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The long and wide beach that ends at Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most popular in Costa Rica, partly because it’s reachable in a few hours from the capital of San Jose. I’ve been there three times at this point while traveling around the country and on this last trip had a great stay at sparkling Jungle Vista Boutique Hotel.
The Manuel Antonio region is unique in a few ways, one of them being that there are very few hotels that have property adjoining the beach, like Karahe and high-end eco resort Arenas del Mar. Like most, Jungle Vista Lodge requires a long walk or a short ride to get to the beach. As you’d guess by its name though, it looks at the jungle instead, which is a plus on its own.
If you’re in Costa Rica to see wildlife, you will probably get a good show from your balcony. Several times I saw monkeys as I sat on my comfy cushioned chair outside with a coffee in hand and tropical birds like toucans will sometimes land as well. As one local person told me, “The animals don’t know where the national park boundaries are.”
It’s a peaceful view when you wake up in the morning too, with bamboo, palm trees, almond trees, and thick vines outside the full wall of windows. Then the feel continues at the Sloth Snack Bar, the restaurant serving breakfast to all guests as part of the rates and then other meals on order throughout the day.
Restaurant and Pool at Jungle Vista Hotel
My breakfasts were hearty and satisfying. The dishes I got in the morning and once at dinner followed the usual Costa Rica food handbook of being short on flair and heavy on the salt, but the choices are extensive and prices are reasonable. Healthy choices include items like a quinoa bowl, salads, and ceviche. The Sloth Snack Bar also has a full bar and serves good local coffee.
Costa Rican service can usually charitably be described as “laid-back” but was quite good here at breakfast when the place was staffed up well. It’s more spotty the rest of the day. When I had dinner, there was one cook and one waiter so both got in the weeds fast when a big family joined the other guests already there.
The heart of the resort is the large swimming pool, which is at the end of the restaurant and overlooked by all of the rooms. It has lounge chairs around the sides and it too looks out at the hilly wild area that the resort faces. One level is up where it’s easy to walk over to the bar, while another level with a larger deck is a few steps down.
There’s no service though and I actually had to trek up to the office on the top floor and give my room number to get a towel: there are none by the pool itself and no cushions on the lounge chairs, probably because of the lingering rains when I was there in November. Some of the photos on their website show cushions, so in high season when it’s dry (January through April), it’s probably a different story.
There’s no spa on site, but a sister hotel nearby, Los Altos, has one where you can book massages.
Rooms and Suites in Manuel Antonio
Visitors to the Manuel Antonio National Park and beach tend to spend more time away from their hotel room than in it, but the guest quarters at Jungle Vista will make you want to stick around. All are large and attractively furnished, with the smallest set up like junior suites with a kitchenette and the largest being full suites of two rooms.
The lowest category is the Iguana Suite, but it is an ample 345 square feet and it has a sofa, furnished balcony, and kitchenette. My room was in the Titi Suite category, a little longer and about 1/3 larger, with a divan, armchair, coffee table, two furnished balcony chairs, and a place to prepare food if desired, including two burners.
I’m always happy to find a fridge and there’s a coffee maker in all rooms. They even supply a blender in the top two categories if you want to make your own tropical fruit smoothies or cocktails. This being a relatively new hotel, there are plenty of charging outlets, including USB ones, and the included Wi-Fi worked reasonably well. I was able to cue up a movie from one of my streaming services on the smart TV.
The Tucan Suite layout is a full suite with a separate living room, a large balcony that seats four, and a full kitchen with an oven. The sofa folds out to accommodate a third person or a kid or two.
Parking out front is complimentary, though there’s not enough room if more than half the guests have brought a car. Most rooms are served by elevators, though be advised that there’s a bit of maze navigation and a series of stairs to deal with when moving between rooms in the three small towers to the pool and restaurant. For those with limited mobility, there are better options in town with a simpler layout on flat ground.
This hotel gets positive reviews from guests thanks to its attractive pool complex and nicely designed rooms to retreat to. Rates are listed at $250 to $400 plus taxes on the official hotel site but I found it listed for less here at Booking.com and Expedia.
Review and photos by editor Tim Leffel, who was a guest at Jungle Vista Boutique Hotel while doing research in the area for an article in another publication. As always, all opinions are his own.
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