Almonds & Corals Tent Hotel, Manzanillo

This was a fun and sort of exciting lodge to visit and the only one other than Banana Azul I’ve been in that is right on the beach! The tents are large safari wall tents up on wooden platforms, meaning one flight of steps up to your room. It reminded me of my 2 safaris in the Maasai Mara of Kenya.

You are surrounded by forest so not too close to other tents and there are beautiful boardwalk-trails winding among the tents, all leading to either the beach or the dining room! And yes, you do have your own private bathroom as a part of the large tent design. I had very few insects (they probably spray) in my tent and no other varmints came in, though I did see an Eyelash Pit Viper on a tree down the boardwalk from my tent, 🙂 but nothing scary inside the tent! Learn more by checking out their Website: Almonds & Corals. It is the only tent hotel I’ve been to in Costa Rica, but I understand that there are others including at least one that uses yurts.

Boardwalks between tents, the beach & restaurant.

Would I Return?

Maybe! That is sort of a yes or a positive statement about it. As I get older my thirst for adventure has toned down and this visit was within my first 2 years in Costa Rica. But I did like it, though after discovering Banana Azul, it became my place in the South Caribbean.

Likes

The beach! It is just down boardwalk from your tent and is a beautiful beach! During “Happy Hour” they set up a portable bar on the beach and are said to be famous for their mojitos! The beach is otherwise quiet enjoyable or peaceful to relax on or take a walk.
The restaurant was very good but not spectacular. Open air of course, but with a solid roof, not a tent! 🙂
They got me a birding guide that I still know who was pretty good and we went to multiple places. Of course you are very near Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Reserve which is excellent!
I also visited the Jaguar Rescue Center and the very nearby Ara Project which are both very good for nature lovers.

Dislikes

Nothing in particular, I just wasn’t wild about the tent room, especially after I saw the poisonous snake nearby.

BIRDS of the area Slideshow . . .

Groove-billed Ani
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Collared Aracari
Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
Variable Seedeater male
Yellow-throated Toucan
Great Green Macaw
Turkey Vulture
Mississippi Kite

Nature & Activities

I got ahead of myself and listed the nature things above under LIKES. But besides birding on their property and getting the birding guide, the three main other things I loved were Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Reserve, the Jaguar Rescue Center and the very nearby Ara Project. I recommend all three very highly. And of course it is not too far a drive to Cahuita National Park, north of Puerto Viejo which I also recommend.
There are of course all the tours and water activities including snorkeling and surfing at nearby Cocles Beach, and other things that you get in nearby Puerto Viejo and it is not too far to Cahuita National Park.

NATURE of the area Slideshow . . .

CA Spider Monkey
Blue Land Crab
Mantled Howler Monkey
Grasshopper
Emerald Basilisk
Eyelash Viper
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth
Green Page Moth
Common Mytip Butterfly
Red-eyed Tree Frog

Room & Restaurant

The “tents” are of a solid wooden structure with metal roofs, so you feel like you are in a little more than a canvas tent! But the walls are of canvas and many can be rolled up for open air. And of course you have a real bathroom as part of the tent! 🙂 And the privacy is good with a distance between tents.
The food as I remember it was similar to other places, good but not necessarily spectacular. It’s been a while since 2017, so I remember only so much. 🙂

Getting There

Like almost everywhere in Costa Rica, you can drive there in your car or hire a van or driver or there are some shared shuttle systems available where you ride in a van with other passengers. Caribe Fun Tours has one. From Atenas it is about 250 km or 5 1/2 hours drive.
Public Bus Service is available from anywhere in Costa Rica to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (not to Manzanillo), usually changing buses in San Jose. Then from the center of Puerto Viejo you take a short taxi ride to the Almonds & Corals Hotel.
My preference now is for Walter to take me to the Domestic Terminal at the SJO Airport and I Fly Sansa to the Limón Airport (landing strip) which is south of Limón, thus maybe an hour to Manzanillo in a taxi. You get terrific vistas on the flight and it is so much quicker and easier! Flights are around $100 each direction to/from anywhere in Costa Rica! 🙂 The hotel can arrange a taxi or it is a tiny bit cheaper to get the next available taxi at the airport. They are always there!