Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Manatus is the only hotel in Tortuguero that offers all the comforts of the modern world in an exotic and wild environment. Our hotel is an oasis of peace surrounded by a real wildlife sanctuary. Experience ecotourism and adventure, and then relax and enjoy the wonderful amenities of our hotel. Come live the Manatus experience!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
To start, this is the only air-condition hotel in the area and with the heat and humidity it was nice. This is a small hotel so you never feel crowded and feels like just the two of you at dinners, drinks etc. The food was very good but nothing exceptional. A good variety at lunch and dinner to choose from. The Apps were interesting and tasty n particular. The rooms are very nice size and each has a private sunning/outdoor shower off the bath. Too much to see and do for us to use. The boat trip into the national park and the night hike are not to be missed. Each morning we were greeted with Macaws, howler monkeys, white faced monkeys, and many other birds. A great way to wake up.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I stayed here for 2 nights. We got picked up at our hotel in San Jose by 5heir own shuttle service at 6:30 in the morning. Around 8:30 we stopped for a traditional breakfast, and continued to a boat transfer location. The last 30 kilometers was per boat to reach Tortuguero. The hotel is about 10 minutes by boat on another land then the town, so you are sort of stuck there unless you leave on the town tour or any other tours. Fortunately all maels are included, as are coffee and tea. The water is fresh and you can drink from the tap. There are 12 bungalows which are spacious withe 2 queen beds, a bathroom, shower, and a little enclosed patio with an outdoor shower. Wifi was stable and TV had lots of channels. Minibar was 2 dollar for a coke, 1 dollar for a chocolate bar. Of course we came for the national park and it did not disappoint. With an open boat we saw a lot of wildlife and nature in the morning and afternoon tours which were included. Additional tours can be booked. As it is a rainforest the air is moist, and we had some short heavy rain during one tour. The captain handed out ponchos, but of course, the bench we sat on got wet and so much rain, so still wet underpants. It was waiting for sun to dry, so wear clothes that dry easily. Staff and guides did their best for all guests, never pushing an upsell for anything. If we are back in the neighborhood we would stay here again.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Bring light clothes that dry easily, and long clothes to avoid musquitos in the evening biting...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Manatus, Propietario at Manatus Hotel
Responded Mar 17, 2022
Thank you for your review, swhnld. We are more than glad you had the opportunity to enjoy the majestic wildlife of Tortuguero. We are very sorry that it rained, we wish control it but it is impossible. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with other travelers and recommend us. We look forward to more adventures and the exotic nature of Tortuguero. Greetings! Manatus
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is a smaller hotel than many on this river with only 12 rooms and therefore the service has a more personal approach. The staff are very welcoming. The rooms are nice with 2 very comfortable beds and a good shower. There is free WiFi, coffee making facilities and drinking water at many points around the grounds. The food is included and is of a very good standard, however not for those on a diet. We carried out three trips with Luis, our guide, who was excellent and enabled us to see much of the wildlife. The hotel boats have both an outboard and an electric motor which enables you to go down certain canals that other hotels are unable to. The whole experience was excellent and I would thoroughly recommend staying here.
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This location is a delightful spot to stay when visiting Tortuguero National Park. The staff is friendly and incredibly helpful. It is a small property with only 24 rooms, allowing for a much more intimate and relaxed atmosphere. The rooms are well appointed and very comfortable. And, all have air conditioning.
Meals are included as part of your stay, and the food is very good and also plentiful. And, there is a bar for those who enjoy a cocktail, beer or wine.
Our guide, Luis, was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and did an excellent job of taking us on a nocturnal walk on the property to see animals we would not have seen during the day.
Our stay lasted for two evenings and we were sad to depart. I highly recommend this property.
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amazing experience, the staff are people willing to help you and make you feel at home, the installation is lovely, very confortable and cleaning, regarding the food they have a menu with different kind of delicious food. Our guide Luis has a lot of knowledge to share and he does the tour a amazing experience. We would return without hesitation
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If your Costa Rican vacation includes a stop in Tortuguero, don't worry about where to stay. Book yourself one of the bungalows at the Manatus Hotel. You will be treated like royalty. Our package included all meals and the staff takes pride in getting to know you and your preferences. Our waiter Jhon and the bartender Lecson were wonderful people and bent over backwards to help make our stay memorable. The girls who cleaned our room made the cutest little animals out of the fresh towels. And if you stay here, you get both a mornings and an afternoon boat tour of the National Park with a qualified guide. Luis was one of the best we had on our entire Costa Rican vacation.
Be sure to take the optional twilight tour and if you are there during turtle nesting season, you have to take the additional nesting tour. It was an extra $40 extra but to see a mama turtle laying her eggs in the sand and then covering them up was an experience I'll never forget. Can't say enough good things about the Manatus. Stay here and find out on your own why this is THE place to stay in Tortuguero.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Take the additional turtle nesting tour if available.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Manatus, Propietario at Manatus Hotel
Responded Aug 1, 2022
Hi County-Hunter, Thanks for take time to share your experience! I'm sure the Nesting tour is very special. It is a natural event on the checklist of life experiences. You got lucky! Kind regards, Hotel Manatus
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We stayed at the Hotel Manatus for 2 nights on our recent trip to CR, if you ask me this trip and resort is a must do while visiting CR. You start by meeting at the 'dock' which is a bend on a river where all the boats meet up to pick up the tourists, it can be a bit busy, but that's not a problem. You then board the Manatus boat that takes you on an amazing ride for about an hour or so through the jungle rivers, you'll see loads of wildlife. The boats are long and thin taking about 30 persons, one thing to watch is the luggage allowance, officially its only 18Kg per person. We was lucky we only had 8 persons on our boat so no worries there. When you get to the Manatus Hotel they allocate your room all of which are the same, all do have AC, the only hotel in the area with AC. Trust me when its hot, it's humid so the AC is a massive bonus. The rooms are really clean and spacious, the bathrooms could do with some maintenance if I'm being picky, but your in the jungle who cares. They lay on all your food during the stay which is good, the only thing you pay for is your drinks. The staff are great, they really look after you. The trips out on the boats are a must, you'll see plenty of wildlife almost as soon as you leave the dock. We had no issues with bugs of any kind, we took loads of sprays etc, but hardly used them, I got about 3 bites in just over 2 weeks, so not a problem. Do your self a favour and book some time at this hotel, great location right on the waterway, fantastic staff, with great boat rides to open your eyes to the wonders of Costa Rica's Caribbean coastal waterways......Pura Vida
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Date of stay: November 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Manatus, Propietario at Manatus Hotel
Responded Dec 27, 2022
Hello I_J, thank you for taking the time to share your experience in our Hotel. It is our pleasure to create an exceptional memory for you about Costa Rica. Tortuguero is a magical place, so humid that we understand why the air conditioner is important. Thank you for your visit, Pura vida! Kind regards, Hotel Manatus.
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Upon flying in the hotel staff were right there to pick us up at the airfield. During our stay the accommodations were great beds were very comfortable. Staff was very accommodating with us being we were leaving fishing prior to the dining area opening , they opened early for us for breakfast and making our lunch. We all thought the food was very good and again the staff was great. The grounds and overall property was very nice and well kept. I will say ..MAN it can really rain there. We were staying there for a fishing trip , most people were there for Eco touring or a destination stopover. A very pleasant stay.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:you might bring your own liquor with you as an option.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely place to stay. The journey to get there took some time but it was definitely worth the effort. The room was very nicely laid out, the beds were comfortable and the bathroom bright and airy. There was also a private area outside the bathroom with an outdoor shower for those brave enough to wash in slightly less warm water! Supplying an umbrella was a nice touch given the amount of rain which fell... The food was well prepared and the staff were always ready to help. The garden where the swimming pool was located was really relaxing, particularly since it looked directly over the river. The wildlife trips were fantastic, Ronnie was a fab boat captain and had the eyes of a hawk when it came to seeing animals sitting quietly blending into the trees, just amazing. Ricardo who took us to see a turtle laying her eggs was excellent at explaining what was happening during our night trip. Overall a great experience.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The hotel was very clean with air conditioning which was great. The service was excellent with the management and staff. We appreciated the tours being part of the package. Food is a high priority for my husband and I. The food was just Ok....seems that the rave food reviews are from visitors from the UK. It would have been nice to have coconut juice from the tree especially since it is a local drink and there are trees on the property. It is not hard to make a payaya salsa to have with the fish. Since they are cooking all meals it seems the chef could be more creative and have specials. I order the manatus breakfast thinking it would be the best option for local food. The beans and rice were awful since the rice was dry and crunchy and it was served with a tiny slice of plantain. The rice was obviously not fresh and improperly reheated. I would still recommend staying here but they really need to improve the food.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:All rooms appear to be the same.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Nambypamb, I'll explain how it works:
Our full transportation service is $82.50 per person per way. We just have one regular boat per day and it is in the dock at 10:15 a.m. It includes:
• Ground transfer: San Jose – (Pavona / Caño Blanco) – San Jose
• Boat transfer: (Pavona / Caño Blanco) – Tortuguero – (Pavona / Caño Blanco)
• Breakfast on route and lunch on route.
The pick up in San Jose start at 6:00 a.m.
Do you have a reservation??
Please let me know if you need something else.
Kind regards,
Manatus Hotel
Amberley, United Kingdom100 contributions83 helpful votes
Most of the trips at Manatus are included in your stay. For a two night stay that will be two wildlife watching boat trips and one trip to Torteguero village. The main optional trip is a night walk in the forest: really scary but well worth doing. There were night walks at all the places we stayed - but it feels much wilder in Torteguero, probably because we saw a Fer de Lance! Manatus also have canoes that you can use - although I would say you would have to be experienced to do so.
Chelmsford, United Kingdom80 contributions21 helpful votes
Bit late replying. We had a courier company that transferred us to the resort by bus and then boat. There is no vehicle usage at Torteguero just river transport.
Our stay at the Manatus Hotel was specially good because we did not have to bother with choosing restaurants. Go there for the ambiance of being in a small, intimate hotel where you do not have the usual touristy stuff going on around you. The food was good, and the staff were helpful and considerate. And Luis, the wildlife guide was just wonderful. We would go back there any time.
There are more places to choose from in the Tortuguero area.
PRICE RANGE
$313 - $488 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
manatus hotel tortuguero
LOCATION
Costa RicaProvince of LimonTortuguero
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.
