Makanda by The Sea

Makanda earned a 5 star and is a true gem! Exactly what I was looking for: luxurious room with stunning views. No need to venture out to see the wild life because I got to see it all within the private property. Waking up to the sound of nature: Monkeys and bird chirping was a delight to my ears. The freshly squeeze juices and complimentary breakfast was a great way to start our morning.
Staff/Service are friendly and passionate/attentive about their job. Especially our waiter Christopher, never said no and did whatever he could to please me.
This is the place to stay!

We recently stayed at Makanda for part of our honeymoon trip and our entire stay was simply amazing! This is one of the most relaxing and beautiful resorts that we have ever been to.

The entire resort is clean and feels brand new. Our room was stunning with panoramic views of the ocean, high end finishes, a private pool, and a private hot tub. Our villa was also extremely private. At times we felt like we were the only guests at the resort as our villa was tucked into the natural surrounding of the forest. We saw monkeys, sloths, and Macaws all from our back patio. The bed was very comfortable and everything was spotless in the room.

The spa is one of the most beautiful and relaxing places on the resort with gorgeous views overlooking the ocean.

All of the staff at the resort were very friendly and made our stay very memorable. It was easy to book activities off the resort though the hotel reception.

All of the food that we had at the resort was delicious.

Absolutely stunning views. Amazing service. Great service and excellent luxurious decoration. The beach is amazing. Delicious food. This Hotel will make you feel like no other place with a special connection with nature. Lots of fun watching monkeys playing around. Drinks is a must try. This Hotel is just simply a breathtaking experience.

Beautiful paradise!!
One of the most beautiful hotels we’ve stayed in! The view from the bedroom is unreal, and sitting by the pool watching the wildlife all around you is unbelievable. The pool area is so beautiful, from the mosaic tiles to the yellow towels with the blue and white sun loungers…
The beach area is a little disappointing, but with the hotel being so incredible I don’t think you even need the beach to be honest.
Take me back!

We had already planned to go to another place, but the moment I saw Makanda I did not hesitate to propose a change of plans and it was the best decision we could have made. Starting with the architecture of the place that makes such a beautiful place in the middle of tropical nature with spectacular views and access to the sea. The staff was loving from beginning to end, always very attentive, offering recommendations and solutions to different situations. The room is a piece of heaven without a doubt! with a panoramic view of the sea. But in our experience we found the true heaven in the Spa! The massage, the attention and the view definitely achieved maximum relaxation and connection. I would go back a thousand times!

What an amazing hotel. The staff are so friendly and the view is one of a kind. We saw so many animals outside of our room. I would highly recommend this place. The food was amazing. I believe there are only around 30 rooms on property so nothing ever felt crowded.

We very much enjoyed our couple's trip to Makanda By The Sea! I proposed on our room's private balcony, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and it was something I'll never forget!

We stayed in the Sky Penthouse and enjoyed terrific views and saw countless wildlife from our room. We even had a family of 15+ squirrel monkeys run across our balcony while we were enjoying our suite's private pool. The resort's main pool terrace was also incredible, with Friday's 4-6p happy hour offering a 2-hour DJ set of melodic/tech house. Delicious drinks and a beautiful sunset!

Only things I wish they would improve is: 1. for the price-point of the Penthouse Suite, I was hoping they would have some complimentary items in the mini fridge; and 2. I wish they had an LED strip or lights in the pool. I think there may have been one but it didn't seem to be working.

Incredible hotel with unique architecture blended into beautiful, natural and lush grounds with breathtaking views.

Quite expensive (especially the restaurant and swim up bar - mini-bar was beyond outrageous) but overall reasonably OK to spend a few nights. We had an absolutely breathtaking view from our room with massive balcony where we could watch the monkeys jump around, sun-tan while enjoying a drink or do morning yoga. There are some negatives if you are looking at nitpicking but remember that you are in Costa Rica and things won’t be perfect. Overall we would definitely return.

Exceptional experience! I booked Makanda based on proximity to Manuel Antonio with the hopes of seeing wildlife at the property, adults-only boutique experience. It did not disappoint!! We saw sloths closer than you could imagine, capuchin and squirrel monkeys every day, iguanas, many birds and other random animals. We saw more on the property than we did at Manuel Antonio!! The food was outstanding. Definitely more expensive than surrounding options but the convenience and taste was worth the cost. We loved the daily happy hour and pools with their views. The staff were all so friendly and genuinely interested in making your stay perfect. We loved the salty pool bartender (his name is escaping me). 5/5 stars!! I don’t have any negatives. To be honest I was hesitant to book the stay because of the “over the top” decor (I like more of a minimalist natural vibe) but I didn’t note any sort of pretentious influencer vibes like you may expect. Just a fantastic time!

This was the most amazing hotel and experience. A solo traveler could ask for during their first trip to Costa Rica. You don’t even need to leave the hotel property to experience all the nature has to offer in Manuel Antonio. Every one of the staff member were so helpful and friendly. They remember your name and preferences with food and drinks. There were monkeys swimming in the pool with you. sloths in the trees, and macaws flying all around. Whether you want the beach or the jungle this hotel has it all. They also made very good suggestions for tours and restaurants in the area. They were happy to call taxi service for you. I would describe it as luxury in the jungle, and hope to return very soon

When I stayed at Makanda it was my second time in Manual Antonio so I knew what to expect for the area- first time at a hotel there. My best friend and I had a blast and the resort met all of our expectations- just as advertised! This is more of a fancy "posh" looking resort than others in the area. While the views, the rooms and facilities are beautiful, (tons of animals) what stood out the most was the staff. Amazing customer service. Quick and attentive responses to any needs. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone and felt very cared after. Thank you Jenny and Jacqui, Elias, Jonathan, Liseth, Andres, Alex, Jorge and Christian. We enjoyed the spa two days- best ever massages, the pool, the hotel beach and Arbol. Early morning Breakfasts were to die for. Easy to get around with cabs. Thank you everyone and we will for sure be back.

Our stay at the Makanda was pretty great. The hotel itself is truly unique, with abundant wildlife (monkeys, sloths, and macaws) sharing the property. The accommodations and the staff were 5 star caliber. The room was very nicely appointed with a great view of the ocean. I highly recommend it.

Makanda by The Sea is the perfect retreat from a busy and stressful reality. What a treat to the senses. We arrived early, but that wasn't a problem. We dropped our bags, given fresh coconuts, and led to the pool area where we relaxed until our room was ready. From the moment we arrived, until the sad day we left, we were at peace. We stayed in the Sky Penthouse... Three words to describe it... WOW, WOW, WOW!!! The pictures do it no justice. The suite was perfect, over looking the forest and Pacific ocean. The view is amazing from any part of the suite. The private pool was the icing on the cake. The location, the grounds, the room, the staff, the breakfast, the drinks, all are top notch. NOTHING negative to say. There's even a private beach just a short cart ride away with staff to make sure you are well taken care of. We will be back!

Absolutely amazing property sitting in the middle of nature with breathtaking views from the ocean.
Hotel
Is decorated impeccably and integrated to the nature and wildlife.
We saw 2 species of monkeys, Araras, sloths, capivaras and more just walking through the property.
The honeymoon villa is a dream Villa with a private pool and a jacuzzi looking at the ocean!
Pictures from website don’t do justice to the place.
Friendly staff (excluding the front desk not very helpful)
Breakfast , wine selection , dinner inside the property can’t be missed either
We loved it !

We stayed here for my 60th birthday and it was wonderful. The rooms are like treehouses. Monkeys and toucans came right up to our windows in the mornings. Hanging out and sipping Pina Coladas overlooking an ocean sunset, while watching a trio of Macaws playing on the branches above us was wonderful. We will be back.

This was our first time in Costa Rica and I booked Makanda for our couples vacation.
From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by Jason at the gate, who always had a pleasant smile when we would come and go during our 8 days.
From there Sam, guided us by golf cart to Reception to begin this magical vacation.

I booked the Honeymoon Villa w private pool Vista 2 and we were literally in heaven. I cannot count how many times we went into this “private oasis” w a gorgeous view. We also loved this room and the amenities. I personally have a Dyson hairdryer and was impressed our bathroom included the same.

We also enjoyed a couples massage and I had a facial at Shanti Spa. This was an incredible experience with views to match.

The Chef and overall vibe at the restaurant was delicious healthy and beautifully presented. We enjoyed a variety of fresh juices and fruit every morning, we enjoyed lunches and dinners and also had room service one evening. We did it all. Shout out to all the waitstaff at Arbor, a quality restaurant that requires quality people.

The ENTIRE property is total Pura Vida w no expense spared to the architecture, attention to detail and constant pristine condition everything was kept.

We slept so well on our bed and felt pampered in all our room amenities; Slippers, robes, plush towels, espresso to name just a couple of glorious mentions.

I truly feel we had the most wonderful memorable vacation because I found Makanda by the Sea for us to enjoy our vacation.

This is an adults only hotel and we really enjoyed that level of relaxation.

Makanda is the only place to stay for adults that want to be taken care of with a 5 star experience.

Makanda is the best place ever to stay in Costa Rica! I stayed at another 5 star hotel and Makanda is the absolute best hotel in the whole country! From the absolute stunning views to the best service and most delicious food ever this place is a gem! The rooms are also gorgeous with stunning views and luxurious. The staff is so beyond helpful and friendly. The Wagyu burger I had was the best burger I’ve ever had. 10/10 recommend this hotel as the #1 place to stay in Costa Rica!

Also, when you’re hanging out by the pool expect to see 3 different species of monkeys and sloths and even parrots. This is a one of a kind hotel!

PS they also accommodate for gluten free.

This is by far the most beautiful hotel I’ve stayed at.

There are a few reasons as to why it’s so special.

The rooms are ridiculous. Couldn’t believe the wildlife you can see from your room, every morning without fail.

We saw more wildlife at the hotel than the various tours we’ve been on at the national parks!

The pool parties are great fun. Beats and beers, what more could you want?!

For me though the staff were just next level.

Particularly Elias, Roger, Andres and Alex. Elias is possibly the nicest/ most talented bar man I’ve ever met. He truly made our stay that much better. He’s a credit to the hotel! Keep him at all costs!!!!!!!

The private beach is ridiculously nice, and private.

There are so many other good things but I hope this gives a small flavour as to why it was so special for my wife and I on our honeymoon.

We hope we come back one day

This place is amazing! The villas are gorgeous, they have the perfect blend of luxury while set in the jungle above the ocean. The service is even better, the staff makes you feel like you are doing them a favor when you ask for something. Sam was especially helpful, thanks Sam!! This place is a paradise, well worth the money!

WOW! Literally speechless! This resort is beyond your wildest dreams. Ughh I don’t know where to start. The staff is incredible, every single person was 4 diamond resort worthy. From the guards at the gate to the front desk to the drivers to the wait staff. You all have raised the bar on hospitality. I don’t know who designed this place, but BRAVO! The texture stacking is stunning, the attention to detail is impeccable and the layout of the resort is an architectural masterpiece. The food, OMG we literally ate at a couple other places and decided to just stay and eat at the resort, it couldn’t be beat! The pool party was soooo fun! The DJ had a great set. And 2 for 1 happy hour while watching the sunset poolside…don’t miss out on this if you are in Manuel Antonio!! We went to the national park and there was way more wild life to be seen at Makanda than we saw on a tour in the park! The beach is stunning, highly recommend water shoes, it’s quite rocky. Our room was so comfortable and HUGE!! Ocean view, great bedding and my husband now wants to make our shower like yours! Thank you all so much for a wonderful experience ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐