Customer Testimonials
Testimonials by property
MANAKIN
23rd Oct 2011.
27 Teenagers from all continents, from 27 different countries spent our October break at Manuel Antonio Estates! It was definitely amazing!
UWCCR.
September 15th 2011
Le Cinco Bachelero's. We had a great time in the fantastic Manakin Villa, what an awesome casa! Everything here was great. We went sportfishing and caught a huge mahi mahi which we had for dinner our last evening here. I personally prepared it on the house grill with fresh local vegetables we aquired downtown in Quepos, Mmm Mmm!! Costa Rica, Quepos were perfect for our bachelor getaway!
Mitch, North Dakota.
July 14 - July 18, 2011
Our stay at Villa Manakin was wonderful! Here is a list of awesomes:
- Several great panaderias in town.
- Monkeys are so cool.
- El gran Escape -> so delish!
- Friday and Saturday farmer market -> great food!
- Ronny's Place -> good view, good lunch menu.
- Shay is very helpful.
- Raindrop Spa -> mandatory.
- Lizards and iguanas were cool.
All in all we had a fantastic stay! Thank you again Manuel Antonio Estates!
The Jenkins Family.
7-5-11 till 7-13-11
Our trip was a blast! Here are some things that we would recommend. Ronny's place: the best food! slightly hard to find, but the locals will know and will help you. Chicken on the run: good for quick lunch! Cafe Agua Azul: big ass burgers! But call ahead for a table! Amigos del Rio: white water rafting was amazing! We would do that 100 times over! So much fun. The guides made the trip more fun with lots of info. Also, the monkey's are everywhere, we have had them here everyday! Manakin house has 8 bedrooms with beautiful views! Shay in the office is very helpful. Anyone that stays at Manuel Antonio Estates will have a great time!
Michelle and Keith.
June 27-July 2, 2011
Highlights:
Monkeys (capuchins) in swimming pool and hermit crabs at beach - but watch out for their pinchers, they hurt!
Seeing baby capuchins on moms back & seeing them look under roof tiles.
Seeing black iguana who lives in H2O pipe, splashing in waves at Manuel Antonio beach.
Looking for beetles and identifying them with laminated field guide.
Seeing Elliot the croc at Si Como No Nature Reserve and red eyed & grey frogs with Viviana, great guide!
Playing in the pool.
Fruit Smoothies, especially cas and Guanabana.
All the great accommodating people here: Shay, Richard, Francisco.
June 15-22, 2011
We came for our nieces wedding on the beach and it worked out very well! The people were very good for all of us (26 total). The houses were very nice & Shay took very good care of us all.
Had a great time with all the family. The canopy tour was awesome! We saw very many different monkeys including the howler monkey, which we called from across the mountain. The guard Francisco was a very nice guy and very helpful!
The National park was beautiful! We also enjoyed the Catamaran boat ride! Great food, drinks, snorkeling and swimming!
We all had AWESOME time at Manuel Antonio Estates! I love Costa Rica, Pura Vida!
-The Benavides family.
05/20/2011
We had a fabulous time here, hiking, waterfalls, lots of monkeys!!! Tons of birds, everyone here at Manuel Antonio Estates were helpful! Cafe Milagro, great coffee for gringos. El Avion, best bar setting. Manuel Antonio beach was beautiful and busy, great people watching.
Costa Rica, Abril 22, 2011
Hola Manuel Antonio!!! Pasamos 5 días aquí en la Villa Manakin, muy bien todo. Espectacular!!! Esperamos volver pronto! Esto para recordar en las próximas visitas!!!
15 April 2011
We had a great time in Costa Rica & really enjoyed this house. We went to Quepos, ate at Dos Locos & Cafe Milagro and loved these places. Breakfast at Cafe Milagro was great and Enjoyed the several bakeries in town. The canopy tour, guided hike through Manuel Antonio and Playa (Biesanz) were great. We swam in the ocean with pelicans at the same time. Rainmaker Forest hike was the best and had the most breathtaking views of the rainforest. We loved swimming in the pool daily. The people and food were great. This was truly an amazing vacation. Shroff Family.
12 Abril 2011
This house was very nice to us & comfortable and everything was in its place. Otherwise everything was excellent. People working here were curtious & nice. We stayed here for 10 days. Regards, Shuti family.
March 19, 2011
What an amazing week! Beautiful Costa Rican beaches, Manuel Antonio Park, sail fishing with the carib sea (12 sailfish, wow!) Zip lines, mangrove tour, just exciting and relaxing! The best part for all 12 of us was the dinners prepared by Ernesto Saavedra. He'd arrive home from activities and he'd be here preparing a fabulous meal! Check out his menus with Shay! Watch the monkeys! Left out some cereal in bags - trashed on floor and counter! Enjoy! The Walsh Family.
Sunday 09/26/2010
This is our last night here at Manakin House which we will miss very much. The scenery around here absolutely gorgeous. Balcony is amazing, the house is very functional and open. The people here are very friendly, and can´t do enough for you. The pastries from the bakery are great, and we love the coffee (take some home). The food in town is wonderful. Did not get a bad meal at any (several) of the places we ate; Do try the BBQ at Cantina's in Manuel Antonio. We saw monkeys down at the office and some in the park. Had a great trip, but it was too short! There is much to do here, and our next trip will definitely be longer! Enjoy!! Jose and Kathy Voacolo.
12/24/2010
This has been a great enlightement!
The whole trip has been a blessing. I am really disappointed that is going to be over soon. The people of Quepos have got it going on! Their attitude of life is a fine example of the true soul! I wish we could bring this attitude back to the great USA! Everyday has been another adventure that I will treasure for the rest of my life. We had a wonderful time in a wonderful country, with wonderful friends and family. May all travelling paisanos (vacationers) have as much fun as we had. God bless J. Jarsm and Family.
It's Christmas Eve and we are sitting around reliving this past week in the rainforest and on the beach through the pictures we took, here in Costa Rica. I'm sure not one other person from our small town of Milton, Florida can say the same thing. This trip has been absolutely incredible - 14 of us have stayed in this house Villa Manakin or "Team Larson" and "Team Barr". We got the extreme adventures out of the way early, white water rafting the first day and taking a canopy tour the next. Of course my parents were the only ones to fall out the raft (my mom twice!), but all was well on the ziplines, Tarzan swing, and rapelling. It rained a lot the first couple days, but then cleared up, so we could enjoy deep sea fishing on Tuesday. Team Larson got a point :) wednesday was meant for a recooping day, but we ended up have a full day then, too. We hiked, went to the markets and shopped, and we tanned on the back patio. Oh and by the way, we took our fish to Dos Locos to be cooked and it was so delicious. Thursday, we visited the Manuel Antonio National Park and were very fortunate to have such a smart guide. He knew lots of tidbits of information about the plants and animals and was able to spot many animals that we got to see close up through his telescope. We also hung out at the beach that day and again ate dinner at Dos Locos. Friday, which is today, we split up doing a little bit of everything hiking, shopping, eating, hanging out at the beach, you name it. We saw the most gorgeous sunset ever, while eating at the restaurant El Avion. When we came home, the bananas that had been on the counter were gone - raided by monkeys! This was not our first encounter with them, however. At one time beteen twenty and thirty monkeys bombarded us on the back patio! They were very friendly and even sat in our laps. They were yellowish - brown. We also saw black ones but they were not as friendly one of our boys made one mad and he hissed, bared his teeth, and started shaking the tree branch at him. The monkeys were definitely entertaining. This has definitely been the best vacation ever and I'm so thankful we were able to take it. I hope all who stay here have just as wonderful of a time. God bless! Alyssa Larson.
12/24/2010 - The trip to Quepos has been amazing! The moment that we landed in San Jose I knew that this would be a vacation to remember. We have taken thousands of pictures over the past six days in hopes of capturing "Pura Vida" to take with us as we leave tomorrow. Our advice to future travelers would be to put on your hiking shoes and go for a walk! We have seen so many animals, beautiful flowers and plants and met wonderful people in this neighborhood of Manuel Antonio Estates. We ventured into Quepos on foot early on Sunday and found a great breakfast at the mercado. We went white water rafting on sunday after noon and team went on a canopy tour on Monday. At every business we were met by knowledgable guides who provided us with so much history and cultural information. It is more than a extreme adventure... It's a crash course in Costa Rica! Every opportunity that we had to spend time in Quepos and Manuel Antonio has been great. We ate at Dos Locos in Quepos - They cooked our fish after we caught them. We also ate at El Avion in Manuel Antonio - The food and service were beyond compare. Enjoy the house Villa Manakin, the town of Quepos and Costa Rica! Deanna Barr
On this trip we have had a rough day of fishing, two air conditioners not work, hot water heater go out, but still managed to have the best week of my life. By far the best part of the trips were not the tours, but grabbing our walking stickes and heading out through the jungle to see what we could find. We climbed more waterfalls than we could count, saw more animals, and wonderful scenery. We climbed the wooden tower to the southwest of the house looking off the back porch. Just finding a way to get there was an adventure. Wished we could leave the pictures. "Pura Vida" is not just a saying but a lifestyle here, can´t wait to come back. All God's love, Abide Barr and Family. PS. Hill slippery when wet. Pura Vida!
This is the PLACE TO STAY!!!
Beautiful Home, Monkeys visit daily, staff EXTREMELY friendly and efficient, Beautiful view, Minutes from EVERYTHING, what more to say. The Villa Manakin was a perfect fit AGAIN for my friends and I. We love Quepos/Manuel Antonio and it's endless things to do area. I would (and DO) recommend it to everyone. Thank you guys for yet another great experience in Costa Rica. PURA VIDA. Until next time. Peace
Great house, perfectly located - loved the monkeys and pool and view, oh my!
Our group of six friends stayed at the Manakin Villa at Manuel Antonio Estates, and we could not have asked for a better experience. Everyone had their own room/bathroom, and the common areas were perfectly spacious and clean. Because the main house has just three bedroom upstairs (we had no couples, all friends in mid 30’s-early 40’s), we were given keys to the extra rooms in the adjoining “houses.” It added a nice touch providing ample room to spread out and not feel like we were stepping all over one another. This particular house had a spectacular view of the trees, the town and the beachfront all from the large balcony by the pool. And sure enough, a day in we were greeted by monkeys in the morning and again in the afternoon, not to mention our friendly lizard who took up residence in the driveway. Location-wise, it was perfect. While I had heard that it was better to stay closer to Manuel Antonio than Quepos (MA Estates is closer to Quepos), I think it really just depends on your preference. It was a very short cab ride to Manuel Antonio, and it’s easy to catch a bus, a cab or even ask the security guard to call you one. Although Manuel Antonio is cute and very appealing, frankly I liked being closer to Quepos. Once you walk down the hill, it's a short walk into town. Quepos just seemed a bit more authentic and less touristy.... the restaurants were fantastic, between the coffee and the fresh fish and the beef, I felt like there were not enough mealsl in the day! (thumbs up to Café Milagro, what a wonderful hidden gem!) Only one minor observation – we could not find a corkscrew in the kitchen! But one of the liquor store owners in town was kind enough to let us borrow (yes, borrow!) his for the night. Finally, having never been to Costa Rica before, making arrangements from the U.S. was quite easy thanks to Shay…she even hooked us up with a great white water rafting adventure that turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for me. So many thanks to Richard, Shay and the local monkeys for an immensely enjoyable stay at Manakin House, in Manuel Antonio Estates!
July 29, 2010 Eleven of us came to Costa Rica, stayed in the Manakin Villa and had a great time. So much to enjoy and do here! Embraced the culture, enjoyed the food and were truly amazed at the views. We are planning to come back to Costa Rica soon. What happens in Costa Rica, stays in Costa Rica....Pura Vida!
August 4-13th, 2009 Although we had a rough start to the trip due to flight problems, we had a wonderful week! We spent several days on the beach and in the National Park, a day in Jaco, and took a mangrove tour to Damas Island. Our last night we had a home cooked meal of Mahi Mahi caught on our fishing trip! Our first afternoon we had a group of white faced monkeys visit us while we were in the pool. Of course, the bugs were plentiful. Food was great! Trip was even better!
The Paolone's
Long Island, NY
August 1, 2010 These have been the best consecutive five days I've had in the past five years! I enjoyed waking up to the monkeys in the pool and on the roof! I wish this mini vacay could have been a lot longer!! I look forward to our new annual vacay spot!
Pura Vida Siempre!
Layoyal
Ceviche, beach, pool, food, people, tours, cabs, wine, beer, liquor, perfect weather and friendliest people you can meet! Great vacation! Now that I am leaving I will forever be grateful for this vacay. Will be back next year!
Pura Vida!
July 31-Aug 7, 2010 So there we were, 14 of us on a Costa Rican adventure. We fell in love with the beautiful Manakin house. Our first morning we were greeted by 10 white faced monkeys :) We enjoyed the beautiful scenery, did a canopy tour, white water rafting, learned to surf at Manuel Antonio beach and at amazing restaurants (Salsipuedes, Gran Escape, and you must get the ceviche at the bus station). The people here are amazing, so nice. Ask the cab drivers where to good places to party are. Pastries from the bakery in town are Awesome!! Going to the beach inside the Park is a must, absolutely beautiful. Buying any souvenirs in town is much much much cheaper than on the beach. You must do shots of Cacique Guaro also known as Gringo Killer! We loved it. The boys went fishing today and a local restaurant Mar Luna is cooking up the fish they caught for our last dinner in Costa Rica. Hope your trip is as amazing as ours was.
Love, Karina, Chris, Nicole, Juan, Mary, Roberto, Fernando, Rich, Jen, Scot, Mark, Brooke, Kylie, James and Les
Hola friendly friends! We were promised monkeys and we got monkeys! The bedroom with the enclosed balcony was best for titi monkey encounters. We went to El Avion last night and drank some of the gringo killer cacique. It killed us. The white water rafting excursion was fantastic, and the surf lessons were pretty fun. We loved the Manakin house and Costa Rica!
The Chicago Gringos
12/20-12/26/08 We really enjoyed our stay over the Christmas Holiday. The views, the wildlife, and the house were spectacular!! Fantastic good times!
The Denver Crew
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TANAGER
07/10/2011
Shay, We are making our final round up before departure and wanted to make sure we said our "good-byes" to you! You have been so amazing with all of your help and guidance throughout this trip. The accomodations were spectacular, the adventures were once in a lifetime, and the overall trip was truly memorable. We could not have imagined organizing half of this without your knowledge and expertise. We cannot thank you enough. Most notable on all the excursions were the tour guides! In particular were the guides on the zipline and rafting tours, as they were extrordianrily attentive to my 7 year old nephew and took great care in making sure that each of us was safe and EXCITED! Please extend our deepest appreciation to each of them. Additionally, our relaxation and zen-like chi were all owed to Marta and the Raindrop staff, including David D'Amore. Please let all of them know that our treatments and yoga were perfect and just what we needed to help shed the city stress and truly relax and appreciate the Costa Rican life! Finally, please extend our gratitude to Fransisco, the housekeeping staff, and the security guys as they were all completely dedicated to ensuring that our stay was comfortable, relaxed and clean. Again, thank you for all that you have done, you totally ROCKED!!!! Converesley, there was one casuality of our stay. The microwave plate was broken on this last day of of trip! Sucks! As we were trying to clean it out, the glass plate slipped out of position and onto the floor before we could catch it. So sorry! Please let us know if there is a cost associated with this breakage. Again, thank you for EVERYTHING!!!!! Trina.
6/15/11
Adios, Tanager! Thanks for wonderful memories!
Our suggestions: None of us have been to Costa Rica before and had a few chances to get together before we come so we toah our chances on being able to set up activities when we got here. Shay makes wonderful arrangements. Zipline was the highlite for the 6 yr-old, also picture with a love monkey on the mangrove tour. All other tours and activities (except deep sea fishing - not right season). Thanks to all who helped to make this very special. Shirley, Temple, Tx.
June 8 - 15, 2011
What a week in paradise, zipline canopy tours, swimming/sunning with the monkeys at Manuel Antonio beach, hiking the Cathedral Point trail, surfing lessons, white water rafting on the rio Savegre, mangrove tour by boat (saw the rare silky anteater!). Deep sea fishing (may be not the best time of the year for this, but we did catch two small tuna that were delicious on the grill), and a beautiful sail yesterday on the "Camaradien" crewed by Chris and the family with Sunset Sails Quepos.
Dinners at "El Avión" (The airplane) inside/under the wings of a salvaged american cargo plane - amazing views, great atmosphere, specially if you have kids who love airplanes. Agua Azul - good food, great view (get there early if you want front row seats for the sunset over the pacific).
The Back Deck grill at Villa Tanager for the most private/best view of the sunset this time of year (straight off the back balcony! beautiful...).
The kids quickly figured out the 4:30-5:30 each evening brought the daily "monkey storm" - white faced capuchins swing in from the trees around the back deck and were very friendly, but shy.
Shay was very helpful in setting up all above activities, plus ATV tours, horseback ride, spa sessions and more... sad to be leaving, but sure we will return - Pura Vida!
March 24-31, 2011
Can't get much better than this - perfect company, perfect setting, perfect weather, perfect adventure! From Canopy to Rafting to Mangrove to Canyoning to Manuel Antonio Park to Beaches... from monkeys to Toucans to macaws, to iguanas to bats to scorpions to boas to alligators to crabs to birds and geckos... the list seems endless! From sunsets, to Ernesto the chef, best to sport fishing and great restaurants... Shay the concierge of the century, Ronnie from Amigos del Rio, Pedro the beer man (LOVE IMPERIAL!). What a GREAT TIME! Enjoyed by all!
Cayce and Shanahan Spring Break was Pura Vida!
March 5th - 19th 2011
The Sayer Family Vacation at Tanager Villa. What perfect place to stay, with 7 bedrooms, 8 1/2 bathrooms and our own pool. While here we had Shay arrange five tours for us, and she did a wonderful job. Mangrove tour, a beautiful boat trip through the mangrove swamps and out to Damas Island almost to the sea. We fed whitefaced monekys and saw snakes, lizards, beautiful birds and an osprey. We had Mahi Mahi, beans, rice, veggies as part of the Mangrove Tour and it was enjoyed by all. The second day here we went out and left bananas and mangos in a basket in the kitchen. When we got home all the fruits was gone and the banana peels were all over the deck, and there were mango pits in the pool. A family of whitefaced monkeys had climbed in by the open second floor and robbed us. In future the fruit was locked up in the laundry room! Titi Canopy Tour - What a blast, 13 zip lines through the rainforest canopy. I went somewhat nervously at the age of 73 and found it exhilarating. Don´t miss it. Fresh fruit and drinks at the end. Horseback riding, all eleven of us went to Toucan Ranch, a 40 min. drive out of Quepos, to go on a trail ride. Emily and Allie are experienced riders, but the rest of us <sber> have some butts, several days later. It is a one hour ten minutes ride to a waterfall and swimming hole. Where we stopped to take pictures and cool off. Then back in the saddle for another hour plus ride back. The ride ended about 1:30 pm and we bussed back to the ranch office/restaurant for lunch. Chicken/beans/rice and tamarindo juice - very good. Manuel Antonio National Park - We had a private tour with our own guide - his nick name is Flaco or Skinny - and he did a great job. It involves a two hour walk with a high powered viewing scope. we saw both two toed and three toed sloths, a family of howler monkeys who serenaded us as well as many lizards, plants! birds and huge butterflies. There are two beautiful beaches in the park and the kids stayed behind to take advantage of them. I write this we are waiting to be picked up for our final tour. We have our own rented sailboat and crew for a sunset cruise.... Private sunset cruise - because we have eleven people the cost of a private cruise was the same as a public one. We were picked up here at 1 pm. and taken to the Marina in Quepos, there we embarked on a 57 ft yacht with a crew of three. The captain spoke great English, and like all the Costa Ricans we have met is a happy, super friendly man, with a great sense of humour. His crew was his son Brian, so we had three Brians on board, and a young man named Joshua. We used the engine to get out to sea past all the rocks, then they hoisted the sails and we sailed parallel to the coast toward Manuel Antonio. All drinks and snacks on board were included, so we all tried a sour of rum drink that was delicious, as well as Imperial and a Nicaraguan beer. The little ones had a great time climbing all over the boat, after sailing for a while the captain's cellphone rang and told us the call was from the dolphins to tell us where they were. We dropped the spinmaker and under engine power went in search of the dolphins swim by. We got some great photographs, then it was time to go snorkeling, so they fitted us all out with gear and everyone but Pat went, even little Ben. Around some rock we had cruised to there were hundreds of multi coloured tropical fish - it was beautiful after about 40 minutes everyone returned to the boat and dried off and had a drink. Meanwhile the Captain and his son had been down in the galley cooking. They served the grandkids a chicken dinner and the adults Mahi Mahi. They did a great job. Then it was back to he harbour mouth to watch the sunset. Of all the great things that we have done over the past two weeks, this day is the one we were remember forever. Restaurants: We ate at several restaurants, El Gran Escape, Quepos, handled eleven people with ease. Great food! reasonable cost. Barba Roja, Manuel Antonio, Great sunset views from patio. We had kids table and adult table. Good but pricey. Victorias, Manuel Antonio, Italian, won best restaurant award last year. Outstanding food at reasonable prices. Raphael Terrazo, Manuel Antonio, On the ocean, great view for sunset, happy hour not as good as Barba Roja or Victorias, good food, reasonable. Besides the tours we made several trips to the public beach at Manuel Antonio, beautiful place. We rented shade and chairs. Also many trips into Quepos to shop at Sumer Mas. With 11 people, it was impractical to rent a vehicle. So we used taxis to go everywhere other than the tours which provided transportation and it worked out well. Our first family vacation has come to an end, and we all had a terrific time. We are glad we picked Tanager Villa - Richard, Shay and the staff could not have been nicer or more helpful. The Sayers, Hudsons & Brakes.
January 11, 2011
Our wedding. After 10 days here we've seen monkeys, sloths, iguanas, dolphins, whales (jet ski!) plus our manage at Barba Roja. Jules & Pori. Heather, Mark. 1/14/11 We saw whales. White wave running (jet ski) & dolphins on the sunset cruise. More pensil. Look at night for the hard flying saucer UFO? search light. Wonderful, wild week. Loved our 3rd visit to Jacana, Tanager & Manakin. Thierry, Shay, Meries, Makay & Barba Roja.
November 19 2010
Me e divertido mucho con mi familia. Fuimos a la playa o afuera de mi habitaci[on habia una mascota iguana me dio mucho miedo han sido mis vacaciones mas divertidas. T.Q.M. Familia linda q Dios me a regalado.
November 19 2010
Our trip to Costa Rica has been amazing! The house with the stunning views was perfect! We loved sharing it with all of the animals - Geckos, iguannas, monkeys, birds and butterflys! The titi monkeys were our favorite of the monkeys - We had several iguannas each we named, the 1st we had seen was "Sunchine Jerry" he hung ont in the front, then "Stare on the root" always on the root, "dp" (drain pipe) on the back porch he was our favorite, "Currie" (Curious) he was cautions! Then we noticed "fdp" front drain pipe, also not I (not interested) - we will miss them!. The pool was great to have so convienent for our little ones (and adults as well) we swam morning and night just about every day - ! We truly think Costa Rica is a magical place thank you so very much for having such a beautiful house for us to enjoy it in. Our girls really enjoyed how the cleaning girls did up their bed with their stuffed animals - too cute!. And thanks to Shea for her guidance on tours - Chris, Stacie, Briyona & Cora.
July 15 2010
This has been a great trip, I gust love it hear this is my first Costa Rica! On the 1st day here we had white fase monkeys come over and one baby monkey stole two banannas. One unpelled and one pelled. One monkey fell into the pool. The room I stayed in had the best vew in the house! I got to hold a magnicent owl butter fly. Whenever it is hot out I gust gump in the pool. I had a splended time here hope I can come back soon. Sincerly, Beriyana.
June 20 2010
Hola! Our group consists of nine kids aged 13-16 and ten adults. Our two fearless leaders, Bill and Kristyn, take kids from different schools in the Holland/Zealand area (Michigan-USA) to Costa Rica to experience the diversity in cultive and landscape that creahon has to offer. Speaking as one of the group; I must say that this year was a success. we have been blessed with an amazing friend and guide, a Costa Rican named Cabeto, who knows almost everything there is to know about the plants, animals and people of Costa Rica. After the adventures of white water rafting in the Pacuare river and doing a twelve mile hike from Monteverde to Arenal, Quepos has been fun and relaxing. In all our years, I don´t believe that this group has ever stayed at a place like this. To call it a hotel doesn´t seem to do it justice. Even having separate rooms among the girls and guys has been a nice way to have more space (instead of the girls in one room and the boys in another). We have also apreciated all that Cabeto and his wife Ingrid have done for us with cooking our meals and taking us around Quepos and Manuel Antonio to shop. We are definitely grateful for me blessing of air conditioning, as we are not yed used to the hot humid temperatures. This group of kids and adults have really bonded over me twelve days we have been here. As we are leaving tomorrow, it is difficult to say goodbye. Yesterday, we visited two area schools and played with the children. It´s so amazing to see those kids, tough they have so little and are so happy. Even imagen most of us couldn´t understand them and they couldn´t understand us we were still able to have fun together; and we found it difficult to leave, we will all be able to answer with through the question Bill put to us last night. How was Costa Rica? Throughout this trip, the people have been so helpful and accomodating, and the weather has been so amazing, and all the natural aspects (planned and unplanned), have been so breathtaking, may it will be impossible for even one member of the group to go home unchanged. Cabeto as well as our hilarious driver Manrique, has allowed us to open the door and enter into another country and culture instead of simply peering through the keyhole. Watching a group of local kids practicing for drumline and going to interact with students in a one-room school has really helped us to be inmersed into the life of this beautiful place. I hope that as others read this entry and go out to experience this incredible country, their lives will be likewise changed, and that they also will go home wondering how they can make a positive impact on their world and in other people's worlds. Jaclyn Kamps.
Excellent house, excellent town, people and beaches!
Alex, Venezuela
We came, we conquered! It's been an action packed vacation -lots of sightseeing, lots of hiking. The locals are all so friendly and all the staff here at Manuel Antonio Estates have been fantastic. I can't believe how fast David booked us for things! The view is inspiring and we all had such a great time. Melanie and Jim had such a great time they even forgot to leave! Missed their flight by a day!! Thanks for a fabulous holiday!
Sylvia, Ken, Luke, and Stefan, Melanie, Jim, Curtis, Colin and Jordan
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JACANA
August 12, 2011
Fabulous stay, great staff. We agree with comments on the last page, plus add horseback riding was a great trip too! Enjoyed the following restaurants: Agua Azul, El Gran Escape, Kamuk, Cafe Milagro, Bambu Jam (Lively on tuesday night).
The Daniels, Texas.
July 2011
Pura Vida! Fun house - barrel of monkeys. Ride the public bus to Manuel Antonio - gorgeous beaches. Have a guide lead you through Manuel Antonio National Park, you'll miss monkey animals and plants if on your own. Have bathing suits with you so you can swim at the end of the hike. Be certain to visit the Quepos waterfront and catch the farmers' market if you are here in friday or saturday. Enjoy - Pura Vida!
The Metzler Family, USA.
May 5, 2011
The house (and the monkeys) were magical. We were so comfortable and were cared for here at Manuel Antonio Estates. Thank you for a wonderful vacation.
Jusy and Steve.
April 2, 2011
Great time with all the family at Villa Jacana. Monkey visits daily from 4-5 pm. Awesome zipline and ATV adventure.
Tami, Ricky and Samantha.
March 19-26, 2011
This was our firt time here in Costa Rica. It was just fantastic!! The people here were so very friendly and helpful. It's a place I would love to live...
We went hiking through the Manuel Antonio Park. Saw a lot of monkeys when we got to the beaches. What a beautiful beach to just a sit and chill.
The Canopy Ziplining tour was one of my best memories. It's a must do! Worth the money and the price was fair.
We walked into Quepos many times and found a great bakery. Quepos is a great little town and it was great to be able to walk there, couldn't ask for nicer people.
Hanging out around poolside was lots of fun. The monkeys came around each day. Breathtaking views all over Manuel Antonio Estates. We can't wait to come back.
The staff and house keeping very helpful and if you enjoy a great massage the spa is amazing!!
John and Robin.
March 19-26, 2011
We had a fantastic time at Villa Jacana with the family. Weather was great, and pool was refreshing. Canopy ziplining tour and sportfishing adventure provided memories for a lifetime. Manuel Antonio Park had the best beaches, el Avion and Barba Roja had awesome food, must visit. Saw monkeys almost daily! Troy & Dana.
March 5th - 12th, 2011
My first time traveling out the country besides Canada. Costa Rica is beyond amazing! Villa Jacana was the perfect place for our family vacation. Saw monkeys and iguanas, lizards, dolphins and lot of birds. Went on a sunset sail cruise that had snorkeling and dinner, highly suggest doing a private charter worth every penny. Also did a ziplining tour through the jungle at the nature resort. So much fun and beautiful views. Just go in the early morning because it gets very hot! Beaches in Manuel Antonio are so beautiful! Must checkout el Avion, amazing food, view and drinks! Check out Republik Club in Quepos, and Ronnie's place for the best Sangria! Hope to return some day!
Danielle.
2-26-2011
Such a beautiful place! We are very fortunate to have experienced the wildlife, beauty and much needed family time! The monkeys were entertainment for hours! A great time was had by all. We would definitely come back for another visit! Awesome!
Stevie.
February 13-26, 2011
We really enjoyed the Jacana Villa - especially the white face monkeys who came to the balcony almost everyday - and the titi monkey troops of almost 30 - they came for the cashew fruit above the loft room - 3 came in the kitchen and stole banana from the table - We also saw 2 tucans, lizards and so many birds. We saw more wildlife here than at Manuel Antonio Park! It was great to get together with my cousins and just relax on the balcony, explore in the day and play cards at night. A good time was had by all. The sun is very strong but such as welcome feeling. Back home in US there is feet and feet of snow!
It was good for my 15 year old son to visit with his uncles and aunt, and to read 5 books in place of Xbox all night.
Thank you Shay, Richard and everyone. Vita, Stefan, Zak & Mia.
Simplemente gracias!
Por el regalo de DIOS de olvidarnos unos días de todo trajin cotidiano de la vida en un lugar tan hermoso, lleno de belleza y armonía que nos ilumina el alma y nos recarga de nuevas energías para retomar el camino.
Envuelto de esta linda naturaleza el contexto de esta hermosa casa configura el lugar perfecto para encontrar ese momento de merecido descanso que con añoranza será siempre recordado por cada uno de nosotros.
Con el cálido sabor del mar a la distancia y la brisa que nos acaricia el rostro luego de tres días dejaremos este nido de ilusiones de nuevas metas y sueños en nuestro horizonte, porque después de tres días en esta bella Jacana aquí se disipan olvidos, penas, dolor y cansancio pues una vida nueva siempre al decir adios.
Gracias simplemente gracias por este momento que en tu techo nos regala nuestro creador.
Guiselle.
22 Jan 2011
Well we had a wonderful time, same first time to travel out of the country. Fourteen total including a ten month old and three year old, we were ten total days and had a blast. We were visited by multiple monkeys while sitting on the porch. We came down to surf and it was so much fun. We caught many waves. One of our favorite places to eat was El Avion, and to get a real local experience the Sodas was pretty good! So far the best beach was in the National Park. The staff was great. Our last night here was spent with one of our crew open release party at Republic, it was awesome. Best ten days ever! Josh, Jessan, Jennifer and more.
Dec 20 2010
We had the most amazing time in our lives. My husband and 9 year old daughter seen the most amazing monkeys, birds, and butterflies. The staff was amazing and the views and sounds were wonderful. We loved it and will be back for sure!! Thank you Manuel Antonio Estates for such a great experience. Shay and Richard were a pleasure to deal with!! Enza, John and Ally.
Nov 28 2010
Enjoyed a great week here - First long trip with grandchildren, ages 9 months and nearly 3. We were visited by whiteface and squirrel monkeys, iguanas and other lizards. Saw a giant iguana in trees! Love the pool! Accommodations are very nice and staff very professional: great spa experience as well. All in all, a great time! The Brammalls.
11/05/2010
Despite the five days of contant rain, roads impassable and having to take a one engine plane back to San Jose, this is my second best trip of a lifetime. I am here with my husband, 2 daughter, son in law and two nieces. We haven't billed each other yet, so this is a plus. The people are all wonderful and the country is beautiful. Albany.
Oct 17 2010
We had an amazing time staying here. We were down for business. Spent one day in San Jose and one day here, it was my first time to come to Costa Rica! I love it! (still haven't seen any monkeys tho =/) Thanks for everything! Hope to come back soon! Jenica & Michael from Miami.
Feb 18 2010
I loved, here it is so much fun, went on a zipline, I loved it so much! The beaches are great, it is AMAZING! I love the pool. Alexandra & Sophie.
January 29 2010
My trip to Costa Rica has been Amazing! I loved the news, ATV Tours, Canopy tour, the beach, great food and the Jacana house. It was amazing seeing the monkeys everyday around 4 pm., it was the highlight of the trip, seeing them race around me an my friends and family was HILARIOUS. I can't to come back one day and see all these cool things again! Samantha, Vason, Mike and Lynn!
Great Value & Great Service- Manuel Antonio Estates
We had a wonderful stay at the Jacana Villa. The staff was very helpful in helping us arrange transportation for our entire vacation as well as schedule the white water rafting and horseback riding tours we did during our stay. The house is very nice and sits on top of the hill providing a great view of Quepos and the ocean. We also enjoyed relaxing around in the pool in the afternoon/evening after our daily adventures. We loved our time in Manuel Antonio/Quepos and only wished we had stayed there longer. Manuel Antonio Estates was a great value for our large group of 7.
Pure visual overload and we LOVE it! This is heaven, spa, Indonesian delight with the staff so nice to help in every way. We ended up buying 2 lots.we've been coming here for 10 years.now is the time!
Linda and Jeff
April 3, 2008
Wonderful stay! Loved the views, the beautiful Indonesian architecture, friendly and helpful staff. Food was great, ate in Manuel Antonio at Mar Luna and Barba Roja was outstanding. Enjoyed Manuel Antonio Park and the horseback riding tour was wonderful. I would highly recommend it. Saw the monkeys playing down at the Spa at around 4pm. The Spa was great, terrific staff and the atmosphere is out of this world!
The Roberts family
Great place! Very comfortable living arrangements. The staff was fantastic and always made us feel at home. I am already planning a vacation back. Thanks for such a great time!
Pura Vida, Elissa Goad
This was a fantastic home away from home! The rafting and canopy tour were our favorites. Ask about the night time canopy tour-small group, but no children allowed. The staff at the spa and office was exceptionally friendly and helpful!
Dallas, Texas
12/08
I came for a long weekend away to rest and Jacana was the perfect spot. In the 4 days we were here it was not possible to do it all and relax so we limited ourselves to the beaches at Manuel Antonio, walking the trails, and enjoying the view. Oh and of course the spa! The villa was so relaxing we spent a good bit of time just here looking at the views and jumping in the pool. The staff was fabulous. We travel CR a lot and this place had the best accommodations and relaxing atmosphere. We will certainly be back each time we come to Manuel Antonio.
Peggy
Visited here to see family doing missionary work in Quepos. The views here were marvelous! We had monkeys playing out by the pool and were visite by an iguana and a few other lizards along with geckos. Went fishing and caught a marlin, a sailfish, and mahi mahi. El Gran Escape cooked the mahi mahi for us!
Thank you!
Claytons, Chicago
I don't want to leave Quepos or Villa Jacana but alas I must head back north to Portland, Oregon. My time here with friends was fabulous, 3 weeks of relaxing, eating, cocktails, local friends, adventure, and just plain dreaming. Oh and monkeys poolside. Unbelievable. I can't wait to come back.
Thank you Costa Rica!
Matt
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APARTMENTS
Very Nice Location, Excellent Value
The apartments are in a perfect location if you are looking for an experience in both Manuel Antonio and Quepos. Walking distance of Quepos makes a very nice evening stroll into town to eat/drink or whatever entertainment you choose. The bus ride to the beaches is only about 8-10 minutes and is rather scenic as well. The aparments are quiet and have a very nice view from up on a hill overlooking the pool (you cannot see any ocean). Very comfortable and a very good value.
What a wonderful estate and location, better than we ever expected and we expected a lot.
This place is a hidden gem, better than we ever expected and we expected a lot. For the first night we had the "house", which was absolutely gorgeous, high on the hilltop, stunningly decorated, extremely elegant. The 2-bedroom condo that we had for the remaining three nights was also very beautiful, large and cozy, beautifully decorated, great balcony, surrounded by beautiful scenery, an amazing pool area, and very reasonably priced. We loved it here! We wished we were staying for more than 4 days. The monkeys that passed through every morning at 10:30 was an amazing sight. And the lizards everywhere were incredible.
The estate itself is incredibly beautiful; surrounded by forest and great beauty; you feel as if you are in another world, away from it all, quite secluded, but yet within easy walking distance of "downtown" Quepos and all the great restaurants. It is a very different place from the resorts of Quepos and Manuel Antonio.
Manuel Antonio National Park is a $5 taxi ride away and incredibly beautiful, with excellent hiking, wildlife and beaches. There is so much to do and see here, from wilderness adventure, wildlife viewing, to stunning beaches, great nightlife and wonderful restaurants. Additionally, a drive down to the beaches of Dominical (about 1 1/2 hrs) is well worth it.
Richard, the owner was wonderful, very good to us, extremely helpful and always available if needed. He is very knowledgeable of the area and things to do and see. He also has great connections for tours, trips, excursions, etc. It seems to be a well-run organization.
The only complaint I can make (and this was relatively minor, with not much that anybody could do about it) was that the large group of young girls (possibly from some Scandanavian country) who had most of the rest of the condos in the two buildings, were quite noisy - outside by the pool, on their balconies, talking on cell phones constantly, and with their laptops with their Skype setup, instead of inside in their rooms - making it very annoying at times.
We absolutely loved it here and at the Estate in particular. We are hoping to go back again some day.
Nice location, affordable, awesome pool!
We were greeted by monkeys the second we pulled up to check into the apartments. First thing we did was hop in the pool. It was perfect temp and had gorgeous views! The accommodations were pleasant, especially for the price! It was a short and beautiful drive to get to the town and National Park. I would refer anyone to stay here and I would again if I am fortunate to go back to such a wonderful part of the world.
Great affordable/beautiful stay
The people at Manuel Antonio Estates were extremely friendly and helpful, even with booking tours and recommending things to do. Our apartments were extremely nice and very affordable, and the pool was great for the heat. We also saw plenty of wildlife around within the grounds.
We had a great time at the Manuel Antonio Estates
We stayed at Manuel Antonio Estates for four nights. It was beautiful, the grounds are incredibly well kept. We stayed in one of the apartments, it had AC and a kitchen. The pool lights did seem to go off pretty early, but we still swam. :) It was close to Quepos where we could walk to town and get some groceries or just browse around. It was just down the road from Manuel Antonio and the national park. It was the perfect location. At night we heard monkeys outside as soon as we turned the lights off, it was pretty cool. There were so many beautiful things to see! The apartment stayed nice and cool, and the kitchen had all the dishes we needed. I would love to stay here again.
Nice location
the estate is beautiful... and the spa is amazing. I liked that it is not actually in Manuel Antonio.. because that area seemed to be really touristy and the estate is within walking distance to quepos. We stayed in one of the two bedroom condos. They were nice, BUT hard THE hardest bed i have ever slept on and horrible pillows and the occasional roach and ants but that's to be expected right. Overall, for the price it was really great!
Richard was extremely helpful
We just recently stayed with Richard at the estates. we were recommended by the B&B we stayed at in La Garita.
The apartments were clean, only AC in one room but at night if the doors were open in both rooms it was fine. the bedrooms were a little "muff" but you get that sometimes. the pool was clean and actually you are right in the jungle so even poolside you get to see some wildlife. Its a perfect location to be between Quepos and Manual Antonio. a short walk to Quepos at night and a short drive to the National park. We booked a Canopy tour through the estates with AMy and TiTI canopy was fantastic. The tour guides were extremely helpful/funny and the 4 of us really enjoyed our time with them. well worth the money spent.
Richard was by far extremely helpful and didnt hesitate to help us with whatever we threw his way.
Thank you Amy and Richard
From Michelle(Canadian) Froukje,Anky and Machteld(Holland)
feel at home like in a little village
We've stayed 2 nights and enjoyed it very much. We felt like in our own home.
Early in the morning some monkeys just hoped around our kitchen window and the balcony. We had a big kitchen, fridge and 2 bedrooms. Clean and nice atmosphare.
Staff was friendly and helpfull. We had booked a Canopy Tour via the Hotel and pick-up worked perfect and we had a great Tour.
We would stay again.
Best location
Manuel antonio estate felt like home,with nicer weather.
We've stayed here twice and wouldn't hesitate to stay again.
Here are just a few of the things we liked about staying here:
Great location, walking distance to all Quepos
Convenient public bus to Manuel Antonio Park
Good (challenging) hiking on property with beautiful views of city and countryside
Near a main road, but not noisy
Wide variety of tours/activites are in Quepos, very convenient
--richcurtaa
Nice relaxing place at a great price!
We stayed there for 6 nights during the green season and enjoyed our stay. It is a very roomy, comfortable, and eco-friendly place near the town of Quepos. They provided us with an extra bed free of charge since there were 3 of us. It is a no frills kind of place, but great for kicking it back, relaxing, and seeing nature at its finest! They are supposed to have 5 nature trails on their property........but my 2 friends and myself walked about for 2 hours looking for a trail and could not find one.....we finally had to turn around out of pure exhaustion! It is not a complaint, I just thought it was funny.....we even had a map they provided! Good luck finding them! lol The pool is awesome and we swam in it every night! This place really was a great value!
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MOT MOT VILLA
16 Diciembre, 2011 - En estas geniales vacaciones la pasamos muy bien en familia. Gracias Motmot fueron las mejores vacaciones en familia que hayamos tenido. I love MotMot! Luis Vargas López.
19 abril 2011 - Muchas gracias mi familia la pasaron muy bien. Volveremos y recomendaremos. Gabriel y Miriam.
March 25 to April 1, 2011 - We enjoyed our stay at Manuel Antonio Estates. Recommendations: Gran Escape, Dos Locos and Agua Azul. The highlights of our trip included the Catamaran day trip, ziplining, the monkey drop @ "Quepos Canyoning" (family run and fun) and the National Park. It was our first time to Costa Rica. Good and memorable trip! We loved the pool and deck a TON. Burrows Family.
March 22rd, 2011 - We have one to the agreement that the highlighs of the trip include wildlife spottings (specially howler monkeys), ziplining, the lizards, the beaches in the national park, the food, the pool and the people. I have now realized how patetic my spanish skills <ses> ever after 5 years of spanish classes in the US. Some recommendations: Soda Sanchez, Ronny's Place, Jefes, Gran Escape and AVOID El Avion, shitty fool!
Feb 25th, 2011 - All of us have a great time here! The wildlife has been incredible. Sloths crawling from tree to tree, monkeys (of course), lizards, iguanas and of course the suburb beach of Manuel. My 4th time to CR, and had the best time ever in this house. I have tried many times to see whales and was fortunate to see a mother and calf yesterday when we did the catamaran trip. We also seen a lot of spotted dolphins. Shea at the lobby area was very helpful and informative. Had the best stay in this area I have ever had. Thanks Tom & Vicki. Great Memories created for me and my friends! We are heading to the Osa tomorrow for more fun! Lisa from Canada.
We enjoyed wonderful meals - Date of Stay December 2010
Our families had a wonderful visit here at Villa Mot Mot. We had many many visitors: lizards, sloths, monkeys, lots + lots of bugs, beatles and mosquitos and one very scary scorpion. We enjoyed wonderful meals together this amazing table and loved the local fare yummy! We came together from Seattle, North Carolina, Boston and Portland Oregon. Adios! The Boyle family.
Awesome monkey show daily - Date of Stay October 2010
This was our very first trip to the absolutely beautiful land of Costa Rica and we cannot wait to come back! Highligts of our trip would definitely include the awesome monkey show that we were able to enjoy daily as well as the white water rafting, zip lining through the canopys, the beautiful walk through the "rainmaker", our fantastic days relaxing on the beach but most of all, sharing all of it with our great friends Tomo & Vichi as well as our new friends Dick & ETA. The weather was perfect, the rood and drink were great and Aka I mention how much we loved the monkeys!! Hope to be back soon! Michelle.
Costa Rica Rocks! - Date of Stay June 2010
Wow!! What a place!! Sitting in the pool and having our own personal animal show, one very noisy but entertaining howler monkey; three white face monkeys who love to swing in the branches, a couple of iguanas that would visit and off course all the beautiful birds and butterflies. I was amazed how friendly everyone was. Shay thanks for all the help on our adventures. We were able to grocery shop in Quepos, take the bus to Manuel Antonio and have the best smothies in Costa Rica!! We enjoyed the steep hike in our backyard, ok the adults like it, the kids complaned but it was beautiful, even steeper than the hill of San Francisco!! Thanks for making Costa Rica memorable!! The Hebls from Colorado.
May 2010 - What can I say? Villa Mot Mot is truly a magical place. This is our second time here and it is a great place for adventure travels around Costa Rica. We were in Costa Rica for 15 days and in Villa Mot Mot for 6 days. We went on a canopy tour, rode horses to Nauyuca Falls, hiked the national park and played at the beach. We had some fabulous meals at Gaia, Barba Roja, Agua Azul, Plinios and Marlin's (El Avion was just ok). A special thanks to Jenna for making our stay here extra enjoyable (our kids, love you!) A super special thanks to Tom of course it wouldn't be possible whithout you! Love, Franklins, Ken, Juliet, Jack, Kailani.
June 2010 - Wow!! What a place!! Sitting in the pool and having our own personal animal show, one very noisy but entertaining howler monkey; three white face monkeys who love to swing in the branches, a couple of iguanas that would visit and off course all the beautiful birds and butterflies. I was amazed how friendly everyone was. Shay thanks for all the help on our adventures. We were able to grocery shop in Quepos, take the bus to Manuel Antonio and have the best smothies in Costa Rica!! We enjoyed the steep hike in our backyard, ok the adults like it, the kids complaned but it was beautiful, even steeper than the hill of San Francisco!! Thanks for making Costa Rica memorable!! Costa Rica Rocks! - The Hebls from Colorado.
Oct 10 2010 - This was our very first trip to the absolutely beautiful land of Costa Rica and we cannot wait to come back! Highligts of our trip would definitely include the awesome monkey show that we were able to enjoy daily as well as the white water rafting, zip lining through the canopys, the beautiful walk through the "rainmaker", our fantastic days relaxing on the beach but most of all, sharing all of it with our great friends Tomo & Vichi as well as our new friends Dick & ETA. The weather was perfect, the rood and drink were great and Aka I mention how much we loved the monkeys!! Hope to be back soon! Brox & Michelle.
December 27 2010 - Our families had a wonderful visit here at Villa Mot Mot. We had many many visitors: lizards, sloths, monkeys, lots + lots of bugs, beatles and mosquitos and one very scary scorpion. We enjoyed wonderful meals together this amazing table and loved the local fare yummy! We came together from Seattle, North Carolina, Boston and Portland Oregon. Adios! The Boyle family.
Stayed in the MOT MOT - We went to Manuel Antonio for a 2 day trip. I stumbled upon Manuel Antonio Estates and booked it for 2 nights. We stayed in the MOT MOT condo. It was very nice and had a private pool. It has 4 bedrooms and AC in 2 of them. It was set amongst the trees and we actually saw a bunch of monkeys climbing in the trees. It has a private pool that is not that big, but is nice and cool after sitting on the beach. It is a nice place to relax. There is only 1 TV in the house and no WIFI. So it is a little hard to stay connected, but if you are looking to get away as we were it was a nice place to stay. It was about a 5 minute drive to manuel antonio beach. Overall my wife and parents really liked it and would definitely stay there again.
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QUETZAL VILLA
July 23rd July 31st, 2010
Altough down rainy season, we had a great stay. We barely saw any monkeys in the afternoon. Because here in the down season, it rains from about 3 o'clock to 5 or 5 o'clock. If you are staying the newest apartments downstairs, there is some water that mysteriously ends up in the little patches on the floor, so be careful not to slip. We highly recommend the "monkey's tour" in the mangrove forest with the great guide Eladio. We also enjoyed the Kanopy Ziplines with the tarzan rope thing that looks way harder than it is. For dining, We liked best Marlin's and mostly El Gran Escape! that last one was the best! its the best place in town for fresh fish. Try getting the catch of the day. The Ocean Unlimited tour was very interesting! saw turtles, swam with sharks and big schools of colorful fish on the coral reefs. IOn the down season its about 2 hour boat ride. Michelle, Catherine, Phil, Janine.
July 8 - July 15,2010
This house was amazing! At around 4 pm, we heard the monkeys up in the trees and suddenly around 30 monkeys were jumping onto the area near the pool. Titi canopy tours (ziplining) and Fourtrax adventure ATV tours were incredible and so much fun! There are lizards who crawl around, but over all it was a great experience and such a beautiful house. Maria, Ernie, Melissa and Enrique.
Security, support, peace of mind & affordability in a beautiful & relaxing environment
Our stay at Villa Quetzal in Manuel Antonio Estates was all positive. The 24 hour security guard helped us feel safe & relaxed in a foreign setting. Our accommodations were spacious & private. This setting offers the opportunity to be in the middle of nature, with wildlife all around & close to the beaches & wilderness of the national park AND the luxury of being a 5 minute walk to the center of a great little town, or a short drive or cab ride away from some upscale restaurants, hotels and other tourist attractions. The staff are always available & very helpful & eager to serve. We highly recommend "Richard's place" for individuals & families of all ages. We are an adult couple travelling with teenagers, and their grandmother & everyone had a great time!
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CASA PECES
24 de Noviembre 2011
Gracias a Jessica! A causa de la Jessica, nuestra visita fue una maravilla, muy agradable. Ella es muy eficiente, inmaculada y amable. Además de eso, Jessica es honesta, una persona de confianza y una buena trabajadora. Deseo que ella podría trabajar para nosotros en Estados Unidos. Loomis Family, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Nov 14 2011
Costa Rica was perfecto!! Thanks for the house & accommodations were superb!!! If anyone needs a driver ask Fernando to give you Albert's number. Rob Craig & Joe, Los Angeles CA.
Oct 25 2011
This is a great house to stay in, even when its raining for days! Thank you, Sweet Rush
Oct 1 2011
Thank you for the great house & service - We enjoyed our stay! A beautiful place to visit! The Lenapp/Hawer Family Colorado USA
20 de Sept 2011
Muchas gracias por todo. Los chicos de Miami regresamos el año que viene. "Pura Vida" Luis.
Sept 20 2011
Thank you for the wonderful stay. The house was perfect for our group, we will be back. Thanks, Pura Vida!! Lazaro Nunez
6 de Agosto 2011
Hola! Excelente propiedad de vacaciones y negocios. Preciosa, bien mantenida, céntrica y de fácil acceso. Jessica la cuida con amor y se refleja en todos los detalles, no parece una casa deshabitada, tiene aire de hogar, creo gracias a ella, quien además es muy colaboradora y siempre con una sonrisa. Definitivamente volveremos, de negocios y placer. La casa tiene una vibra muy positiva, gracias por compartirla con nosotros. Familia Guevara Castañeda.
7 de Marzo 2011
Fue un gusto habernos quedado en casa peces, Jessica nos ayudo mucho, es una chica muy eficiente, está demás agregar que la casa está preciosa y volveremos en el futuro. Gracias por todo. Pura Vida, Gency Abarca e Hijos.
December 22, 2010
I really would like to thank you for the house and for your attention. The house was incredible and the we really enjoyed a lot. I hope to rent it soon and also will recommend to my friends. Thanks and regards, Silas Magno.
November
Thanks for the great hospitality and service. What a great place to stay. We will see you on our next trip.
Pura Vida!
-The Hayes
February
Very peaceful and comfortable pace to stay! Great owner and staff, well kept property. Keep up the good work! See you again in the near future!
June
We were happy as clams in the House of Fish!
Merrit family, Austin Texas
June
We had a fantastic week and loved our driver from Ticorides. The house was perfect for us!
The Harding family
June
Our family certainly enjoyed our stay here. The accommodations met our needs. The service was great! Thanks!
The Wilson family
June 25, 2010
Everything was great! The house was well kept and was fun. Jessica did a great job. We had an awesome time! The Zepp family
July 7, 2010
Thank you for the stay at your lovely house. It was peaceful, relaxing, welcoming and much more. We also thank you for the help with the taxis and all of our needs. We enjoyed our stay and ope to see you in the future. The cleaning lady did a good job making the place look great!
The Sekels
June
Muchas gracias por todo. Tuvimos un buen tiempo. Gracias para Jessica tambien. Vamos a regresar pronto! Pura Vida!
Los Filipinos
July
Martha , queremos que sepas que la senora de mantenimento nos trató espectacular y pensamos en alquilar y referir tu casa por esa razon de que los sentimos muy bien.
Roberto
August 2010
Fue un gusto en habernos quedado en casa Peces. Jessica nos ayudo mucho, es una chica muy eficiente. Esta demas agregar que la casa esta preciosa y volveremos en el futuro. Gracias por todo!
Pura Vida,
Abarca
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MORE TESTIMONIALS
July
Exquisite and Sublime. The staff was impeccable, particularly Desare, who couldn't have been more professional and cheerful. Kudos!!!
Portland Maine USA
July
We had a wonderful week! Beautiful view – nice walks – nice people. Wouldlove to come again.
Lyn & Terry Burke Montreal
February
House was very very nice. Had a great time here. First time here and will come back. Took House Tour and it was great. Service here was great. Didn't see monkeys.
Eric, Gene, Tim, Renee
February
We've been very happy here. A magical place. Wildlife, activity, great support from the folks here. A perfect balance of things. We would like to return some day. Had a wonderful time and were well taken care of.
February
This is a wonderful place. Extremely helpful staff. Much wildlife to see. Central location helpful. (Off the beaten path means quiet). Pura Vida.
Jim and Dee New hampshire, USA
March
Our third trip to Quepos and our second time here at Manuel Antonio Estates. Needless to say, we love it here!! In response to the disappointed re:not seeing monkeys on the previous page, while we have seen them at other times (three squirrel monkeys right by thye house yesterday mid-afternoon) the safest bet is to walk down to the Tucan House, about 5 o'clock. There are a few Cappuchin monkeys that swung across the road via the tree tops, then they cross in front of both Villas Tucan and Mot Mot. You can almost set your watch by it - - sometimes. Few minutes before or after 5. Our favorite tours are the Damas Island Mangrove Tour and the walk through Manuel Antonio with a Guide. We also took the Sunset Cruise this time with the Sailboat vs the Catamaran and enjoyed that a lot too. Favorite restaurants El Gran Escape (downtown Quepos) Mar Y Luna ( on road to Manuel Antonio) and El Avion (on road toMA even closer to the park) Also very good pizza at Escalofrio (downtown Quepos) For coffee,of course, café Milagro. Their iced coffee drinks put Starbucks to shame. At about half the price. Breakfast there are very good as well. Enjoy!! We surely did! Nothing better than a quick dip in th epool when you arrive back at the house after one of the local tours!
Margaret, Mary, Chris and Mike Chicago
May
When we arrived to the Jacana House we were greeted with a basket full of fresh tropical fruit, vases filled with exotic flowers and an incredible view. Beautiful scenery and much fun on the TITI Canopy Tour and the ATV Waterfall Tour. Lots and lots of Cappuchin (white-faced) monkeys on the Manuel Antonio Park Trail and the Damas Island Tours. One of our favorite experinces was the superior massage and facial at the jungle setting 'Raindrop Spa'. We will recommend this stay at the Jacana House to others.
Laura, Scott, Dennis & Brian Norton Laguna Niguel, California
June
This place is absolutely breathtaking. We loved it so much. We will definitely have to come back. It has been an unforgettable experience. This country is a beautiful one & as for the monkeys, we saw a whole family our first week. The little birds seem to be having a problem they keep flying into the glass window,poor things. We will miss this Villa,these nice and caring people, the Food, the beautiful scenery. Desiree especially – you were wonderful. Always happy. We will miss you. Be back soon!!
Paula, Jeff, Aubrie, Peyton New Orleans, Louisiana
June
Janice and Jeff Richards Honeymoon:
We landed in san Jose 9:00 am local time after 24 hours of prep into LAX, all night at the terminal waiting for first class on Taca ( our honeymoon to Costa Rica, First Class is mandatory). We walk out of the terminal, next door to the fire station and book a flight, 10 minutes before take-off,on Sansa Airlines, 20 minutes later we land at a jungle airstrip in Quepos. The taxi takes us to Manuel Antonio Estates to meet our friends, the Murphy's, who own a house here. We hang out at tyhe House, where troups of Squirrel monkeys met us about 5pm. We attract about 20 of them, they went bananas, but they don't really like bananas and act pissed, but hang for awhile anyway. We have dinner at BBQ Cantina where Bill Murphy sits in with the band and jams. The next day we are visited , inside the Jacana house, by a 2 foot Lizard. We chase him down the stairs, he knows where the front door is and scurries out. What a trip. All day and all night the jungle sounds are crazy, crickets, frogs, birds, this truly is a sensory experience. The next day, White water rafting, very recommendable, 1 hour in the Unimog, 4WD through the jungle to the river. It poured rain some of the time, but it didn't matter – Very Cool and Very fun! We went to Plimio for dinner, very good asian cuisine. The next day we hung out, slept in late, went tothe Blue Monkey for Lunch and Internet. Janice went tothe Spa and truly enjoyed the experience.
That night we went to El Avion – The Airplane – for dinner. Don't miss it. Our 4th day we went on the TITI Canopy Tour, doing the zip lines, an exhilerating time. We cruised into town on Friday night. Downtown Quepos on Friday night is something else. It's such a busy little city, so much going on. The next morning we got up early and went to Manuel Antonio National Park and beach, very pretty. It's our last day here and we are off to Los Suenos for our last 3 days of our Honeymoon. Everyone here at Manuel Antonio Estates has been great. Richard, Thierry, Marta, Desirae, and housekeeping all are so great. It's been a great time here and we'll come back someday!
Pura Vida
Jeff and Janice
July OMG! Like Totally cool beach and apartment. The staff was pretty Hawt. I mean, like I was at the pool and thought, 'that's hot'. I had a great time especially watching the dolphins, they are soo cute!
Thanks!
I'm planning to come back!
Sondra
February
Pure visual overload & we Love it! This is Heaven, Spa Indonesian delight, with the staff so nice to help in every way – We ended up buying 2 lots.... We've been coming here for 10 years.. Now is 'The' Time - -
Pura Vida!
Linda & Jeff B.
April
Wonderful Stay – Loved the Views, the beautiful Indonesian Architecture, Friendly & Helpful Staff.
Food was great – ate in Manuel Antonio.. Mar Luna was greta but Barba Roja was Awesome! The food was outstanding and Live Music was very good. Enjoyed Manuel Antonio Park and the Horseback Riding Tour was wonderful – I would highly recommend it Saw the monkeys playing down at the Spa ( behind the spa) at around 4:00pm. The Iguana suns himself on the side steps every morning around 7:30-8:0 am. Also, the Spa was great Terrific staff and the atmosphere is out of this world Thanks for the great massage Laura!!
Namaste,
The Roberts Family
June
I love Quepos!! I'm coming back as soon as I can. Absolutely beautiful weather, landscape, and people!! Pura Vida!
Rachel Brownjohn
June
Great place! Very comfortable living arrangements. The staff was fantastic and always made us feel athome. I am already planning a vacation back. Thanks for such a great time!
Pura Vida!
Elissa Goad
June
This was a fantastic home away from home! The Raftingand Canopy Tour were our favorites. Ask about the nighht time Canopy Tour – small group but no children allowed. The staff at the Spa (yoga-yea) and Office were exceptionally friendly and helpful. Also, the Villa Vanilla Tour is wonderful and more interesting and informative than it sounds.
Hector Goad
Patricia Woolard
Texas
June
We passed some fabulous days in this house. The view was very beautiful. The monkeys are very nice and so cute. The Costa Rica is the Paradise of the world.
Leonie, Josee,Michel,Emil Quebec
December
I came for a long weekend to rest. It was the peefect spot. In the 4 days we were here it was not possible to do it all and rest, so we limited ourselves to the beaches @ Manuel Antonio, walking the trails and enjoying the view. Oh, and of course, the Spa. The Villa was soo relaxing. We spent a good bit of time just here looking at the views and jumping in the pool. The staff is fabulous. We travel CR a lot. This place had the best accomodations and relaxing atmosphere. We will certainly be back each time we come to Manuel Antonio.
Peggy Miami
January
Visited here to see Family doing Missionary work in Quepos. The views here were marvelous! We had Monkeys playing out by the pool & were visited by an Iguana and a few other lizards, along with Geckos.Barba Roja – great for snacks by the outside bar at sunset. Went fishing and caught a Marlin, a Swordfish and a Mahi Mahi. Restaurant El Gran Escape cooked the Mahi Mahi for us. Thank you!
The Claytons
March
I don't want to leave Quepos or Villa Jacana but alas I must head back north to Portland, Oregon. My time here with friends was fabulous, 3 weeks of relaxing, eating, cocktails, local friends, adventure and just plain dreaming. Oh yeah, monkeys poolside. Unbelievable. I can't wait to come back. Thank you Costa Rica! Thank you, Ticos.
Matt Kramer
March
We brought Matt and his frined Dave down here for their first time. It's such a pleasure to see the expressions of wonder and awe on our friends faces the first time we share our beloved Costa Rica with them!Our own dreams are “Poco a Poco” coming true. We've our own piece of Paradise now, and we are embracing the opportunity to become 'Tico-ized”.
Manuel Antonio Estates has been our home-away-from-home for several years. Service is always excellent, the staff always friendly, and “Los Monos” have paid us several visits. You will find yourself mesmerized by the beauty of the country and it's precious people.
Carl & Cindy Engelgau
Pura Vida
Excellent house, excellent town, people, and beaches!
Alex Venezuela
Pura Vida
We had quite the adventure from rafting, snorkeling, zip lining, and my favorite the waterfall rock climbing and repelling.
Thanks for a wonderful time,
Love Kim and Kathy, Westlake Village, Ca
From going on a boat tour of Manuel Antonio beach, seeing dolphins, getting dirty on the ATV, to flying through the trees on the canopy tour while there was a 6.2 earthquake going on! A lot of fun nights out in Jaco beach. Our favorite place to go out was the Loft. It was overcast for most of the trip, but we still got sun. If you really want to see monkeys go down by the spa or out to Manuel Antonio beach around 3 and they will come to you. Thank you so much to everyone who came, it was great bringing in the new year. Hope you are back sooner then later,
Chantal, San Diego and Miami.
I had the best time of my life here with my best friend and I am so blessed to have had the chance to be here. I so needed this vacation!
Love May May
My trip to Costa Rica has been amazing! I loved the views, ATV tours, canopy tour, the beach, great food, and the Jacana House. It was amazing seeing the monkeys everyday around 4 P.M., it was the highlight of the trip. Seeing them race around me and my friends and family was hilarious. I cant wait to come back one day and see all of these cool things again.
Samantha, Jason, Mike, and Lynn
"I
wanted to let Jenna and Richard know what an awesome time we had last week at Manuel Antonio Estates! The condo was absolutely
perfect for us and it could not have worked out better. We LOVED the
property and the location; from the pool to the hiking trails to the
short walk into town. We would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking
of visiting ... Thank you again for all your help and guidance last
week. It was a perfect trip!" -Kim A.
April 2009
Villa
Toucan was wonderful! We love the openness of the floorplan & all
the doors that let you feel like you are outside. Manuel Antonio Estates
is the perfect location. I love being able to walk into town or to the
bus stop that takes you over the hill. Thierry and Desiree, thank-you
for all your help & wonderful hospitality. And many thanks to the
housecleaners.
This is the
best house! It´s really fun and I love the pool!! We made new
froggy friends!
*The Andersons,
San Francisco, CA
The April and April-Segura families loved this jungle retreat! Be sure
that you watch for the squirrel monkeys around 7 AM in the mornings.
We didn´t see them until our last day :-( . They were so fun.
We really enjoyed our stay here. Thanks for everything. Don´t
miss the 3rd beach at Manuel Antonio. It is beautiful! And more monkeys!
Pura Vida! Muchas Gracias!
*Desiree, Osias,
Jim, Sandy, Luz, Luzmilda, and ¨Luzy"*
We
have had a wonderful time here. We hope to come back again in the future.
We will certainly recommend it to friends. From the first minute in
Quepos, the people have been friendly, helpful and sincere. My command
of Spanish has improved, but when we arrived in Quepos it was so difficult
to ask for directions and understand the spoken word. we stopped at
the pizza restaurant, (up the street from La Lanterna) and Ronald was
kind enough to make a trip here to Manuel Antonio Estates to show us
the way. Of course we returned to eat later and the Tex-Mex pizza was
the best we had! Ronald also delivers pizza. Viva Ronald!
Yes, this is
boring, but you must read on. For food, El Gran Escape is wonderful.
The ceviche with fish and shrimp - muy bueno! Electricity was out most
of the evening, but why complain? Enjoy the Pura Vida. The Airplane
restaurant is cute and stimulates good lively conversations and the
food is wonderful there too. Another feature that is not common at home
(USA) is the fruit smoothies: so many flavors, so refreshing, especially
in the morning.
Now it is time
for you to stop reading and go experience Costa Rica, yet you are still
reading. You might ask why, but in the spirit of La Pura Vida, one doesn´t
ask why. One smiles and enjoys his surroundings. Even on the dirt road
to Dominical, it is possible to stop, any number of times for snacks
and cold drinks. That is where your trial by fire begins if you are
learning Spanish. At the refugio, all the employees are well-spoken
in English, and perhaps other languages. The zip-line tour is exhilarating
and instills a new awareness of the wonders of nature.
Ah! Some days
we want to simply sit by the pool and sip a cool drink. We take our
laundry to Cindy in town and pick it up clean, dried, and folded for
a reasonable price. It´s a sweet little luxury to have clean clothes
to put on after a shower. If you are still reading this, you need to
get out more. But I thank-you for your time. I hope you enjoy your stay
at villa Toucan as much as we have enjoyed ours. What´s not to
love?
*Luke Lester,
Decatur Ga. 30030 USA
What
a magical time we are having at the Mot Mot and the surrounding area
of Costa Rica. The mornings are my favourite. Sitting on the back porch
with my Costarican coffee, watching the birds fly their way through
the jungle. We will never forget the night of salsa dancing at the Bamboo
Jam, and the amazing tour through Manuel Antonio with our hawk eye tour
guide. I look forward to our next visit to this fabulous land called
Costa Rica.
*Andrew, Seattle
Wa.
Hola!
Costa Rica has been so much fun! Thanks for letting us stay at the Mot
Mot. It has been so much fun! Yesterday we went on a tour around the
park with our tour guide, Mop. He could see everything! We had so much
fun!
*Thanks, Madie Bradner*
Gracias!
Everyone had such a great time in this house. It was so much fun! Thank-you
for letting us stay in this house, this whole place made our vacation
so much better! We loved it here! Thanks again! We had so much fun!
*Thanks, Alexis
W
*Hola
Boyo,
Day 1: Serious
appreciation of nature this morning. Such tranquil beauty. After outstanding
Costarican coffee we had to move to a cerveza. Called Richard at 8 AM.
He was worried we were thirsty so early. But no problemo. Richard was
cool, our thirst slacked. Now we can move on to nutrition of the food
variety.
*Bradley, Becki,
David, Dee, Mike & Peggy
*Hello, day
II: Adventure in the trees. Massive Beer, margaritas, daiquiries and
wine last night. Now we are ready for the canopy. Group went OK with
the licor last night. David found himself. We think he is more spiritual
this morning.
*Bradley, Becki,
David, Dee, Mike & Peggy
*Day III IV.
Well we missed yesterday. But made it today. We seriously dammaged ourselves
yesterday. Very serious weirdness and sun poisoning. There were also
significant liquids involved. Early morning beer to help with hydrating
ourselves in preparation for our wilderness river experience. Then margaritas
to slow things down with a little something for body aches added in...Hey,
we are old. It is no longer recreational. So now we are into very serious
Aloe Vera to handle some serious burns. No problemo, our chef is about
to arrive, so I´ll catch you all later.
*Bradley, Becki,
David, Dee, Mike & Peggy
The chef was
_great_! We all recommend hiring a chef here and enjoying a proffessionally
cooked meal in Villa Mot Mot. Note for California owner: please better
equip the kitchen.
Today we go horsebackriding in the Finca Valmy & tomorrow sailing
and diving with dolphins & hopefully whales. Weather has been nothing
but terrific. Great place this Costa Rica. David has to head and see
a doctor for his sunburn, bummer.
Well, more later.
*Bradley, Becki,
David, Dee, Mike & Peggy
*Day 6-7: The
Ending
Sunset Sail is a must! Great party. Manuel Antonio Park is also a great
place. Best beaches. Two nice restaurants in Quepos are "El Gran
Escape," and "Dos Locos." All in all this was great fun
& we hope to return. Bradley, Becki, David and Dee return to California
tomorrow, Peg and I to New York. Cold. Aloha from us all!
*Bradley, Becki,
David, Dee, Mike & Peggy
*Exquisite and sublime. The staff was impeccable, particularly Desiree
who couldn´t have been more professional and cheerful. Kudos!!!
*Portland, Maine,
USA
*Great place and location, everyone was very helpful thru-out our stay.
Thanks for a great time.
*San Diego Ca.
*We
had a wonderful week. Beautiful views, nice walks, nice people, would
love to come again.
Merci Merveilleux
séjour. *Ginette Chapdelaine & Philip Bailey
*House
was very very nice. Had a great time here. First time here and will
come back. Booked horse tour and it was great, service here was great.
Didn´t see monkeys. :-(
*Lynn &
Terry Burke Montreal
We
have been very happy here - a magical place. Wildlife, activity, great
support from the folks here - a perfect balance of things. We would
like to return some day. Had a wonderful time & were well taken
care of.
This is a wonderful
place. Extremely helpful staff. Much wildlife to see. Central location
- helpful (off the beaten path means quiet)
*Jim and Dee
Gilmanton NH USA* _Pura Vida
Our
third trip to Quepos and our second time here at Manuel Antonio Estates.
Needless to say, we love it here!!In response to the disapointment in
the note on the other page of not seeing monkeys, we have seen them
at other times (three squirrel monkeys right by the house yesterday
mid-afternoon). The safest bet is to walk down to the Toucan house abotu
five o´clock. There are a few cappuchin monkeys that swing across
the road via the tree tops, they cross in front of both the Toucan and
the Mot Mot. You can almost set your watch by it. Sometimes five minutes
before of after five.
Or favorite tours are the Damas Island Mangrove Tour and the walk through
Manuel Antonio Park with a guide. We also took the Sunset Cruise this
time on the sailboat vs. the catamaran and enjoyed that alot too.
Favorite restaurants: El Gran Escape (downtown Quepos), Mar y Luna (road
to Manuel Antonio), El Avion (on the road to Manuel Antonio even closer
to the Park). Also very good pizza at Escalofrio (downtown Quepos).
For coffee, of course Café Milagro. Their iced coffee drinks
put Starbucks to shame at about half the price. Breakfasts there are
very good as well.
Enjoy!! We surely did! Nothing better than a quick dip in the pool when
you arrive back at the house after one of the local tours!
*Margaret, Mary,
Chris, and Mike Chicago
When
we arrived to the Jacana House, we were greeted with a basket full of
fresh tropical fruits, exotic flowers and an incredible view! :-) :-)
Beautiful scenery and much fun on the Titi Canopy Tour and the ATV waterfall
tour. Lots and lots of cappuchin (white-faced) monkeys on the Manuel
Antonio Park trail and the Damas Island Tours. One of my favourite experiences
was the superior massage and facial at the jungle setting ¨Raindrop
Spa.¨
We will recommend this stay at the Jacana House to others.
*Laura, Scott,
Dennis & Brian Norton Laguna California
This place is absolutely breathtaking. We loved it so much. We will
definitely come back. It has been an unforgettable experience. This
country is a beautiful one & as for the monkeys, we saw a whole
family our first week. The little birds seem to be having a problem
. They keep flying into the glass window. Poor things. We will miss
this villa, these nice and caring people, the food, the beautiful scenery.
Desiree especially, you were wonderful, always happy. We will miss you.
*Paula, Jeff,
Aubrie, Peyton, New Orleans, Louisiana*
Read more: Service
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Us
For more information
on Quepos Real Estate and Manuel Antonio Vacation Rentals, or to schedule
an exciting tour, please contact Manuel Antonio Estates:
TOLL FREE rentals:
1-800-381-3770
TOLL FREE sales: 1-800-346 9724
Phone: (506)
2777-3339
Fax: (506) 2777-3338
Rentals Email:
rentals@ManuelAntonioEstates.com
Sales Email: sales@ManuelAntonioEstates.com
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