Experience Manuel Antonio
Manuel Antonio is a jungle-beach destination without comparison. Imagine a place where you can walk down a gorgeous Pacific beach and spot rare and exotic animals such as monkeys and sloths right from the beach! A place where the warm ocean waters hover around 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celcius) that is perfect for swimming, boogie boarding, and even learning to surf. But it's not just about the beach. Manuel Antonio is one of the best places in the world for ecotourism activities. The national park abounds with countless species of rare and exotic animals, including three species of monkeys, sloths, anteaters, ocelots, toucans, parrots, and so much more! In the evening, you can dine in amazing and unique restaurants or take in what many describe as the best places in the world to enjoy a Pacific sunset. And did we mention; ALL OF THESE AMAZING EXPERIENCES ARE WITHIN A SHORT WALK OF LA VELA?!
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But it doesn't end there! Manuel Antonio is home to some of the best and most professional ecotourism tour operators in the world. Thrill-seekers will love adventure tour activities such as whitewater rafting, canopy ziplining, waterfall rappelling and canyoneering, horseback riding, ATVing, and many other amazing experiences. Beach excursions include kayaking along the coast, surf lessons, parasailing, or a romantic catamaran cruise. Nature lovers will be fascinated by the wildlife in Manuel Antonio National Park but there are even more amazing options to choose from! the Damas Island Estuary is within a protected mangrove preserve that you can visit in a covered riverboat or by kayak. Nearby Carara National Park is one of the best places in the world for tropical birdwatching, particularly for loud and colorful Scarlett Macaws or giant crocodiles in the Rio Tarcoles.
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Interested in complete Costa Rica vacation planning? We highly recommend our friends at Pacific Trade Winds! These guys are the best. They have been planning amazing trips to Costa Rica since 2007 and are our most trusted local agency. They will save you time, stress, and money. Tell them La Vela sent you!
Guided Tours
We want for you to enjoy the very best experiences in Manuel Antonio, so we only work with THE BEST tour operators. The following are some of the most popular tours that we have partnered with our guides to offer you. There is a short form at the bottom of this page so you can book any of these amazing activities.
Manuel Antonio National Park
A guided tour to Manuel Antonio National Park is an absolute must for anybody visiting this area! This world-famous park is home to countless endangered, rare, and exotic species. Your bilingual guide will point out the numerous animals and use a high-quality spotting scope so you can see these amazing animals up close and personal!
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Ages 6+: $59, Children ages 0-5: $0
Catamaran Cruise by Planet Dolphin
The Catamaran Cruise offers a wonderful way to take in the beauty of the Manuel Antonio coastline! This is an all-inclusive trip that includes a meal and drinks as you cruise on the Pacific ocean. The boat will stop for kayaking or snorkeling along the way. Guests may see dolphins, whales, or even sea turtles depending on the time of the year. Most of all, this is a trip to relax and enjoy the gorgeous scenery.
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Ages 11+: $85, Ages 6-10: $50, Ages -5: $10
Whitewater Rafting on the Rio Savegre
The Rio Savegre is one of the best whitewater rafting rivers in Costa Rica! Enjoy Class II, II, and IV rapids as your bilingual adventure guide navigates the way down this warm, tropical river. The scenery is amazing, the river is thrilling, and this is sure to be a highlight of your trip!
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Ages 8+: $95
Canopy Ziplining at El Santuario
The canopy zipline adventure just may be Costa Rica's most popular adventure tour. Imagine soaring through the rainforest canopy, hooked to a wheel and harness that zips along long steel cables from platform to platform! While this activity will give you a bird's eye view of the forest, make no mistake, this is a thrilling adventure activity!
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Ages 4+: $84.75
Surf Lessons
Okay, admit it... You've always wanted to learn how to surf and now's you're chance to do it! Espadilla Beach is the ideal location to learn how to surf with warm water and ideal wave sizes at high tide for learning how to surf without being overwhelmed. Your professional surf instructors will teach you the basics on the beach and then you'll head out to the water to practice what you've learned. Before you know it, you'll be hangin' 10 with your newly found surf buddies!
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Ages 5+: $79.10
Riverboat Safari or Kayaking at Damas Island
The Damas Island Estuary is a protected mangrove system a little north of Manuel Antonio along the Central Pacific coast. these mangroves offer nurseries for many species of fish but the forests are also home to many mammals, including capuchin monkeys and rare silky anteaters. The riverboat version of this tour is a relaxing, guided boat ride, while the kayaking version is a more physically challenging kayak trip. Keep in mind that there are some pretty impressive crocodiles in this estuary!
*Minimum age for kayaking is 7 years old.
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Ages 6+: $70, Ages 0-5: $0
Horseback Riding to Tocori Waterfalls
This tour offers a unique perspective into rural Costa Rican life and is a lot of fun at the same time! The tour takes place on a rural farm where you'll ride through some fields and eventually to the rainforest. From there, you'll hike into the woods until you reach the beautiful Tocori Waterfalls, where you can swim and take in the beautiful natural scenery.
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Ages 7+: $80
ATV Riding
Thrill-seekers will love the ATV adventure tour! You'll be paired up (either single or double, depending on what you select) with your bilingual guide and fellow adventurers for a high-speed ride through backroads, fields, and natural obstacles. Drivers must be at least 16 years old and have a valid drivers license.
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Single Rider Ages 16+: $112, Double Rider Ages 8+: $73
We have many more tour options...
The tour options listed above are among the most popular activities with our guests. we have many other options available, so if you've heard of an activity that isn't listed above, just contact us and ask about it. Chances are pretty likely that we can arrange it for you.
Booking your tours
Please use the Contact Us form below to book your tours. Use the comments field to let us know which tour you would like to book along with the number of adults, children, and the children's ages.
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¿Cómo llegar a La Vela Boutique Hotel
But first is first and we are thrilled to welcome you to our little oasis of green vegetation and comfortable rooms.
You can find many different options to get to Manuel Antonio, we would like to mention some of them that we consider the most reliable and easy for you to have a pleasant trip to our location.
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Public transportation is available from different parts of the country, if you are traveling from San Jose a good option is to do it with a public bus, they arrive to Manuel Antonio every two hours and it is a express service, this trip take from 3,5 to 4 hours. Click here for schedules and information.
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Shuttle Services are available as well from most of the hotels in the country, it is a shared service, hence, spect for stops along the road, departure times are scheduled according to their itinerary, this service arrives to Manuel Antonio two times a day, around 10:00am and around 4:00pm. If you will like to arrange this service please feel free to send us a form with your travel details and our reservations department will gladly help you.
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Private transportation services are also available, take advantage of having your own driver that will pick you up in your hotel, drive you to our location and even stop where ever you want, they are also more than happy to mention some of the most interesting points or hot spots that no one visiting our country should miss. One of our guests favorite options.
Please feel free to contact us for any arrangements should you require.
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Feeling adventurous? Why not renting a car? You manage your own departure times, stop wherever and whenever you desire and even make little tours to surrounding areas along the way down to our Hotel.
Adobe Rent a Car has a great fleet of vehicles, from economic sedans to SUVS that will take you almost everywhere you want. Having the liberty of driving your own car will match perfectly with the desire of adventure and relaxation you are about to satisfy once in Manuel Antonio.
Booking a car is as easy as clicking HERE and follow few steps.
