Manatus Hotel

Canal adventures with a comfortable return

A swim beside the canal, then dinner with Caribbean flavors: Manatus Hotel makes downtime part of a Tortuguero adventure. In a region known for rustic ecolodges, air-conditioned accommodation, private terraces and patio showers bring additional room comforts to days spent exploring the rainforest and waterways. The remote setting still asks for careful travel planning, but the return to the hotel can be part of the pleasure of coming here.

Leave time for the hotel

The pool faces the canal, with lush tropical gardens giving you another place to explore. An art gallery displays work for sale by Costa Rican artist Marcela Crespo Gallegos, while the fitness room lets you keep your own routine. The spa and beauty center offers massage, manicures, pedicures and hair treatments for an additional cost. WiFi is available in most locations of the hotel.

At Ara Macaw Restaurant, Caribbean fusion cooking sits alongside international dishes for those wanting familiar alternatives. Morpho Bar brings tropical cocktails into the evening; drinks are outside the meal package. Back in the room, satellite television, a mini-refrigerator and WiFi accompany air conditioning, a private patio with shower and a terrace. Choose Manatus when those comforts matter to the hours between nature outings.

Give the canals time in your itinerary

Rainforest, canals and the Caribbean surround Tortuguero, reached by boat or plane. Sloths, monkeys and toucans are among the region’s wildlife; the rare jaguar is another inhabitant, rather than an animal to expect to see. Green turtles nest from the end of July to mid-October, when nesting observation tours may be booked through the hotel, subject to availability.

The two-day, one-night and three-day, two-night packages include lodging, meals at the lodge excluding beverages, a Tortuguero village tour and a canal tour. A two-night stay adds a second canal outing, another opportunity to watch the waterways with time to return for a swim or an unhurried meal. Select the package that matches your nights and the amount of exploring you want to do.

Book transfers separately

Transportation from San José is not included and must be reserved separately. When added, allow approximately four hours by road from San José and another 1–1.5 hours by boat; the ground journey from other starting points varies. You cannot drive directly to the hotel, so make transportation and boat reservations well in advance. Boats allow one personal bag and one suitcase of any size per person; flights have a 25-pound baggage limit per person. Those are different allowances, to match to the transfer you choose.

National park admission and the Turtle Museum are excluded from the package. Park charges are $17 per adult and $5 for ages 5–11, with the fee for younger children to confirm; the museum is $2 per person. Admission charges are subject to change. Comfort at Manatus does not change the region’s hot, humid and rugged character, but it gives you a welcoming place for the slower moments after a day on the canals.

What to consider when choosing Manatus Hotel

• Choose added room comfort in a remote region: air conditioning, satellite television, a mini-fridge, terrace and a private patio with shower distinguish the stay from a basic rainforest cabin.
• Make downtime part of the trip: the canal-front pool, gardens and Marcela Crespo Gallegos art gallery offer reasons to linger. Gallery works are for sale.
• Choose one or two nights deliberately: both packages include lodging, meals excluding beverages, a village tour and a canal tour; two nights add a second canal outing.
• Keep Caribbean flavors in the evening: Ara Macaw serves Caribbean fusion and international dishes, while Morpho Bar offers cocktails. Drinks are outside the meal package.
• Arrange the journey separately: San José transportation is not included. Added transfers take approximately four hours by road and 1–1.5 hours by boat; other starting points vary, and reservations are needed well in advance.
• Use the baggage rule for your actual mode: boats allow one personal bag and one suitcase of any size per person; flights have a 25-pound per-person limit.
• Budget for optional and separate costs: spa and beauty services are extra. Park admission is $17 per adult and $5 for ages 5–11, with the younger-child charge to confirm; the museum is $2 per person. Fees can change.
• Plan nature outings with the season in mind: green turtles nest from the end of July to mid-October, with hotel-arranged nesting tours subject to availability. A fitness room and WiFi in most hotel areas add practical comforts, but Tortuguero remains hot, humid and rugged.