Makanda by the Sea

Makanda by the Sea, above the ocean in Manuel Antonio

Makanda by the Sea is an adults-only hotel on the forested slope above the Pacific, about 5 minutes from Manuel Antonio National Park. The villas and suites sit in tropical gardens, with the ocean below and the jungle all around.

It is a place for couples: a honeymoon, an anniversary, or the last quiet nights of a longer trip. Weddings here are set between the ocean and the rainforest.

Why we choose it

• A cliffside infinity pool. The pool is cut into the hillside and looks straight out to sea, and the Ocean Club has a swim-up bar.
• A beach by golf cart. Guests are taken by golf cart down to Wild Makanda Beach, so the walk back up is never your problem.
• Villas with their own pools. Several of the villas and the Sky Penthouse have a private pool, which is what couples tend to remember.

Check availability

Rooms and views

The Tropical Suite looks onto the garden, and the Deluxe Suite Ocean Club has an ocean view and a balcony. The WOW Loft takes in the ocean and the forest, and the Pacific Jacuzzi Suite looks over the ocean and the jungle.

For a honeymoon there are the Honeymoon Junior Pool Villa and the Honeymoon Grand Pool Villa. The Luxury Villa sleeps four people with an ocean view, and the Luxury Villa Private Pool and the Sky Penthouse Private Pool both face the ocean with a pool of their own.

On the property

Breakfast and lunch are at the Pool Terrace restaurant, and dinner is at Arbol. Shanti Spa does the treatments, and there is a gym and yoga for the mornings you are not out on a tour. Rooms open onto ocean-view terraces, with high ceilings to keep them cool.

Location and getting there

Makanda is on the Manuel Antonio hillside, about 5 minutes from the national park and about 2 hours 45 minutes by road from San José airport. Our driver will meet you at arrivals and bring you straight here. Hiking, surfing, butterfly gardens and the rest of Manuel Antonio are all close by.

Check availability