Best Hotels in Quepos and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

The best hotels in Quepos and Manuel Antonio sit on the forested hill between Quepos town and Manuel Antonio National Park, where you get ocean views, monkeys in the trees and a short ride to the beach. If you want sand at your doorstep, book Arenas del Mar or Tulemar. For a big family resort, pick Parador; for wildlife on site, Si Como No; and for something offbeat, Hotel Costa Verde and its Boeing 727 suite.

This guide is for travelers comparing Quepos hotels and Manuel Antonio resorts. It explains which area to stay in, what each of our top picks does best, where to find cheaper rooms in Quepos town and how to get here from San José.

Hotel	Best for	Standout feature	Price tier
Arenas del Mar	Beach and jungle in one place	Direct access to Playitas and Espadilla beaches	$$$$
Tulemar Resort	Families and groups who want space	Bungalows and villas plus a beach inside the resort	$$$$
Parador Resort and Spa	Families who want a full resort	Big pool complex, kids’ areas and an adults-only pool	$$$
Si Como No Resort	Wildlife lovers and couples	Private wildlife refuge and an on-site movie theater	$$$
Hotel Costa Verde	Travelers who want something different	Boeing 727 fuselage suite and a restaurant in an old cargo plane	$$$
Gaia Hotel & Reserve	Couples who want quiet	Adults-focused (13 and older) luxury suites	$$$$

Price tiers are relative. Rates in this area swing a lot by season, so check current prices for your dates.

Where to stay

Quepos or Manuel Antonio: Which Area Is Best?

Quepos and Manuel Antonio are one destination with three distinct zones. A single winding road connects them, and public buses run along it every 20 to 30 minutes for under a dollar.

• Quepos town: A working Costa Rican town with banks, supermarkets, sodas (small, inexpensive local restaurants), the bus terminal and the Marina Pez Vela. It has the cheapest rooms in the area, but the swimming beaches are at Manuel Antonio, about 15 to 20 minutes away by bus.
• The hill: Most of the well-known hotels, including Si Como No, Costa Verde and Gaia, line the ridge between town and the park. Expect ocean views, sea breezes and wildlife on your balcony. You’ll need the bus, a taxi, a hotel shuttle or a car to reach the beach.
• Manuel Antonio village: The beach-level strip near the park entrance. You can walk to Playa Espadilla and the park gate, but it’s busier and has fewer upscale options.

Our take: First-timers who want the classic Manuel Antonio experience should stay on the hill or at beach level. Budget travelers and anyone who wants a more local feel should stay in Quepos and take the bus.

Our picks

Best Hotels in Quepos and Manuel Antonio

1. Arenas del Mar Beachfront and Rainforest Resort

Arenas del Mar is one of the few luxury hotels in Manuel Antonio that sits right on the sand. It occupies an 11-acre private nature reserve that runs down to two beaches: Playitas, a small cove next to the lower level of the property, and the long stretch of Playa Espadilla, which leads toward the national park.

• Size: 38 rooms and suites, so it feels small and quiet.
• Facilities: Two pools, including an infinity pool by the hilltop lobby, and two restaurants: a fine-dining spot up top and a casual beachfront restaurant.
• Park access: The park entrance is roughly a 25-minute walk along the beach and road.
• Sustainability: It promotes itself as carbon neutral and was the first Costa Rican luxury hotel to earn a five-leaf sustainability rating.

Best for: Couples and families who want beach and forest without leaving the property. Skip it if you want a large resort with a long list of activities. Playitas has rough surf, so check conditions before swimming.

2. Tulemar Resort

Tulemar is a 33-acre gated resort of more than 40 individually owned bungalows, casas and private villas set in the forest above the coast. It works more like a collection of vacation rentals with hotel services than a traditional hotel, which makes it a strong pick for families and groups who want kitchens, separate bedrooms and room to spread out.

• The beach: Tulemar Beach sits inside the resort. Loungers, umbrellas, kayaks, boogie boards and towels are free for guests.
• Getting around: A free shuttle runs within the property and down to the beach, which matters on a steep hillside.
• Pools: Three pools, one of them reserved for adults.
• Wildlife: Two species of sloths live on the property, and The Sloth Institute, a research and rehabilitation group, works at Tulemar.
• Dining: No big resort restaurant complex. Instead, about 15 restaurants sit within a few blocks of the front gate, and private chefs are available.

Units vary a lot in size, layout and view, so read each listing carefully before you book. Check Tulemar rates and availability.

3. Parador Resort and Spa

Parador is the area’s big full-service resort, with about 120 rooms spread across 12 acres of forest at the end of a quiet road, roughly 10 minutes from the main Manuel Antonio strip. If your family wants everything on site, this is the easiest choice.

• Pools: A large main pool with a swim-up bar, quieter pools, a shaded toddler pool and an adults-only pool.
• For kids: Mini golf, a playhouse for young children, a game room and a nature trail.
• Beach: No beachfront. Playa Biesanz, a sheltered cove good for calm-water swimming, is nearby, and a free shuttle runs to Playa Espadilla.
• Extras: A spa and on-site dining.

Best for: Families and anyone who wants a classic resort. Skip it if you want to walk to restaurants or the park, since you’ll rely on the shuttle or taxis.

4. Si Como No Resort and Wildlife Refuge

Si Como No is a 57-room hillside hotel with ocean and forest views and one of the best on-site wildlife setups in the area. Its private refuge, which covers about 30 acres next to the hotel, includes a butterfly garden and a crocodile lagoon, and guided walks run through it.

• Two pools: A family pool with a waterslide and a separate adults-only pool, both with swim-up bars.
• Movie theater: A small on-site cinema, handy on rainy-season evenings.
• Spa: Cala Spa offers massages and treatments.
• Location: On the hill, a short taxi or bus ride from the beach and park.

Best for: Wildlife-focused travelers and couples who want the adults-only pool. Families like it too, thanks to the slide and the refuge.

5. Hotel Costa Verde

Hotel Costa Verde’s slogan, “Still more monkeys than people,” sums up the appeal. Its 70 rooms are built along jungle ridges and cliffs about 300 meters from the beach and roughly 3 miles from Quepos town. Howler, white-faced and squirrel monkeys are regular visitors.

• The 727 Fuselage Home: A suite built inside a Boeing 727, perched in the trees.
• El Avión: A bar and restaurant built from an old Fairchild C-123 cargo plane, and a well-known sunset spot.
• Room choice: Options range from simple studios to bungalows, and the Costa Verde II rooms are adults only.
• Pools: Three cliffside pools.

Best for: Travelers who want character and wildlife at a lower price than the beachfront resorts. Skip it if stairs and steep paths are a problem, since the property spreads over a steep hillside.

6. Gaia Hotel & Reserve

Gaia is the pick if you’re searching for a luxury resort in Manuel Antonio without kids around. It accepts guests 13 and older and has 22 suites and villas in three three-story buildings set high within a nature reserve, along with infinity pools and a free shuttle to Playa Biesanz and Manuel Antonio beach. The park is about 2 miles away.

Best for: Honeymooners and couples. Skip it if you want to walk to town or the beach, since it’s a drive from both.

Budget options

Cheaper Hotels in Quepos Town

If the resort prices above don’t fit, Quepos town is where to look. Rooms are simpler, but you’re close to the bus terminal, supermarkets and local restaurants, and the bus to the park costs less than a dollar.

• Wide Mouth Frog Backpackers: A gated hostel built around a pool, with private doubles as well as dorms. It’s a long-running favorite with budget travelers.
• Hotel Villa Romántica: A small hotel with a garden setting a short walk from the center of town.
• Small guesthouses and cabinas: Quepos has plenty of simple family-run places. Read recent reviews, since quality varies.

Groups and families staying a week or longer should also compare vacation rentals. See our guide to Airbnb vs. hotels in Costa Rica.

Getting here

Getting to Quepos and Manuel Antonio

• Drive: About 2.5 to 3.5 hours from San José’s airport (SJO), depending on traffic, via Route 27 and the coastal Route 34. The roads are paved, so you don’t need a 4×4. Read our tips on driving in Costa Rica before you go.
• Fly: Domestic flights from San José to Quepos take about 25 minutes, and the airstrip is a short taxi ride from the hotels. Baggage limits are strict. See our guide to Costa Rica’s domestic airlines.
• Bus: Direct public buses run from San José to Quepos, the cheapest option by far. Our Costa Rica bus guide covers terminals and tickets.
• Shuttle: Shared tourist shuttles offer door-to-door service from San José and other tourist towns at a middle price.

Once you’re here, you don’t need a car. Buses, taxis and hotel shuttles cover the Quepos–Manuel Antonio road. If you do drive, park only in attended lots near the beach; our parking guide explains how they work.

Plan your stay

Tips for Booking a Manuel Antonio Hotel

• Book early for the dry season. December to April and the Christmas and Easter holidays fill up first. The rainy season (May to November) brings lower rates and greener forest, with September and October the wettest months. See the best time to visit Costa Rica by region.
• Plan around Tuesdays. Manuel Antonio National Park is closed every Tuesday, and tickets are sold online only. Use our guide to buying park tickets on SINAC.
• Ask about stairs. Many hillside hotels involve steep paths and lots of steps. Request a room near reception if mobility is a concern.
• Don’t feed the wildlife. Monkeys and raccoons raid balconies and beach bags. Close your doors and keep food out of sight. Learn more about white-faced monkeys and the best spots for seeing sloths with kids.

Planning to explore farther south? Dominical is about an hour down the coast. If you’re unsure what to tip hotel staff, guides and drivers, see our tipping guide.

FAQ

Quepos and Manuel Antonio Hotels FAQ