close and personal experience with a variety of birds, reptiles, monkeys, and sloths.
Time at the resort can be magical. The exclusive beach area provides a wonderful way to spend the afternoon after a morning of exploring. Those staying in the villas can also just relax at the mountainside swimming pool and lounge area. The Rancho Bar serves a variety of tropical drinks and cocktails. The TuleCafe Restaurant offers a delightful selection of International cuisine including pizza, steak, and seafood.
The Tulemar Resort also offers in-unit spa services including wellness, deep tissue, hot stone, or couples massages. Manicures and pedicures, mini treatments, facials, scrubs, and wraps are all popular services as well.
All units are all surrounded by rainforest and tropical gardens. Walking paths allow you to explore these areas and discover the abundant wildlife. The octagonal Tulemar Bungalows are not treehouses but almost feel like they are. Built on the hillside, the front of the units look out over the trees below. The Villas come in one, two, or three bedroom units, all of which are on the hillside overlooking the rainforest. Some units have ocean views. Please refer to the Amenities Section for a complete list of what is included with each unit type.
Latitude: N 9° 24' 29.17"
Longitude: W 84° 9' 32.66"
06/07/2022
Spectacular location, view and accommodations. right in town and easy to access terrific restaurants
02/18/2022
Wonderful hotel, room and views. Hotel staff was excellent. All spoke english which helped us out a lot. You feel you're in a jungle with monkey's visiting our balcony, macaw's flying by, and other creatures. The private beach is as nice as Manual Antonio nearby and without the crowds. Beach was one of the best we've stay at with beach food/drink service, sitting in resort loungers under the palm trees...what a treat! We would have liked a ocean view from our room but our view from the lower level was still great just a mental note next time to ask for ocean view. Brought our own snorkels/mask and used resorts free Kayaks to go out to rocky area to see the fish which was a short kayak ride away, just head towards where the tour dive boats anchor just ot the S/W. Definitely would recommend but definitely a little on hte pricey side but it's vacation! Would highly recommend.
02/25/2020
Gorgeous facility, the sloth institute on site was awesome!
11/06/2019
Staff was great, from our concierge to the shuttle drivers. They responded quickly to an overflowing shower drain. However, we did have some issues with the hotel shuttle (not showing up once) and I was underwhelmed by the food, especially at their price. Also, I believe their website is deceiving in saying villas are 1200 sq ft. There is no way this is true unless they're including the deck in that calculation. There were also other little things like not having ANY towel hooks in the entire place. For being the #1 rated hotel in the world on TripAdvisor, and the extremely high rates, I would have expected this to be an incredible experience. Overall, this resort was nice, but beyond the magnificent view, I felt the price was not commensurate with the experience. This was a tough place to review because we have such mixed feelings. In summary, we think it was simply overpriced, even with the nice views and relative proximity to the beach.
06/17/2019
Wow! You guys went above and beyond with this one. What a breathtaking resort and room! We got placed in one of the best bungalows in the resort with a magical view. Although breakfast was not included, we loved it. We got to see the monkeys up close and one landed on our window! We also saw a sloth and many iguanas. Super cool.
01/14/2019
The entire staff went above and beyond!
06/25/2017
We loved it but would like to make this suggestion for future guest. As you aware, the villas are built into the hills and it is very steep and difficult to navigate, particularly for the elderly. A note to prospective guests should point that issue out. The shuttle service was great, but even to get to the pickup areas is difficult.
03/27/2017
THE ABSOLUTE BEST!! Loved every single thing about this property and service... I really cant say enough!
05/21/2016
The views were spectacular and the staff was very good. We had issues with the restaurant several times (quality of food and wait time) Our unit's blinds did not work properly. Our traveling companions had lounge chairs on the patio and we just had chairs. The drivers were great.
11/01/2015
This is a great place to stay.
08/18/2015
The Perfect Place
05/18/2015
The property and the beach are amazing! I was thankful for the transportation within the property-it is very steep. The drivers were always quick and very nice.
04/21/2015
We had a little trouble with the AC in her our villa. The staff was terrific and helpful, but in the end the explanation was that the units are just not big enough for the upstairs space. Comfort wise we were a bit warm during the afternoons when we took a break from the day and wanted to relax out of the heat of the sun.
04/13/2015
Lovely hotel. Couldn't really walk around the property because of the steep inclines and no shoulders on the road but that was okay but just as a warning for other guests. The shuttle was prompt and drivers very pleasant. The food was very good in the restaurants. We also saw lots of wildlife.
02/08/2015
The only bad thing I have to say is that the room looked a little worn, but it was clean and comfortable. Excellent maid service. The fact that it had it own beach made the entire stay totally awesome. It was fantastic that it was located so close to so many restaurants and grocery stores. Although we only used the bus once, if we go back we would probably use it more often to go to the free beach and Quepos for a little more exploring. Quite easy to use and very reasonably priced.
02/03/2015
this is where I would have added another day and night to our trip, we didn't have enough time here.
